tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15435344809433701662024-03-21T14:03:33.488-07:00Our Mountain FarmOur journey through farming, gardening, hunting and fishing to live a cleaner, healthier life in the mountains of West Virgnia.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-51029437294627054822011-05-29T12:56:00.000-07:002011-05-29T14:39:12.940-07:00Jorene's Perennial Gardens-May 30, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxDGFQv1d9LZZ_35tTyszPII0nFZQKJF7FeF4qbGq-_XFVZkGrN8CbYfx1V3Ax0oxFbuyVN-OjbIG0IyTaYUCzuYg6PoOOv8TwaCOS1wFm1kH4q1sWkO0WWFyoHxGc049BofbDCHWeiQ/s1600/IMG_5755.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxDGFQv1d9LZZ_35tTyszPII0nFZQKJF7FeF4qbGq-_XFVZkGrN8CbYfx1V3Ax0oxFbuyVN-OjbIG0IyTaYUCzuYg6PoOOv8TwaCOS1wFm1kH4q1sWkO0WWFyoHxGc049BofbDCHWeiQ/s320/IMG_5755.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612252986957683218" border="0" /></a>We've been working hard replanting the dry creek bed shade garden with hostas, ferns, hydrangeas, bleeding heart,coral bells, columbine, Solomon's seal, and other shade friendly perennials.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_dYPVZ7V0bQvr6nUw1TEqnmF4cRtSzewdBX7R2c5mNh54BB1oCsWn-TPyfvuTObPXPQal6tzue8wd-zcfyR29mu3z5nWzqfbZGXIqUy6Ay8hjnImZz-j4nTliK_XV6C4MOmGCDzxTgvi/s1600/IMG_5754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_dYPVZ7V0bQvr6nUw1TEqnmF4cRtSzewdBX7R2c5mNh54BB1oCsWn-TPyfvuTObPXPQal6tzue8wd-zcfyR29mu3z5nWzqfbZGXIqUy6Ay8hjnImZz-j4nTliK_XV6C4MOmGCDzxTgvi/s320/IMG_5754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612252982806021362" border="0" /></a>Another view of the shade garden and dry creek bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-1nWF-e6qY0lImQHPoaE63Z6OpGbOz3doPAR_iRDL-26hRB0iPJUO9KrQJEoEsFIGyaRXtEGnf2WyeqW16TnzxUoYrNyh8YzoqpKKe3tMyN-zN16XpKOGpBxe9PNWrsaPT6DxbJpeRLU/s1600/IMG_5753.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-1nWF-e6qY0lImQHPoaE63Z6OpGbOz3doPAR_iRDL-26hRB0iPJUO9KrQJEoEsFIGyaRXtEGnf2WyeqW16TnzxUoYrNyh8YzoqpKKe3tMyN-zN16XpKOGpBxe9PNWrsaPT6DxbJpeRLU/s320/IMG_5753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612250892976431730" border="0" /></a>Japanese iris, hostas, blackeyed Susan, coreopsis, and purple clemantis on the trellis.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv7t1X0MaQ7H6xntFMuRWIEPFWiJtkd5-U93bUfXrmUlqiBoGxKUCJee6GNltxXV3L1Ljxb5Ma0O84OFBrJAouIXCakRvf2x_iX83KwByIea-znRncgdZaEUVwqdS-p_of0sAwiZjGB4L/s1600/IMG_5752.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv7t1X0MaQ7H6xntFMuRWIEPFWiJtkd5-U93bUfXrmUlqiBoGxKUCJee6GNltxXV3L1Ljxb5Ma0O84OFBrJAouIXCakRvf2x_iX83KwByIea-znRncgdZaEUVwqdS-p_of0sAwiZjGB4L/s320/IMG_5752.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612250884273582674" border="0" /></a>Purple and white bearded iris.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-V_mY6LTrYUjCe9w-NUJEogYo1s0m8-J5aB2zjNO3k2i25FQUszqmzNFbOq9iawVKZu_xM9S-kdC73q6USBcS-PHkWmEM_SGXwoAh6OUImcbnyH9X3Pi4o-amXEXFJ3NEuJcahKDfHYi/s1600/IMG_5750.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-V_mY6LTrYUjCe9w-NUJEogYo1s0m8-J5aB2zjNO3k2i25FQUszqmzNFbOq9iawVKZu_xM9S-kdC73q6USBcS-PHkWmEM_SGXwoAh6OUImcbnyH9X3Pi4o-amXEXFJ3NEuJcahKDfHYi/s320/IMG_5750.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612250878571307666" border="0" /></a>The little present Thursday night's thunderstorm left us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1eSqgHP2M5MbQKFEpMBQshivFFxKu7qfEsw1vHyWl-vXAGpQvlXtJpVif2gOtAKXPF_fZA75qoE2KTATPFozDforVjI9AQ_NgetxnF1uYdwxqySCN5uhI-f6Rhs6g4SuS6ktcYK1OSx6/s1600/IMG_5746.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1eSqgHP2M5MbQKFEpMBQshivFFxKu7qfEsw1vHyWl-vXAGpQvlXtJpVif2gOtAKXPF_fZA75qoE2KTATPFozDforVjI9AQ_NgetxnF1uYdwxqySCN5uhI-f6Rhs6g4SuS6ktcYK1OSx6/s320/IMG_5746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612250874437414466" border="0" /></a>A view of the fallen pine tree limb from the other side of the gate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGHrTRLI4gLyf_bYzhKTUuhyphenhyphenMBgBDSF6oJbISnOc65-7jT2GHwQUrQeopqfkLN_XmpT1vUp6jLSyfgzzKjTaCjP-7fgTz_mAoiy3NpPMhUvQ7XUqV5LMnQ6ZVBjLB-sIhdF4SNQdq0L0B/s1600/IMG_5745.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGHrTRLI4gLyf_bYzhKTUuhyphenhyphenMBgBDSF6oJbISnOc65-7jT2GHwQUrQeopqfkLN_XmpT1vUp6jLSyfgzzKjTaCjP-7fgTz_mAoiy3NpPMhUvQ7XUqV5LMnQ6ZVBjLB-sIhdF4SNQdq0L0B/s320/IMG_5745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612250871918249042" border="0" /></a>Native daisies and phlox in the foreground with bearded iris and bluestar blooming in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9JX8PuP_Vza6y-X1EkQzkbUStDAZOherqaW6AeLVHMipyB6I_y60G6vkDpGBp_dXUCVNNEdAdOwqBZODnQKCeXMsfaXv0tjslkon7l5ZZRfrfN6rFMfkxzx9SOBqbG_isFSVGP0n2grZ/s1600/IMG_5743.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9JX8PuP_Vza6y-X1EkQzkbUStDAZOherqaW6AeLVHMipyB6I_y60G6vkDpGBp_dXUCVNNEdAdOwqBZODnQKCeXMsfaXv0tjslkon7l5ZZRfrfN6rFMfkxzx9SOBqbG_isFSVGP0n2grZ/s320/IMG_5743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612231877857293010" border="0" /></a>Pink and white peonies with purple salvia and Japanese iris in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqpDCzJjuxJ6C0ByBeATpXVKyEv6LJcbYZ3zusw3G9QPG5s74FtlSWOIIanuHy3Co-RL7EdpiSJMpKKoxrru-CnJTyVUbumg6-ADAsyL6ad5MVQifbPUugmuEf_EJYVhVccxRGG1Xsh__/s1600/IMG_5741.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqpDCzJjuxJ6C0ByBeATpXVKyEv6LJcbYZ3zusw3G9QPG5s74FtlSWOIIanuHy3Co-RL7EdpiSJMpKKoxrru-CnJTyVUbumg6-ADAsyL6ad5MVQifbPUugmuEf_EJYVhVccxRGG1Xsh__/s320/IMG_5741.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612231869873422594" border="0" /></a>Purple salvia, sedum, and Japanese iris in the foreground. Purple and white bearded iris with pink and white peonies in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiEmEbq2Hvw104Hb-rxHmm9adaOwDYIAr165ythKq0XKJ2NSuikYWKI1ZOtn_Agos5OLMzkJWaBQw54NV2BjyFMT1of7BRyvyM0nuq9zORWKmceObqHQ6FwKUrAjX7IZQIcHutypKNxzi/s1600/IMG_5740.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiEmEbq2Hvw104Hb-rxHmm9adaOwDYIAr165ythKq0XKJ2NSuikYWKI1ZOtn_Agos5OLMzkJWaBQw54NV2BjyFMT1of7BRyvyM0nuq9zORWKmceObqHQ6FwKUrAjX7IZQIcHutypKNxzi/s320/IMG_5740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612231865332873458" border="0" /></a>Campanula blue bell, armenia dusseldorf pride, and lamb's ear in the foreground with catmint and blue star in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFQmhHHOpaS2FRFud45e3TpZeOYi_JrutOaovrI0QkfXfb1sXMaV6q27AKO1z8KNOlsw_hUAZqr0K6qnGOy14iU80R-Y34VemS947HaNps5sID5BFvvAE2kA0OkJdmCeH5QQRlPaT_CGp/s1600/IMG_5739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFQmhHHOpaS2FRFud45e3TpZeOYi_JrutOaovrI0QkfXfb1sXMaV6q27AKO1z8KNOlsw_hUAZqr0K6qnGOy14iU80R-Y34VemS947HaNps5sID5BFvvAE2kA0OkJdmCeH5QQRlPaT_CGp/s320/IMG_5739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612231856483996498" border="0" /></a>A broader view of the front sun perennial bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHRUjbgc9AzplcIMWk5gW7pKOu6nps08s5bTtilU9uv3J9T4XcKzku26EhHWbSPfW5Ek46JdJkgxMSPvK4OKmCaZqHI35raHZDMrMZuk4glTV4EBRnmsHNJMVBoxRdbgETa_Mv6bZFHjy/s1600/IMG_5738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHRUjbgc9AzplcIMWk5gW7pKOu6nps08s5bTtilU9uv3J9T4XcKzku26EhHWbSPfW5Ek46JdJkgxMSPvK4OKmCaZqHI35raHZDMrMZuk4glTV4EBRnmsHNJMVBoxRdbgETa_Mv6bZFHjy/s320/IMG_5738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612231847482771106" border="0" /></a>My favorite clematis.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-6954045781575797322011-05-17T17:53:00.000-07:002011-06-15T07:56:56.398-07:00The Ponderosa Lodge Farm interns/WWOOFers Take On Tree Tops Canopy Tour at Adventures on the Gorge (May 2011)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigo_Sc3aNdQkAAO387N7Fd3MeT2IqGVf4c6EglboNHJIeJbQhj7LkVhxsfIbShgzA0nUnA2tYUZKlW0r8AR9cD4kOUw_yXHWH697PxK2q5y9651ngvCfX6GBOjjl35QC8nplisBzP8SH6r/s1600/P5170505.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459689670735794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigo_Sc3aNdQkAAO387N7Fd3MeT2IqGVf4c6EglboNHJIeJbQhj7LkVhxsfIbShgzA0nUnA2tYUZKlW0r8AR9cD4kOUw_yXHWH697PxK2q5y9651ngvCfX6GBOjjl35QC8nplisBzP8SH6r/s320/P5170505.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijucZ8FLtGUCD5QBjYyjtgjURqqLk10MWG0PobRiOu1IfTPAhr_sEfaOz_gTZY_vvfG8P80cpAhIrg44dhQtqsCFwix7x-_nZFSW9Ow1Z5U6JD4f61TTg0-LBe8yIosXbawmu63frTk8s4/s1600/P5170568.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459522211765074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijucZ8FLtGUCD5QBjYyjtgjURqqLk10MWG0PobRiOu1IfTPAhr_sEfaOz_gTZY_vvfG8P80cpAhIrg44dhQtqsCFwix7x-_nZFSW9Ow1Z5U6JD4f61TTg0-LBe8yIosXbawmu63frTk8s4/s320/P5170568.