Posted by fabricpile
Sun, 08 Oct 2006 01:21:00 GMT
At Emma’s request, we had a bonfire this evening. The moon was shining, the owls were calling, and the coyotes howling.
A campfire needs s’mores, of course: Hersheys, Honey Maids and Jet Puffs. Joe and Kira roasted the marshmallows to perfection.
Check out the s’mores kits that Laura’s Candy sells. Maybe we should try making our own marshmallows and graham crackers sometime so we can fancy up our fireside treats. I don’t think the kids want me to tamper with tradition on this one, though.
Posted in chocolate, bog, family | 2 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Mon, 02 Oct 2006 17:12:00 GMT
Our trips to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello always inspired me to plant new flowers. While walking Jefferson’s paths, I fell in love with Joseph’s Coat (Amaranthus tricolor). In Maryland I planted it, only to discover that it heartily reseeded itself over every available bit of dirt. I accidentally composted it and spread it even further. It’s gorgeous, but I wouldn’t plant it again.
I also fell in love with globed amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), which is a bit more finicky and stays where it’s planted. I order my seeds each Spring from Monticello’s garden center, even though I can get them just about anywhere. The globes are in full bloom both here and at the library, and I’m tickled when people come in and ask me, “What are those beautiful flowers?”
This year I planted coxcomb (Celosia cristata). The look and feel of these huge flowers delights me (and Emma). They are a little top-heavy for our soft bog soil, so I’ll be sure to give them plenty of support next year.
Posted in fabricpile, emma, bog, links | 2 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:03:00 GMT
If you haven’t seen the 2001 film Rivers and Tides about Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy, you really should. His work is fascinating. When I watched him work, I kept vacillating between admiration of his genius and thinking that he is a total nut-job.
Inspired by Goldsworthy’s natural sculptures, the nutty geniuses here at the bog have been creating their own art projects from the local fieldstones we collect.
My rock pile has never looked quite so artistic!
Posted in bog, links | 4 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:45:00 GMT
This was the first summer we’ve ever planted corn. It looked lovely and the ears were very nearly ready to pick and eat.
That is until last night when the raccoons decimated it.
Maybe it was hubris on my part—or maybe it was because Wallis hasn’t been around for nearly a week. Either way, those little masked varmints stole my very first chance at eating home-grown sweet corn. The worst part was all of the ears strewn around were brutally shucked and then merely nibbled on. They could have just picked one ear, eaten the whole danged thing and saved the rest for us!
I guess we can’t depend on the neighbor dog to keep the veggie demolition team away anymore. I see an electric fence in our future.
Posted in bog, fabricpile | no comments
Posted by fabricpile
Wed, 19 Jul 2006 21:59:00 GMT
Our bald eagle continues to frequent the lake. It still amazes me to look out the window and see him soaring so close to the house. I always have to stop what I am doing and watch. The kids and I looked for a nest before the leaves came on, but didn’t find one nearby. The area Audubon eagle watcher told me that they will hunt within a three mile radius from their nest, but even he didn’t know where it was.
We recently learned from one of my library patrons that the nest is on an island in the Wabash river, just about three miles from the lake as the, um, eagle flies.
Yesterday we watched as he dove and caught a large fish in his talons. The fish put up enough of a fight that the eagle was forced to drop it. Earlier in the season, he snatched a gosling from right between its parents as they swam. I hope Henry doesn’t look like food when he’s out in the canoe with us, but I’m pretty sure he’d put up a good fight.
Posted in bog, family | 2 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Sun, 04 Jun 2006 14:44:00 GMT
So what do you do when your kids catch a few fish that you can’t identify?
Why, you clean them, cook them over an open fire and eat them, that’s what you do—but only after tucking away a couple of Boddington’s Pub Ales.
After a little research and rechecking the pictures of the charred remains, they appear to be Freshwater Drums.
Posted in joek, bog | 7 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Sun, 16 Apr 2006 20:59:00 GMT
Each Spring we bog-dwellers are treated to a symphony of amphibian luuuuv. Imagine the highest pitched squeal of the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince , amplify it and multiply it by about 20,000 and you’ll have an idea what we heard for the last couple of days.
The creatures find their way to the lakeshore where the kids have fun catching them by the bucketful. Don’t worry, they don’t keep them long before putting them all back in the water.
Kira demonstrates her “two-at-once” catch.
Someday she’ll find her nerd prince! This one is probably a little more interested in being smooched by one of his own species.
Here’s Henry and his new buddy, “Freddy.” Yes, Freddy the Toad.
Posted in bog, family | 9 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Wed, 29 Mar 2006 02:14:00 GMT
After last Spring’s success burning the shoreline, we decided to try it again this year. It certainly is a lot less work than cutting and raking all of that dead grass.
Joe and Max set precise backfires and were very careful to keep it from spreading into the field. Boys have a little too much fun burning things.
Posted in bog | 5 comments
Posted by fabricpile
Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:05:00 GMT
The peepers are peeping, the forsythia are budding and the bog is once again a stopping place for birds on their airborne trek north.
A bald eagle has been soaring around for the past few weeks. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he finds a nesting site on the wild side of the lake.
Joe sited the first flock of sand hill cranes in February, and we see more each week. Yesterday we watched a blue heron choke down a fish.
This morning, there is a flock of buffleheads snoozing on the lake right in front of the house.
With the possible exception of the harlequin ducks, they are my favorite water birds. Each Spring I watch their speedy flying antics, listen to their sweet cries, and secretly hope that they will stick around through the summer and fall. Why would they want to spend the summer in Canada, anyway? (eh?!)
Posted in bog | 3 comments