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK78fwV6mVgQ_JyuqVZgyq6oQyuScfmf07Qw2KdPFKaouaSG_s-XK5zZzRAQyY0InJE55RRutgAtXjzzVpOjVuHC2gRoBTRhAm5qJU8229eFnrv6NXAXjX0IEWHdb0ebYmNcqzxeXsLKSh/s1600/P5170540.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459252442678402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK78fwV6mVgQ_JyuqVZgyq6oQyuScfmf07Qw2KdPFKaouaSG_s-XK5zZzRAQyY0InJE55RRutgAtXjzzVpOjVuHC2gRoBTRhAm5qJU8229eFnrv6NXAXjX0IEWHdb0ebYmNcqzxeXsLKSh/s320/P5170540.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgFIfw97f7Qk0o1GZOOezzi0nCZ7hwl5_42Gb7A2FWnJ2eTQ9Qpt1oVt1mmzri2-OuyD6smf_UcfdWC9-BmSf0ormMnf_Mw3aNau-SCq-O0mkXdSmdxYWnOfhqp-_sw-rVVdOvboVRIiy/s1600/P5170539.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459248015145074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgFIfw97f7Qk0o1GZOOezzi0nCZ7hwl5_42Gb7A2FWnJ2eTQ9Qpt1oVt1mmzri2-OuyD6smf_UcfdWC9-BmSf0ormMnf_Mw3aNau-SCq-O0mkXdSmdxYWnOfhqp-_sw-rVVdOvboVRIiy/s320/P5170539.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWYw6cV3SKqCmcKvIkBhQYgH0tjhsxKkMxHMkULWiLvVKxArMggL2OGLRCg2u0SzSANytsAcBJqTd6Tu00vVTj8UeFCde1goEzK4eooVAiLtGpGttdfhHfECwgWr38X0ElNCRg-I8VEbE/s1600/P5170530.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459239917107138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWYw6cV3SKqCmcKvIkBhQYgH0tjhsxKkMxHMkULWiLvVKxArMggL2OGLRCg2u0SzSANytsAcBJqTd6Tu00vVTj8UeFCde1goEzK4eooVAiLtGpGttdfhHfECwgWr38X0ElNCRg-I8VEbE/s320/P5170530.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAKfbD0TQlyV9O8MqGdaalxuYFHd3Cm64XpH9iEwgyIdE094CF04E7upIyrCIBb_QWUYiUadrQyiGoINKp1jbfRXYLDRP9KS5X0x2MeXsc8AytUm3w164YKF8YKkpnN0qUnlm-do2XvsS/s1600/P5170520.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459235617303570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAKfbD0TQlyV9O8MqGdaalxuYFHd3Cm64XpH9iEwgyIdE094CF04E7upIyrCIBb_QWUYiUadrQyiGoINKp1jbfRXYLDRP9KS5X0x2MeXsc8AytUm3w164YKF8YKkpnN0qUnlm-do2XvsS/s320/P5170520.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMDml8lq4vWV_VzQMTEa9Ys3BGw_RlO4jDVp0yvbicIrOxq_2QZBDWoYLt2FBYVRoRb5JqVLu_wKFV9Uli3UKotrd76r-Yt4IUWff1H1DtTvtZRNiQ9_iS8dHSsjOlCwf9qFj4IaEUa0u/s1600/P5170512.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618459227901306754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMDml8lq4vWV_VzQMTEa9Ys3BGw_RlO4jDVp0yvbicIrOxq_2QZBDWoYLt2FBYVRoRb5JqVLu_wKFV9Uli3UKotrd76r-Yt4IUWff1H1DtTvtZRNiQ9_iS8dHSsjOlCwf9qFj4IaEUa0u/s320/P5170512.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>It poured down rain throughout the day, but we all piled into the cars and took a brief drive over to Adventures on the Gorge. There, our guides, Lauren and Read, suited us up in our gear and helmets, and we flew through the air for more than 3 hours. The Tree Tops Canopy Tour at Adventures on the Gorge has 10 zip lines, 5 cable bridges, and 1 rappel station, with each view more breathtaking than the last. We started out with a brief hike to the learning station where our guides taught us the basics of zipping, braking, and self rescuing. Then, we were off to our first zip which proved to be more eventful than I originally anticipated. Coming into the landing, I failed to brake as forcefully as necessary and crash landed on top of our guide. Thankfully, she did not kick me off the tour, and I managed to avoid crashing landing on the subsequent zip lines. Our guides also informed us of the flora and fauna located throughout the New River Gorge. For example, there is an insect that has slowly eaten and killed many of the beautiful, old hemlock trees in the area, but the folks at Adventures on the Gorge along with the West Virginia Natural Resource Division are attempting to stop the insects by providing them with an appetite suppressant pill. The third zip was a long, blind zip. In other words, we could not see the ending platform when we started the zip because it was hidden by the trees in between the 2 platforms. There were several more of these throughout the day. The rappel station at the end was perhaps the scariest and most fun. We all rapelled off a platform located 35 feet in the air into nothingness. Then, Read unlatched us from the rope and we all hiked back to the bus for the short drive back to base camp. It was an exhausting, freezing, wet afternoon, but it was well worth it. Several of our interns conquered their fear of heights, and we all left with a lifetime of great memories and a strong desire to return to the Tree Tops.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-91682886467636222062011-05-03T03:22:00.000-07:002011-05-03T03:36:40.873-07:00Hiking Grandview State ParkThis weekend, we took our interns to Granview State Park for some hiking and a picnic. It was drizzly all morning but we still got some hiking in and enjoyed the views.<br /><br />The park is located outside of Beckley, WV and is only 30 minutes from our Lodge. At the Main Overlook, 1400 feet above the river, you see an active railway and the town of Quinnimont, where the first coal was shipped out of the gorge in 1873.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the main overlook.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX2v6fon7ZpJfvR2cPXkWqGvlukDiNOPt1PLHLCtXxEU8dtSZ95t9zojGnb-pVYuFUrW-F7kOAFcW800c2P5I_aK-AJceED4V7MyF9FAgPeIg-ySbkiuqSjQbFlRCajHtexDdAMhoE2TZ/s1600/IMG_5652.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX2v6fon7ZpJfvR2cPXkWqGvlukDiNOPt1PLHLCtXxEU8dtSZ95t9zojGnb-pVYuFUrW-F7kOAFcW800c2P5I_aK-AJceED4V7MyF9FAgPeIg-ySbkiuqSjQbFlRCajHtexDdAMhoE2TZ/s320/IMG_5652.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602435689301377634" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Liam, being a goofball.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96-UkjEua9yXl6Lmq79GQUQdtZ8ruyC3ro3_FPx9zpQn_toX2Vqb-yBMeaCEkDAbuB7WllfTnnyvmextVUDggLeY7tp_FD0v1EEsxD2uct4nxIjMPFLIPpTeJJjGhby8xNRLFGMsKFnvK/s1600/IMG_5655.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96-UkjEua9yXl6Lmq79GQUQdtZ8ruyC3ro3_FPx9zpQn_toX2Vqb-yBMeaCEkDAbuB7WllfTnnyvmextVUDggLeY7tp_FD0v1EEsxD2uct4nxIjMPFLIPpTeJJjGhby8xNRLFGMsKFnvK/s320/IMG_5655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602435680312841842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Jorene, Emily and Rhianna are trying to catch up with Liam on the Tunnel Trail.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf8LYZZK6Kga2bHDrXqhTBY-Kp0q3NYo_KB6CZcVWEwfrIMdj9B-Tf2BtrbEoGSp-fbIL2uOFfcqVTdTHwNxH01xZ8WqDA3g4U01exCtf-T6n0Joclgox7p_gnw1I5Z5Te09fdUf1qbB0/s1600/IMG_5656.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVf8LYZZK6Kga2bHDrXqhTBY-Kp0q3NYo_KB6CZcVWEwfrIMdj9B-Tf2BtrbEoGSp-fbIL2uOFfcqVTdTHwNxH01xZ8WqDA3g4U01exCtf-T6n0Joclgox7p_gnw1I5Z5Te09fdUf1qbB0/s320/IMG_5656.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602435675825201170" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can't catch me Daddy!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW860oE1Adg1Wq_rXcbqHMpk6a9lehflE5_Qo6BJgtgrddqGRhZWGXRbForZ8uYH1yaF3wMY9ich-OcD4xgBDjqDDbsJZGJsmg73k-zC-b9HALPkOti-SBKdnoysNLdKJ6mb3Rpo7XyBb/s1600/IMG_5657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW860oE1Adg1Wq_rXcbqHMpk6a9lehflE5_Qo6BJgtgrddqGRhZWGXRbForZ8uYH1yaF3wMY9ich-OcD4xgBDjqDDbsJZGJsmg73k-zC-b9HALPkOti-SBKdnoysNLdKJ6mb3Rpo7XyBb/s320/IMG_5657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602435667473040562" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Finally, a good picture of Liam.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSiV8O5ClpK15GaHH4Qvo3jc5SWzbGUOr9BCGU2L6GuK6fP2RgOKt4y86z1b_DK0YLHIn1XGraX8nSKj1fZSEgoND3KTftFIx6uVtMZESY0VlBKuRYkiANnuR6XjR8yNt8zC_iRgn0BsV/s1600/IMG_5658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSiV8O5ClpK15GaHH4Qvo3jc5SWzbGUOr9BCGU2L6GuK6fP2RgOKt4y86z1b_DK0YLHIn1XGraX8nSKj1fZSEgoND3KTftFIx6uVtMZESY0VlBKuRYkiANnuR6XjR8yNt8zC_iRgn0BsV/s320/IMG_5658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602435663613172018" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-6994018121977371122011-04-28T11:04:00.001-07:002011-04-28T11:47:24.091-07:00Farm Photos - April 28<div style="text-align: center;">The ducks, not swimming in the pond, but in a pool of water in the stream.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCmIQQ6N08M_KYS2dtqawKCzCd-0oahgZIX8m8v69vw3kAxtknqrbkM8EXc6UDal2-MOawBXVkRIgRG5LfKM0CSvm0nRjYVQvXi8SxOCgUSYisgnUzXZ2lpSXKs89D3FlZQCTqKETGjQW/s1600/IMG_5620.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCmIQQ6N08M_KYS2dtqawKCzCd-0oahgZIX8m8v69vw3kAxtknqrbkM8EXc6UDal2-MOawBXVkRIgRG5LfKM0CSvm0nRjYVQvXi8SxOCgUSYisgnUzXZ2lpSXKs89D3FlZQCTqKETGjQW/s320/IMG_5620.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600706434295524258" border="0" /></a><br />Grazing in the field.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGjhatSp0Ac14UqYImqJon5Ln2dr2yrThAsAJnWLEhqa3sFJUbrnlLYg866RZywTpe7xHfleBcT01aTlzqVF2HJDs0QStQanJKC-2-vO_XTewHfBcWCbWlO7L7pR6dudQIZ7YZ4z4imYn/s1600/IMG_5622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGjhatSp0Ac14UqYImqJon5Ln2dr2yrThAsAJnWLEhqa3sFJUbrnlLYg866RZywTpe7xHfleBcT01aTlzqVF2HJDs0QStQanJKC-2-vO_XTewHfBcWCbWlO7L7pR6dudQIZ7YZ4z4imYn/s320/IMG_5622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600699578307813330" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Brutus, sitting in Jorene's flower beds, just waiting for me to take his picture.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q1LO78otlEm0BfTVIM02AqFvMQKUVvUgGhQOL8iWe5tMKeX92V6lD72Z8K98q_3uVOBz9xFpdZUvqIrYNjaBKjFyYXRVzvvL93qjJRPxz4A40OLZZFlTDPSxQd9uSJZuaMCD2HXkJVxY/s1600/IMG_5619.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q1LO78otlEm0BfTVIM02AqFvMQKUVvUgGhQOL8iWe5tMKeX92V6lD72Z8K98q_3uVOBz9xFpdZUvqIrYNjaBKjFyYXRVzvvL93qjJRPxz4A40OLZZFlTDPSxQd9uSJZuaMCD2HXkJVxY/s320/IMG_5619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600699569823082578" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This row is ready for planting, Daddy.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq7zRoXbS_bT5Lz7tZDnDlKy1L4sXExugAzHGkm-lKTmkofBnqIW-hoPArv34FTen-pzpDOPWrqy5etw_95KHn9l2vSuAwyucJpg4C1FG1tBMzszQYs2lHcSl3JnQDh5xxT2yUqRrl59Y/s1600/IMG_5606.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkq7zRoXbS_bT5Lz7tZDnDlKy1L4sXExugAzHGkm-lKTmkofBnqIW-hoPArv34FTen-pzpDOPWrqy5etw_95KHn9l2vSuAwyucJpg4C1FG1tBMzszQYs2lHcSl3JnQDh5xxT2yUqRrl59Y/s320/IMG_5606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600699560104830018" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Rhianna and Christina planting potatoes.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1f3m6na9PdKk_ICHwNhi2on1MixBvuvMKl9T2Ks1ajUuC6T_zpTy-d50UTYLs2HVVTvHVGk8JcUeJFrKVxWPEevTInJrcx9BbZaBBQuIDugGfvyXs3wxk3-EQa_LJCzEm3EKE7K1yOBrW/s1600/IMG_5604.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1f3m6na9PdKk_ICHwNhi2on1MixBvuvMKl9T2Ks1ajUuC6T_zpTy-d50UTYLs2HVVTvHVGk8JcUeJFrKVxWPEevTInJrcx9BbZaBBQuIDugGfvyXs3wxk3-EQa_LJCzEm3EKE7K1yOBrW/s320/IMG_5604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600699551986096354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Liam and Hope hunting for Easter eggs.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlGbV69AbRgypE7_WoIR8WP8wL_GOdonJroN3p1jdnKU_6L4yPYGzr3AoJsKlm2Ybey9Twm2H4HHnTGAmAJELOI-KRemXqeRHrEuceiLt2udD3RwjqdCpRAdcCFVmcbGDQ5nw486h0Wq_/s1600/IMG_5570.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlGbV69AbRgypE7_WoIR8WP8wL_GOdonJroN3p1jdnKU_6L4yPYGzr3AoJsKlm2Ybey9Twm2H4HHnTGAmAJELOI-KRemXqeRHrEuceiLt2udD3RwjqdCpRAdcCFVmcbGDQ5nw486h0Wq_/s320/IMG_5570.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600699544057318274" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-87607705626974316872011-04-24T07:54:00.000-07:002011-04-24T14:50:51.926-07:00And so it Begins . . . Jorene's Perennial Gardens-April 2011This Spring in our zone 5 climate has been typically wet and cool with temperatures usually in the 40s and 50s. The perennials seem to love it because they are growing at a rapid pace with some of them in full bloom already. Below, are photos of a few of my perennial beds and a description of their current states.<br /><br /><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8930710153046512376"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YiplrJaYhEtpcvqCNd4XzLZl5SrQR72DdYSsXc8CwrmkNUIOhiwAPSttoh16Xvq2-qPb7W0rK8McyPAi2HpXPrnl4EISWUsfSxTRpJLGrrMFuPrR6MfLHVu409kTA-otigZw08NFiLth/s1600/IMG_5600.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YiplrJaYhEtpcvqCNd4XzLZl5SrQR72DdYSsXc8CwrmkNUIOhiwAPSttoh16Xvq2-qPb7W0rK8McyPAi2HpXPrnl4EISWUsfSxTRpJLGrrMFuPrR6MfLHVu409kTA-otigZw08NFiLth/s320/IMG_5600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599189525734175794" border="0" /></a><br />This is one of the two budget garden beds that are now approximately 2 years old. They currently contain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Itea</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Virginica</span> Henry shrubs, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hostas</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">liriope</span>, lambs ear, daffodils, and tulips. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Itea</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Virginica</span></span> Henry shrubs are almost full size, but they do not have their leaves for the year yet. I removed the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ajuga</span> that I planted last year </span>and placed it in the new garden beds on the other side of the gate. I also added approximately 100 tulips and more lamb's ear. The tulips in these beds did the worst out of all the ones I planted around the lodge last fall, mainly because the deer love them and have easy access to them here. These two beds are nearly completely filled and should look pretty nice this summer. Besides the tulips and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">hostas</span>, all of these plants are deer resistant and require very little care which is essential since they are so far from the lodge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_npUyYBSZ2Zm26W6ZTm6onstDm-69dxx9B0OO3H91iD-Wzz9N38RfnCKFNkW6IYRj-fcZzL2FIXQ5F8xLZxWQg2msiC32qDNt8yMYa4PqUmRqEeVyNYFMNB8Pc7K8GDhQFrpTqEg9Pr_/s1600/IMG_5601.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_npUyYBSZ2Zm26W6ZTm6onstDm-69dxx9B0OO3H91iD-Wzz9N38RfnCKFNkW6IYRj-fcZzL2FIXQ5F8xLZxWQg2msiC32qDNt8yMYa4PqUmRqEeVyNYFMNB8Pc7K8GDhQFrpTqEg9Pr_/s320/IMG_5601.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599189509668476418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GbV3YEGUv8u6TY-BkihnrlqS7XdykJKtLvlA0jCXh2hpTL9-Ew6agv-vsG_1YULLW6KzT3g4MKTTt-MeGBrBAhs846pzUpsTwiRHXNYBzZCgo1XjeABXZkAeoNN_jVsaXl7RnwF2W6_o/s1600/IMG_5595.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GbV3YEGUv8u6TY-BkihnrlqS7XdykJKtLvlA0jCXh2hpTL9-Ew6agv-vsG_1YULLW6KzT3g4MKTTt-MeGBrBAhs846pzUpsTwiRHXNYBzZCgo1XjeABXZkAeoNN_jVsaXl7RnwF2W6_o/s320/IMG_5595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599189504677072770" border="0" /></a>These are photographs of the two new shade beds that the interns built for me last fall. At approximately 15 ft by 50 feet, they are large and a lot of space to fill. I have planted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ajuga</span>, ferns, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">hostas</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">astillbes</span>, bleeding heart, azalea, and hydrangeas. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ajuga</span> is one of my all time favorite perennials. It is a wonderful ground cover that grows in any soil type and under any light conditions. If you have any difficult to grow spots-such as the area under a large pine tree-this is the perfect choice. However, it spreads quickly and can become slightly invasive. It has a bluish-purple flower in the early spring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SxpcXRYYtwZ-kgnaSUtcMxTYKCyh49EIz6nt8tTpY5bZDWe6oeWt9f11VZ9owgcgKE0FC_dxVm1ZOeM4dyBZDMYcyOuh5J0_Apc9O5mVDNv1tFckzrW7T-HXZTjx7VdMnoLMxGbnadGl/s1600/IMG_5520.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SxpcXRYYtwZ-kgnaSUtcMxTYKCyh49EIz6nt8tTpY5bZDWe6oeWt9f11VZ9owgcgKE0FC_dxVm1ZOeM4dyBZDMYcyOuh5J0_Apc9O5mVDNv1tFckzrW7T-HXZTjx7VdMnoLMxGbnadGl/s320/IMG_5520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599189529670384466" border="0" /></a>The daffodils in the friendship garden are naturalizing nicely. Tulips get all the spring time glory, but daffodils are my gardening favorite for a variety of reasons. They are deer resistant. They naturalize. They are low cost or even free. They are one of the first bulbs to bloom in spring. It is great to see them after a long cold winter. To learn more about how this bed came about and my love hate relationship with it, please see our April 2010 perennial blog.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0LDeVkEkfsjtjBMQu59HRA-Ou0eeii0Xc928f6_3W2pGhiuVvVVUKWqrHyTSeSvBwU6lDA0QhJDmYMSMyWtOgtAOACj-rvWTVxgt0yaDOFCwk5oWTfKg0nzaEiCS-_G9OiiG0yaI4Z0d/s1600/IMG_5593.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0LDeVkEkfsjtjBMQu59HRA-Ou0eeii0Xc928f6_3W2pGhiuVvVVUKWqrHyTSeSvBwU6lDA0QhJDmYMSMyWtOgtAOACj-rvWTVxgt0yaDOFCwk5oWTfKg0nzaEiCS-_G9OiiG0yaI4Z0d/s320/IMG_5593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599189502530195554" border="0" /></a><br />This is the shade garden that I constructed last year. With pink, blue, and white perennials, including columbine, bleeding heart, hydrangea, meadow sweet, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">lamium</span></span> dead nettle, and foam flower, as well as a large variety of ferns and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">hostas</span></span>, it was beautiful by the end of last summer. Unfortunately, DH just replaced the French drain along the side of the lodge; this required bringing in heavy equipment to dig a huge trench. I am fairly certain some of the perennials did not survive this abuse, so I'm starting over again. Our wonderful interns, Christina and Rhianna, constructed a dry creek bed for me. Additionally, we added a Japanese maple, azaleas and starter hydrangeas to the bed. I probably will not know for at least another month which perennials survived the big dig of Spring 2011 and which ones perished, but hopefully we can get it looking as nice as last year.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp2R8ysjgA_OAd-UUyaWg4pRi0ZpzRDFIHsf5IlRYy2cWmeDPBTjIkB3Zl3uzwvPeFx1tsu0KtPB7DViB4QyB8WMNNEM4XhYlbivuBSeQm7Llb6T5GeyKEIMKXd4roqxdUlt-MV2cEVn1/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp2R8ysjgA_OAd-UUyaWg4pRi0ZpzRDFIHsf5IlRYy2cWmeDPBTjIkB3Zl3uzwvPeFx1tsu0KtPB7DViB4QyB8WMNNEM4XhYlbivuBSeQm7Llb6T5GeyKEIMKXd4roqxdUlt-MV2cEVn1/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599185175761908306" border="0" /></a>My two front porch beds contain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">boxwoods</span></span>, day lilies, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">hostas</span>, and tulips</span>. Currently, the stars of the show are the approximately 200 tulips bulbs we planted in the beds last fall. Even though deer love to eat the tulips nearly as much as I love to look at them, most of the ones here survived and are blooming nicely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiykrqo3axN5QIcp26W-Ep6JOnrWYnUtYX8pKrUQZOo49eI31H1k97f5nVkJ1NyfaXk_JkZBmDHxKonkw6zCFXbQYaiL8P-0ewO9GxkVK7HQEUOoSrNVIp5m3H4oOKKQivEEbY0a_WjpK/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiykrqo3axN5QIcp26W-Ep6JOnrWYnUtYX8pKrUQZOo49eI31H1k97f5nVkJ1NyfaXk_JkZBmDHxKonkw6zCFXbQYaiL8P-0ewO9GxkVK7HQEUOoSrNVIp5m3H4oOKKQivEEbY0a_WjpK/s320/IMG_5585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599185166847883202" border="0" /></a>This is my full-sun front perennial bed in which we planted another approximately 200 tulip bulbs last fall. It also contains purple, blue, and white perennials, including <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">spiderwort</span></span>, blue star, clematis, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">scabiosa</span></span> butterfly blue, bearded iris, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Japanes</span></span>e iris, lilies, Russian sage, delphinium, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">coneflower</span></span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ajuga</span></span>. It also contains a small blue hibiscus that I planted last Spring along with lamb's ear and a wide variety of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">sempervivum</span></span>. Along with the beautiful tulips, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">ajuga</span> and white violas are currently blooming (see below photos).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxOfU0G2YDDJ6LIP3Bnkvu8szEjIN4_88oo8l6Y7xnYvyIobLOioziQemSadom1jWrALVDjHLE9uOJxNwPCfP9Ni4GU5WRnp0jXrhesDBmgcIfWLGg64ykF5UKofqmrKocb9nP9q_ptGN/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxOfU0G2YDDJ6LIP3Bnkvu8szEjIN4_88oo8l6Y7xnYvyIobLOioziQemSadom1jWrALVDjHLE9uOJxNwPCfP9Ni4GU5WRnp0jXrhesDBmgcIfWLGg64ykF5UKofqmrKocb9nP9q_ptGN/s320/IMG_5583.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599185152757700610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEEqRGQR0pxFGJWcBpd3rlgck1mS79yZ3cZwg_-LgJqetJ1sCdYacYDl_WqFJrH2IdAosiV6Nr3GCHuyZNozSIWgInwRe2CN8189UgZtGd_LWd5r7c24HLd8X9HyVqtHoZz5FoQYm6SmI/s1600/IMG_5584.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEEqRGQR0pxFGJWcBpd3rlgck1mS79yZ3cZwg_-LgJqetJ1sCdYacYDl_WqFJrH2IdAosiV6Nr3GCHuyZNozSIWgInwRe2CN8189UgZtGd_LWd5r7c24HLd8X9HyVqtHoZz5FoQYm6SmI/s320/IMG_5584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599185158247962306" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <span class="post-author vcard"> Posted by <span class="fn">Ken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Toney</span></span> </span> <span class="post-timestamp"> at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://ourmountainfarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/jorenes-perennial-gardens-april-2010.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" title="2010-04-16T17:26:00-07:00">5:26 PM</abbr></a> </span> <span class="post-comment-link"> <a onclick="" class="comment-link" href="http://ourmountainfarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/jorenes-perennial-gardens-april-2010.html#comments">0 comments</a> </span> <span class="post-icons"> <span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1700129006"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1543534480943370166&postID=8930710153046512376" title="Edit Post"> <img alt="" class="icon-action" src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" height="18" width="18" /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=1543534480943370166&postID=8930710153046512376" title="Edit Post"> </a> </span> </span>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-86350408938764051232011-04-22T03:52:00.000-07:002011-04-22T04:43:34.570-07:00Busy, busy farm interns/WWOOFersOur interns have been very busy lately, helping with various projects around the farm. This week, Christina took over the construction of a dry creek bed in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jorene's</span> shade garden. She may have found her vocational calling in landscape design.<br /><br />First, we scraped off the top two inches of soil in the shape that we wanted the creek.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMyPqy46BX9yHfVl3bisOFRHcJQOVlEHY-vzW421jCQNwRtlJpbjdWTgmN0RrbxyZ-mfEtxj8OLEQXlbv2EWC9-aV5mdIThWrSOBh3c2_UHfR3u1hjdfJDNe93XjSpSRnxqIHongtVY8X/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMyPqy46BX9yHfVl3bisOFRHcJQOVlEHY-vzW421jCQNwRtlJpbjdWTgmN0RrbxyZ-mfEtxj8OLEQXlbv2EWC9-aV5mdIThWrSOBh3c2_UHfR3u1hjdfJDNe93XjSpSRnxqIHongtVY8X/s320/IMG_5527.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598364214611654178" border="0" /></a><br />Then, she began laying the rocks Rhianna and I hauled out of the woods to form the dry creek bed.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6vyNDlx4poGaAewEIQt2MaIuqJfeOIaRCiC4XCU9eqcgLGZZTN_ul3EGM4RuqzcGZQ4P2M8GAIeuaIAgkBJr9qkPhdjIQH5jrBZtQyJDNgLOM2RlrfEQtAjN9nvgKFgj_T_O1ZjDwtj/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6vyNDlx4poGaAewEIQt2MaIuqJfeOIaRCiC4XCU9eqcgLGZZTN_ul3EGM4RuqzcGZQ4P2M8GAIeuaIAgkBJr9qkPhdjIQH5jrBZtQyJDNgLOM2RlrfEQtAjN9nvgKFgj_T_O1ZjDwtj/s320/IMG_5529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598361513786266386" border="0" /></a><br />Brutus came along to inspect and stole one of Christina's favorite rocks.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMF8CHb7XPjwogsLcWCUk8slHfZOgrutZMRphsLdt3Hq1_mXIWBMYXEUvLKP563-dMQJVU8uCj59eEwGTbte4UkjMdWoVkcrExJUWy88pCgQ5JV3XvOnI5rae-2Uy905pSFlFym6ZERkqG/s1600/IMG_5532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMF8CHb7XPjwogsLcWCUk8slHfZOgrutZMRphsLdt3Hq1_mXIWBMYXEUvLKP563-dMQJVU8uCj59eEwGTbte4UkjMdWoVkcrExJUWy88pCgQ5JV3XvOnI5rae-2Uy905pSFlFym6ZERkqG/s320/IMG_5532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598361498956978850" border="0" /></a><br />The finished product! Good job, Christina.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwKleToxgQTeR8SKrghJ3UUn8m5ig0R07OEfsOqjY8OEsHAg973tFJJcVJPoO_Mk4XF1ZMaHTAqNq2fXjU1z_TH4m3pLfCQWeEgN8JEfe3PUqblhHpJHJ6Ek_1463DuYPjzVUpV3H_yMU/s1600/IMG_5545.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwKleToxgQTeR8SKrghJ3UUn8m5ig0R07OEfsOqjY8OEsHAg973tFJJcVJPoO_Mk4XF1ZMaHTAqNq2fXjU1z_TH4m3pLfCQWeEgN8JEfe3PUqblhHpJHJ6Ek_1463DuYPjzVUpV3H_yMU/s320/IMG_5545.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598364205456387026" border="0" /></a><br />Meanwhile, Rhianna had the glorious job of helping me install a French drain on the same side of the lodge. The old drain was covered with clay soil and had become clogged with gravel that was too small for the drain, so we had to replace it. I had a friend with an excavator dig most of the soil out of the trench, but I still had to do some hand digging. Next, we cleaned off the masonry block with wire brushes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-LC3JfMPTUrJ7HmVn7NBfnkAxB-Tv6hEXE_KjVoMF4ounhR9N4yjmmQi1MEcUCiuiLzNuBSaj9Z8aAJdak1WE4OhzseuRe-0ldJ5pSkSsWux2A1l3_U9s66oshfaxodlpxkxGm71JfMJ/s1600/IMG_5530.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-LC3JfMPTUrJ7HmVn7NBfnkAxB-Tv6hEXE_KjVoMF4ounhR9N4yjmmQi1MEcUCiuiLzNuBSaj9Z8aAJdak1WE4OhzseuRe-0ldJ5pSkSsWux2A1l3_U9s66oshfaxodlpxkxGm71JfMJ/s320/IMG_5530.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598367215269557538" border="0" /></a><br />Then, we painted the wall with a sticky, asphalt material that will waterproof the masonry block.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89ewtf3XOiAEMFxNltQNX-Iz36VCIVC87zZVflvs_2U2w6cGl1pRWZdBsqq02-e-K2UiT7mHN82AhD7nrN1TcVTH-jGiaw4tUtjMtpVdQ_DFZ8SbO4WMd4X-6a7qw-_Uy0wJ9qTbS0e6-/s1600/IMG_5533.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89ewtf3XOiAEMFxNltQNX-Iz36VCIVC87zZVflvs_2U2w6cGl1pRWZdBsqq02-e-K2UiT7mHN82AhD7nrN1TcVTH-jGiaw4tUtjMtpVdQ_DFZ8SbO4WMd4X-6a7qw-_Uy0wJ9qTbS0e6-/s320/IMG_5533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598361497794074242" border="0" /></a><br />Then, we placed the perforated drain pipe in just below the foundation. I plan to cover the pipe with 1" gravel to insure good drainage away from the house. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIKpquo8MgUrTTgVCfMoGieCko-Vyme8WmcGRuDWiUKOMpoAbOQq-9rLm_Nd4gX50vloZ7f8k0_RTMHN9uGFw43LrCHOsXPKWSpsOWZKx-_JdtY9jIuVqae4FHLIptrcgW6evSGLifkRl/s1600/IMG_5535.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIKpquo8MgUrTTgVCfMoGieCko-Vyme8WmcGRuDWiUKOMpoAbOQq-9rLm_Nd4gX50vloZ7f8k0_RTMHN9uGFw43LrCHOsXPKWSpsOWZKx-_JdtY9jIuVqae4FHLIptrcgW6evSGLifkRl/s320/IMG_5535.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598361482376394274" border="0" /></a><br />Rhianna also mulched all of our flower beds with wood shaving that we get from a local log home builder.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2r6KgVjrN8d5srarPPqsy9MMLIe51HWKJ1MPoOZXtECzvT-jB4LdFEmrtGNczcpjbXRadVCr8mNjOcHvpu1g92RiuOWKgDgzF7RNLYHU_DQdnSCdXhnRe-ODpRD1xvoj1g9N9wXmuvIa/s1600/IMG_5536.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2r6KgVjrN8d5srarPPqsy9MMLIe51HWKJ1MPoOZXtECzvT-jB4LdFEmrtGNczcpjbXRadVCr8mNjOcHvpu1g92RiuOWKgDgzF7RNLYHU_DQdnSCdXhnRe-ODpRD1xvoj1g9N9wXmuvIa/s320/IMG_5536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598364220895625106" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-70450527972729312342011-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:002011-04-14T18:38:36.165-07:00Excavating for our New High Tunnel--Part 1Today, we began excavating for a high tunnel we plan to build through a co-share with NRCS. It will be 26' x 48' and should help extend our growing season by 4-6 months each year! We're very excited to begin this as it is taking up my entire garden space. I haven't been able to plant anything yet, and I even had to pull up my grapevines and move them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3B6-fAvsMS-1y-YXGYEoaWvZ6fT5FPU5LaMgqE5wh_stpuxCZv-vFcfoPuTFRxWxNlDsPk5A7ph1jn_OIZz9G-tCWYB6htJGgvlcomZEeJUcBU4HVtPBiALr3nVvwyBPjIxuU7hykSbQ/s1600/IMG_5501.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3B6-fAvsMS-1y-YXGYEoaWvZ6fT5FPU5LaMgqE5wh_stpuxCZv-vFcfoPuTFRxWxNlDsPk5A7ph1jn_OIZz9G-tCWYB6htJGgvlcomZEeJUcBU4HVtPBiALr3nVvwyBPjIxuU7hykSbQ/s320/IMG_5501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595614618642812866" border="0" /></a><br />As you can see, our ground is very uneven. Getting a high tunnel with this large of a footprint in will take some considerable excavating and leveling. There is a 8' of difference from the low end to the high corner. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior2Z8BxjmHeUOCim8gF_eYMInsIq3gYFiLiR0YenVnK1ZAauov_pAYJCxUOydZIAjvVFq4dddW84Jh4DQzWBmcpvbPOP5-zZpUfjyZlmFtlxMeGZFXRPfzYZoDMER88eJLQiMkK3HgTJ2/s1600/IMG_5499.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEior2Z8BxjmHeUOCim8gF_eYMInsIq3gYFiLiR0YenVnK1ZAauov_pAYJCxUOydZIAjvVFq4dddW84Jh4DQzWBmcpvbPOP5-zZpUfjyZlmFtlxMeGZFXRPfzYZoDMER88eJLQiMkK3HgTJ2/s320/IMG_5499.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595614626183363970" border="0" /></a><br />My friend first began removing the good topsoil that was in the garden. We will save that to put inside the greenhouse after we are finished.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGSeVzAlF_d7t-M6d_rDx2zlOdpvR5yjokYSD8bHxOi4YL9sPl6vqlu-vYRaczUKnVsUQi4Jmw7fCC1aAIHcbMTxe3aWl1CxL6j8UizX1GElh6S9A6zY_3vdETENmp-1k12RmYmROtvhJ/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGSeVzAlF_d7t-M6d_rDx2zlOdpvR5yjokYSD8bHxOi4YL9sPl6vqlu-vYRaczUKnVsUQi4Jmw7fCC1aAIHcbMTxe3aWl1CxL6j8UizX1GElh6S9A6zY_3vdETENmp-1k12RmYmROtvhJ/s320/IMG_5503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595614615669291218" border="0" /></a><br />Our interns, Christina and Rhianna are checking out the action.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdYJEaKMPDoqYu4xwN0DhJR3vahG58RmB4zIqEdEIYkjYX5Te1pupk5xV3zvudnxjoOFcHtaRurqCmoqG7FYVZm-qU5_sHR_auNQApqB7Kn7bycfdMBxaOYqCjN86-wfg5N8uNnsOR3dX/s1600/IMG_5505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdYJEaKMPDoqYu4xwN0DhJR3vahG58RmB4zIqEdEIYkjYX5Te1pupk5xV3zvudnxjoOFcHtaRurqCmoqG7FYVZm-qU5_sHR_auNQApqB7Kn7bycfdMBxaOYqCjN86-wfg5N8uNnsOR3dX/s320/IMG_5505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595614596373361698" border="0" /></a><br />My contractor cut at the high bank and use the fill to raise the level of the garden.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4D_nA1Px8Dp4rZXBCZQQJwluB2n16sWdM65q1o1yogFTc6CwtVapyMkPC8-3iBBvVUTS-4mPSj_eqDEOU8KrtNQ5YbqP25vzTJJhTw9siKJJJIrXkSXWLjhWhhy0C7foPtj2CUelvGQ1/s1600/IMG_5506.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4D_nA1Px8Dp4rZXBCZQQJwluB2n16sWdM65q1o1yogFTc6CwtVapyMkPC8-3iBBvVUTS-4mPSj_eqDEOU8KrtNQ5YbqP25vzTJJhTw9siKJJJIrXkSXWLjhWhhy0C7foPtj2CUelvGQ1/s320/IMG_5506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595614589508754594" border="0" /></a><br />Rhianna and Christina helped survey the work and check the slope of the land. The work continued for several more hours, with more leveling and sloping of the bank.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-82911369858094450802011-04-11T09:43:00.000-07:002011-04-11T09:50:01.459-07:00Organic Gardening 101 or How to Shovel Horse PoopGreetings from the Ponderosa Lodge!<br /><br />I am Emily, one of the interns at the lodge. I first arrived at the lodge on Thursday night from Washington, DC fully dressed in business clothes that I was wearing from my part-time job in the city. Who knew that, in 12 hours, I would be in the pelting rain and removing more than a year’s worth of horse poop out of Ken and Jorene's friend's barn to use as fertilizer? We removed two truck loads. It was definitely more poop than I have ever seen, and there are still two more truck loads to gather in the near future.<br /><br />I have to say, though, at the end of the day I was truly happy. I can list three reasons why. First, it is environmentally sustainable to use horse manure. It is great to know that The Ponderosa Lodge Farm and Bed and Breakfast uses fertilizer without chemicals found on so many farms in the USA. The second reason is that now I truly appreciate where my organic vegetables come from. Finally, the sense of community I found here is heartwarming. The manure we collected came from the farm of Ken and Jorene’s widowed friend who needed assistance removing it from her barn. The fertilizer was then distributed to her garden, the lodge's garden, and another garden down the road that Ken and Jorene use. Everyone helped with smiles and friendly jokes.<br /><br />With all this manure on the farm, it is time to get planting! So far we are planning to grow beans, beets, cabbage, cucumber, corn, grapes, tomatoes, eggplants, herbs, and a plethora of beautiful flowers. <br /><br />Plenty to tell next week as the planting gets into full swing!Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-28661492988695771042011-03-30T14:49:00.000-07:002011-03-30T17:24:11.504-07:00Tomatoes and EggplantsWe started our tomato and eggplant seeds today. Christina and Rhianna started 72 tomatoes and 16 eggplants, of the following varieties:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eggplant:</span><br /><br />Applegreen: <span style="font-style: italic;">An early, light-green eggplant. Good yield, very tender and delicious. Smooth oval-round fruit growing on small plants.</span><br /><br />Black Champion: <span style="font-style: italic;">Standard old type; large black fruit of excellent quality is very tasty but is lower yielding and much later than many types and needs a long season.<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Brazilian Oval Orange: <span style="font-style: italic;">Very tall, erect plants with dark green foliage which provides good cover. Small oval fruits are shiny bright green, ripen through orange to bright red at full maturity. Delicious in anipastos, grilled, or fried.</span><br /><br />Casper: <span style="font-style: italic;">Medium size, very attractive, smooth ivory-white fruit, that have a very mild mushroom-like flavor. Prolific plant. Fruit ripens early. An excellent variety for specialty growers and gardeners. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Round Mauve: <span style="font-style: italic;">Round, 4" fruit are lovely, deep, mauve color; purple calyx. Plants are compact and have purple stems. Produces early.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomatoes:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Brandywine: <span style="font-style: italic;">The most popular heirloom vegetable! A favorite of many gardeners, large fruit with superb flavor. Beautiful pink fruit up to 1-1/2 lbs. each!<br /><br /></span>Cherokee Purple: <span style="font-style: italic;">An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre-1890 variety; beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink color, superb sweet flavor, and very large-sized fruit.</span><br /><br />Roma:<span style="font-style: italic;"> A quality paste variety, very thick flesh. A popular old favorite, good yields.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span>Rutgers: <span style="font-style: italic;">Good for canning, also excellent fresh; large red 8-oz. globes. Good yields and flavor, large vines.<br /></span><br />Striped Roman:<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> Stunning and unique. These long, pointed red fruit have wavy orange stripes!<br /><br /></span></span>Seattle Best of All:<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> A mild tasting tomato that is a good all purpose, medium sized red. The vines are high yielding, and the plant has good foliage.<br /><br /></span></span></span>Sub-Arctic Plenty:<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> One of the very earliest tomatoes, the compact plants produce lots of 2-oz. red fruit. One of the best for cool conditions and will set fruit in lower temperatures than most.<br /><br /></span></span></span>Riesentrabue:<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> An old German heirloom with sweet, red 1-oz. fruit growing in large clusters. This is likely the most popular small tomato with seed collectors, as many favor the rich, full tomato flavor that is missing in today's cherry tomatoes. Large plants produce massive yields.<br /><br /></span></span></span>Golden Sunray:<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> Uniform, golden-orange globes are so smooth and uniform with the rich, full tomato flavor missing in modern varieties. Productive vines yield lots of sweet and tangy 8-10 oz. fruit that excel at markets.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-49612502155122503482011-03-22T15:36:00.000-07:002011-03-25T07:53:36.187-07:00Spring Planting with Beth, our new internOur intern, Beth, came over this week to help prepare some beds for Spring plantings. We started with two new beds of 50 Ozark Beauty strawberries. They are an everbearer strawberry and will produce a small crop all Summer long. I've never tried this variety and am looking forward to growing them. She planted two rows of strawberries with two alternating rows of garlic and onion which are good companion plants for strawberries because they repel insect pests, including aphids, weevils, spiders and nematodes, that tend to destroy strawberries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1bq5uEgKMojIY2wjOEOfcPHVy5H0UKY2BCGpu_SQb7RzOkg_sbVYSUtJpnI2Gk6EVtCaT-kH24zGUeMfnzj2-fCqWsJioyYqmht9WuKWJrgr2WNKOsSpzgpqmJFkmICbmsO580EuovHN/s1600/IMG_5471.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1bq5uEgKMojIY2wjOEOfcPHVy5H0UKY2BCGpu_SQb7RzOkg_sbVYSUtJpnI2Gk6EVtCaT-kH24zGUeMfnzj2-fCqWsJioyYqmht9WuKWJrgr2WNKOsSpzgpqmJFkmICbmsO580EuovHN/s320/IMG_5471.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587040633541279746" border="0" /></a><br />Next, we worked on other strawberry beds. I started five beds of June bearers last year with runners from other plants. Unfortunately, new runners and unpicked weeds made the beds look horrible (see below photo), so we decided to pull the runners, amend the soil, and replant the entire bed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANGWqzLCFMLpG3Qs7uplYzXl3d6fFnbChR2pOCqeRsl2VJWRJt8bwhXiEi8sHDjfXw462vNBZL_VCCQQGco4QscZzWfdCtYxhgn_2rbVJGb3w_mLhReQ9bmBx9T-00NLd7XySKQn3F4rZ/s1600/IMG_5470.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANGWqzLCFMLpG3Qs7uplYzXl3d6fFnbChR2pOCqeRsl2VJWRJt8bwhXiEi8sHDjfXw462vNBZL_VCCQQGco4QscZzWfdCtYxhgn_2rbVJGb3w_mLhReQ9bmBx9T-00NLd7XySKQn3F4rZ/s320/IMG_5470.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587040622229576834" border="0" /></a>Like the Ozark Beauty strawberry beds, these were also planted with alternating rows of garlic and onions. Georgia (our friendly cat) kept Beth company while she planted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrHFHMlyoan43yOCW4trixx8Mez6rnlts2Ex9EUU3mcL7ogFi05Fl0ZqEjUKcPlAHu_A2G_Hd-JNlUNJg0CDoeNJIlmNc01im1mXktv-cqdEO4FauocNMMbb39ritAm_O0Q66FBfS5XOh/s1600/IMG_5469.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrHFHMlyoan43yOCW4trixx8Mez6rnlts2Ex9EUU3mcL7ogFi05Fl0ZqEjUKcPlAHu_A2G_Hd-JNlUNJg0CDoeNJIlmNc01im1mXktv-cqdEO4FauocNMMbb39ritAm_O0Q66FBfS5XOh/s320/IMG_5469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587038738706715666" border="0" /></a><br />The garlic varieties we planted along with their descriptions are listed below:<br /><br />German Extra Hardy: <span style="font-style: italic;">Very winter-hardy. Large cloves with a purplish blush, 6-8 per bulb, having when raw a strong flavor, which mellows when cooked. Easy to prepare and stores well.<br /><br /></span>Sussanville:<span style="font-style: italic;"> Considered an improved selection of California Early. This popular softneck is white-skinned with some occasional pink. It's also one of the best varieties for roasting. The generous-sized cloves slip apart easily after roasting and spread effortlessly on French bread or tomato slices. The mild but true garlic flavor is a hit with all garlic fans. Good for braiding and stores for 6-9 months.<br /><br /></span>Elephant: <span style="font-style: italic;"> Individual cloves of elephant garlic grow to produce large bulbs weighing 1/2 lb. or more. This garlic is more closely related to leeks, and the flavor is mild and sweet. Serve alone as a steamed vegetable with butter and bread crumbs, or bake it in the oven. Yield by weight is 8 to 1 under good conditions.<br /><br /></span>Our intern, Beth, also planted 1 lb. of red onion sets and 2 lbs. of yellow onion sets that I bought at our local feed store.<br /><br />Next, she moved on to 4 beds where I attempted to overwinter some vegetables from the fall. Overwintering is supposed to give the vegetables a jump start in the Spring. In October, I planted leeks, swiss chard, lettuce, and cabbage. Then, I covered them with straw and row covers in November.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp86yDx59-d5qsqVOjxCVYB7yRrCO_HPLNBFGKE0euRukTcsJp07c-A3uhU1Mh2axBXmunF5Ovzq6SgYlrpZXJZSuWHqh23jZWXUfdFX774T5m5482NLg9Tz_B8mtH0_LRTQ4fSRAJMMf9/s1600/IMG_5473.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp86yDx59-d5qsqVOjxCVYB7yRrCO_HPLNBFGKE0euRukTcsJp07c-A3uhU1Mh2axBXmunF5Ovzq6SgYlrpZXJZSuWHqh23jZWXUfdFX774T5m5482NLg9Tz_B8mtH0_LRTQ4fSRAJMMf9/s320/IMG_5473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587038757441966802" border="0" /></a>When most of the snow melted in March, I built low tunnel hoops over them to give them an additional jump start on Spring. I was pleased with some of the vegetables, such as the leeks (see above photo). It's hard to believe these beautiful leeks were quietly growing so large underneath all that snow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iBx449txrMAip2ia7MoqfQY82EVa17z_ozyMGNM2YGRlOK_cZ_ZsEfIidrsbEvbvXf9z3a9P2LNAeXG8mYwExz48SuHV5eHfPyAXA3Y69GAeIgHamZQMwXSxjTeKFDq7hGWOtZCHqoHd/s1600/IMG_5474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iBx449txrMAip2ia7MoqfQY82EVa17z_ozyMGNM2YGRlOK_cZ_ZsEfIidrsbEvbvXf9z3a9P2LNAeXG8mYwExz48SuHV5eHfPyAXA3Y69GAeIgHamZQMwXSxjTeKFDq7hGWOtZCHqoHd/s320/IMG_5474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587038749517037794" border="0" /></a>The cabbage, lettuce, and swiss chard, however, didn't appear to be any larger or better than if I had started the same plants in the Spring. I don't think it was worth the effort to try overwintering these particular vegetables in this way. (Oh well, live and learn.) Since there was room for a third row in the middle of these beds, Beth planted beets, snap peas, and kohlrabi seeds. Kohlrabi, which has the taste and texture of broccoli<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli"></a> stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter. <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It can be eaten raw or cooked and is high in dietary fiber and minerals such as selenium, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and copper. Kholrabi</span> is a new vegetable for me this year, and I am very excited about trying it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEnaZlDeytnf_VjqXEajo5HQOkLO5H_jQxhqzhmWyvUkiDPEgsNwnfLbBzL8LpPO09IyAJG2TxyPAod4HdlTMLVuNVrl_uhRaKptgorQpnbXtH0doeDbII0zWcnnjWGBUKgbx_d-eK8D-/s1600/IMG_5472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEnaZlDeytnf_VjqXEajo5HQOkLO5H_jQxhqzhmWyvUkiDPEgsNwnfLbBzL8LpPO09IyAJG2TxyPAod4HdlTMLVuNVrl_uhRaKptgorQpnbXtH0doeDbII0zWcnnjWGBUKgbx_d-eK8D-/s320/IMG_5472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587040636870344386" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-18613731337523080922011-03-19T11:55:00.000-07:002011-03-19T12:17:35.499-07:00Signs of LifeWith the warmer weather this past week, I've seen signs of life on our farm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EBVaVuBbSg6T_irggo96q03zAO-od0pNpMDydIg8Woa4yW6UHQClsjPxBFGNYuJOYfr4t5n4DhJmpWB6KZ9q4ubXj1x4Kr5gGlkF2KSdnIj__OfnEZQimzTMhFys8Wf9Lzo96TBISRyf/s1600/IMG_5464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EBVaVuBbSg6T_irggo96q03zAO-od0pNpMDydIg8Woa4yW6UHQClsjPxBFGNYuJOYfr4t5n4DhJmpWB6KZ9q4ubXj1x4Kr5gGlkF2KSdnIj__OfnEZQimzTMhFys8Wf9Lzo96TBISRyf/s320/IMG_5464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585868845238675922" border="0" /></a>Nine '<span style="font-style: italic;">Victoria Rhubarb' </span>plants that I started from seed last year are returning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGQSP3LdKpoj-6MVgG5d20BjRif-vjtQ8Xjo4u0saeANf-2yWcsyvaw2TZpInSG9vSyT33ETQAGCIEPWcJZltQshAEPL8EN85caO8srEudq83La6cjiKhq9dTKyhz63JG4FzcapoiADCk/s1600/IMG_5465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGQSP3LdKpoj-6MVgG5d20BjRif-vjtQ8Xjo4u0saeANf-2yWcsyvaw2TZpInSG9vSyT33ETQAGCIEPWcJZltQshAEPL8EN85caO8srEudq83La6cjiKhq9dTKyhz63JG4FzcapoiADCk/s320/IMG_5465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585868835283388146" border="0" /></a>Our new raspberry bushes are living and beginning to sprout new leaves. The blueberry bushes are also looking good and it looks like we might have our first great harvest from them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUPXZUBLvhDxHr_umuzXFOOW_DQGDQAIfEqZv9CmIst7XJTXc6lNqpv5lG_WU2EveZCm5JToTsGbwMnTHQeFWVs8KPmSGW5NKoUeOoYZIDXZhEjRTTbAHqFt0NvdJXI_palCvEv-epz9E/s1600/IMG_5466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUPXZUBLvhDxHr_umuzXFOOW_DQGDQAIfEqZv9CmIst7XJTXc6lNqpv5lG_WU2EveZCm5JToTsGbwMnTHQeFWVs8KPmSGW5NKoUeOoYZIDXZhEjRTTbAHqFt0NvdJXI_palCvEv-epz9E/s320/IMG_5466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585868828890936802" border="0" /></a>Daffodils are beginning to bloom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWqwzSenpAsP-qu2N9n22U3dGwQQ1Dq9tYKp9F70bPXDzxSm6sB8kfHSlh68eYpGNQOoG_U6EOScuE0ClpJtD6ZWMRqhF1kai5Lbbr-36rqcp-2ZR4SvVDyC-oavk6rrKJlkOtlAvkmqT/s1600/IMG_5467.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWqwzSenpAsP-qu2N9n22U3dGwQQ1Dq9tYKp9F70bPXDzxSm6sB8kfHSlh68eYpGNQOoG_U6EOScuE0ClpJtD6ZWMRqhF1kai5Lbbr-36rqcp-2ZR4SvVDyC-oavk6rrKJlkOtlAvkmqT/s320/IMG_5467.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585868825028046130" border="0" /></a>Day lilies, daffodils and tulips are peaking through the mulch. Jorene planted over 400 tulips last fall and they are popping up everywhere!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6sMVR4c8-ZVLNPwErvQGWaDVh5VaBdwTtLvqPYnH8hyDgc6XAkePDXP_8qGgJa1Dqxbc1cUoSYEgzy8McOrOJ1VXZ8GM7JwuQeCQsrOxWuksvl4ne78tw7kydogwygX_dbOxl2K_Ggyr/s1600/IMG_5463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6sMVR4c8-ZVLNPwErvQGWaDVh5VaBdwTtLvqPYnH8hyDgc6XAkePDXP_8qGgJa1Dqxbc1cUoSYEgzy8McOrOJ1VXZ8GM7JwuQeCQsrOxWuksvl4ne78tw7kydogwygX_dbOxl2K_Ggyr/s320/IMG_5463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585869436939692082" border="0" /></a>And new chicks have arrived on the farm! Liam and I picked up 10 Dominique / Barred Rock chicks this morning from a neighboring farm. She has a 600 egg incubator and it was filled with eggs. They were nice enough to show Liam a baby chick hatching from an egg.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-15901156993809874832011-03-16T16:24:00.000-07:002011-03-16T16:48:58.708-07:00Starting PeppersLiam helped me start our pepper seeds tonight. He is going to be a gardener, I just know it. He loves to help in the gardens and has taken over the watering of our seedlings each day. He did a very good job putting the tiny pepper seeds into the the individual cells. His little fingers are probably more adept at it than mine.<br /><br />These are the peppers we are growing, all from Baker Creek and open-pollinated, non-GMO.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">California Wonder: An excellent green bell pepper of nice size and very good yield; a popular old-time variety.<br /><br />Golden California Wonder: Colorful golden bells that are very sweet and tasty. Gold peppers are superb for fresh eating, great for kitchen or market gardens.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Golden Marconi: A late Italian pepper with beautiful, big, yellow, 7-inch tapering fruit that are very sweet and great for frying or fresh. This wonderful heirloom is delicious and mild.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Lipstick: A delicious pepper with 4-inch long tapered, pimiento</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> type fruit that are super sweet. This fine pepper is early and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> ripens well in the north. A flavorful favorite with thick, red</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> flesh. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Purple Beauty: Purple peppers are always a favorite, as they are so colorful. This variety produces loads of beautiful bells on compact, bushy plants. Crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor makes this one popular with everyone.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Black Hungarian: </span>Unique, black-colored fruit that are the shape of a Jalapeno. They are mildly hot and have a delicious flavor. The tall plants have beautiful purple flowers that make this variety very ornamental. Rare and colorful!<br /><br />Cayenne Long Thin: Slender, long peppers turn bright-red and are very hot. The 2-feet tall plants are vigorous and productive. This heirloom has been popular many years for drying, using as a spice, and also using medicinally.<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /></span>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-80148469190893036712011-03-04T15:52:00.000-08:002011-03-05T08:59:03.131-08:00Liam's Playhouse, Part 2Mac came over today to help finish Liam's playhouse. Liam was feeling a little better, so we let him outside for a short time to assist and check out his new playhouse. Unfortunately, Ken was still sick, so he was in bed most of the day trying to recuperate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTltY9fPyctN_ephwsXX0VgrWfNc2MnGKq695MQKF4TKYnrTjCVtXmgitfyXpK_idxF1at5ivd2kdL3vuuTIPilUq1Ml7a-Ba5Y4IHFUpV_BAb5vEwdTAErP_VS4rgrrgMPJj-XdVNeBU/s1600/IMG_5442.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTltY9fPyctN_ephwsXX0VgrWfNc2MnGKq695MQKF4TKYnrTjCVtXmgitfyXpK_idxF1at5ivd2kdL3vuuTIPilUq1Ml7a-Ba5Y4IHFUpV_BAb5vEwdTAErP_VS4rgrrgMPJj-XdVNeBU/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580378672462239090" border="0" /></a>Below is a photo of the playhouse when we started this morning. On Thursday, the guys finished the main support beams and the entire second story floor; they also finished off the side "walls" and railing of the second story. They decided to leave 5" spaces between the 1 by 6s on the second story so that parents can sit on our front deck and still see their children while they are in the playhouse.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2RH_r4T5TRRX6KDFo8cPXsytY3jMm12NaAkIFvmUc1rsxw_-qFPpt1duhz9Sb29ZeHDWduT1NTc5HU4i7wiQfPENvRFMmZlI4JowHhw2p-K_4Mdf6XdBrdmPkP2F3SYoPVTc0LZGy7Vv/s1600/IMG_5447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2RH_r4T5TRRX6KDFo8cPXsytY3jMm12NaAkIFvmUc1rsxw_-qFPpt1duhz9Sb29ZeHDWduT1NTc5HU4i7wiQfPENvRFMmZlI4JowHhw2p-K_4Mdf6XdBrdmPkP2F3SYoPVTc0LZGy7Vv/s320/IMG_5447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580378661981623810" border="0" /></a>Ken came out for a little bit, and Liam was very excited about helping him hammer nails into the 1 by 6s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxrIVophbkodbxvzxSqoRNkWlPjGEqT7799ZYedDmNeu3wei4Kih4lGNHYSYryS5sYfPiw5TXxFjHCBy-T_mc5-oJAO_hqpbTJMBDoa9BfmKiMGxUcn2ppGt5-RS6esgsb8phxmOdsfTg/s1600/IMG_5450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxrIVophbkodbxvzxSqoRNkWlPjGEqT7799ZYedDmNeu3wei4Kih4lGNHYSYryS5sYfPiw5TXxFjHCBy-T_mc5-oJAO_hqpbTJMBDoa9BfmKiMGxUcn2ppGt5-RS6esgsb8phxmOdsfTg/s320/IMG_5450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580378652308544354" border="0" /></a>Today, Mac surrounded the entire first floor with 1 by 6s. Liam was excited to see the walls go up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHr2MXA5RRh4mO_n4xJwR2Oxq_t0WnAbhlr3VScVLfwctRo2p2bK9oRN5RHiY9HUliKKTD_yibot9L5Osn04rEPSFAjiiWCSLJ0Ne4NwXwS88klrd_IYtET4_5vckMknHMZmxNluOxUqe/s1600/IMG_5453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHr2MXA5RRh4mO_n4xJwR2Oxq_t0WnAbhlr3VScVLfwctRo2p2bK9oRN5RHiY9HUliKKTD_yibot9L5Osn04rEPSFAjiiWCSLJ0Ne4NwXwS88klrd_IYtET4_5vckMknHMZmxNluOxUqe/s320/IMG_5453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580378649674657954" border="0" /></a>Below is a photo of the playhouse at the end of the day. We still need to put the roof on, finish off the back wall, add stone facade to the front and sides, and stain it a redwood color to match the lodge. It will probably be another full day of work, but we are definitely enjoying the opportunity to see the fruits of our labor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ObhEr7IjdI-bfuOBvqzrSpuzZImmAYlmW7FWtMhp2YYC6aZoI7AYVkz6tNgm74Yd5UplppE2Dc9cq6wksQQvW1O_pFew2YE-KKjlVBluTV2Yg2BoXJOgoHoN4KMHmCod4VOCNUlrhkaP/s1600/IMG_5454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ObhEr7IjdI-bfuOBvqzrSpuzZImmAYlmW7FWtMhp2YYC6aZoI7AYVkz6tNgm74Yd5UplppE2Dc9cq6wksQQvW1O_pFew2YE-KKjlVBluTV2Yg2BoXJOgoHoN4KMHmCod4VOCNUlrhkaP/s320/IMG_5454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580639801407940946" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-87176752949454746972011-03-01T14:45:00.000-08:002011-03-01T15:10:30.836-08:00A House for LiamToday, we started construction on Liam's new playhouse. Actually, I dug holes last week to set the posts. Today, though, was the first day of cutting lumber and pounding nails. It is going to be two stories and modeled after the lodge. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnF-WlrkPkzXSb2XRL08L7aBuRgcVtBg4QKPumTcpU7w1QFDc0_tIiLGLGHwH2VNqD2YMh4NXYsaPVGPaWJ-bdc-qKLnzmQJDHcsMfbcbkzbFVO6fNO9nY0z-LOmjE8nSv7Dv88MEDCFFP/s1600/IMG_5430.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnF-WlrkPkzXSb2XRL08L7aBuRgcVtBg4QKPumTcpU7w1QFDc0_tIiLGLGHwH2VNqD2YMh4NXYsaPVGPaWJ-bdc-qKLnzmQJDHcsMfbcbkzbFVO6fNO9nY0z-LOmjE8nSv7Dv88MEDCFFP/s320/IMG_5430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579248917549565922" border="0" /></a>My friend Mac and I picked up some lumber from a local saw mill for the construction. This was from a Spruce tree cut down on our farm 3 years ago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7PaUI01wYEt4y3ciLWMMGZ4Vi8Qb6exmIicyAusbruxGfu1oHBXRJpLHUADVeb2XS0CUCDwyBnAWByjg-zM7PAS1tuYD5JzB7SgQgoSFkICr9cCpvQqQ85XEWxbxcs0awpLw5oWsa7Ul/s1600/IMG_5431.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7PaUI01wYEt4y3ciLWMMGZ4Vi8Qb6exmIicyAusbruxGfu1oHBXRJpLHUADVeb2XS0CUCDwyBnAWByjg-zM7PAS1tuYD5JzB7SgQgoSFkICr9cCpvQqQ85XEWxbxcs0awpLw5oWsa7Ul/s320/IMG_5431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579248908051052338" border="0" /></a>This is the basic outline of the playhouse, with the posts set in concrete. The double swing is going to come down and be hung on the other end of the swing set.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpGoUr5RcT8cgls1rstaeYuBB1pjhxjBUjLXRFm1affHIPJZh8Oha6pIau_VxDkzMjsnhGT9iAIYaqOUV6HEC-_cb9RyI5D5Fvc2v99_i_9w4H0tAC4b0tRqJvuKGVnXkauq0XbibBEKt/s1600/IMG_5436.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpGoUr5RcT8cgls1rstaeYuBB1pjhxjBUjLXRFm1affHIPJZh8Oha6pIau_VxDkzMjsnhGT9iAIYaqOUV6HEC-_cb9RyI5D5Fvc2v99_i_9w4H0tAC4b0tRqJvuKGVnXkauq0XbibBEKt/s320/IMG_5436.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579248902486979874" border="0" /></a>This is Mac and Beth, our intern, nailing the support beams.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlGjE7EsdOznl4F-MerHrlCZhQZXRiE4x9xIlSLBoGZtSBXNVm90ndQs_7xORajwFwPOn0yWOz2xsk77ckUCe0aQzQ_-kyla2fLC9dUPlXrjvNM6ykWw-x1tEgczysVCxU-abL17yw3O/s1600/IMG_5437.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXlGjE7EsdOznl4F-MerHrlCZhQZXRiE4x9xIlSLBoGZtSBXNVm90ndQs_7xORajwFwPOn0yWOz2xsk77ckUCe0aQzQ_-kyla2fLC9dUPlXrjvNM6ykWw-x1tEgczysVCxU-abL17yw3O/s320/IMG_5437.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579248897761701394" border="0" /></a>Here is the substructure, all done. On the side will be a 36". The opposite side will be the same.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOdwA1O4RcjKCnlIykUeM0fOf1Q7suqQOJ3aRlaTlNzIs7qFsdgnDv5Hpo-9tOTLCSSqW-EEeq3f_n98sGD7sz7w06NsTJxFx_wbCrJLhHk6iiOaFNJsQP4b8RTSEph-fp-8RWOsEa0Vy/s1600/IMG_5438.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOdwA1O4RcjKCnlIykUeM0fOf1Q7suqQOJ3aRlaTlNzIs7qFsdgnDv5Hpo-9tOTLCSSqW-EEeq3f_n98sGD7sz7w06NsTJxFx_wbCrJLhHk6iiOaFNJsQP4b8RTSEph-fp-8RWOsEa0Vy/s320/IMG_5438.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579248891838186818" border="0" /></a><br />The front will have an open doorway. The 2 x 6 beams along the top will support the observation deck. The siding will be stained redwood to match the lodge.<br /><br />Tomorrow, we are planing the deck boards and preparing them to be installed. Liam is very excited about his new house and talks about it every morning.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-80150073009658731622011-02-28T07:12:00.000-08:002011-02-28T16:30:24.955-08:00Season Extension with Low Tunnel HoopsWe live in the mountains of southern West Virginia in zone 5 which is one of the coldest areas of the United States. In fact, last year the snow did not melt on our mountain until April. additionally, since we are in the mountains, we also do not get a full day of sunlight even on the warmest summer days. It is a very challenging location to garden to say the least. In fact, it is almost impossible for us to grow heat loving vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers because we do not get a sufficient number of hot days for the plants to reach full maturity. One economic way to extend our growing season is through the use of low tunnels and cold frames.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUi8gsX2wdLVUpjeOH2Xpbq_0KfI1I_dfIEdPa2vdbS3HveSCrrkaA2t_WYCFlq5WvcYLijyjGZP-aXKW8QgctxWnBp0e9TmPZUiJsIAWTRmbZSTxeEnSPvFQNrAZRD4v-cN462Ky4S3K/s1600/IMG_5415.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUi8gsX2wdLVUpjeOH2Xpbq_0KfI1I_dfIEdPa2vdbS3HveSCrrkaA2t_WYCFlq5WvcYLijyjGZP-aXKW8QgctxWnBp0e9TmPZUiJsIAWTRmbZSTxeEnSPvFQNrAZRD4v-cN462Ky4S3K/s320/IMG_5415.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578760084955742338" border="0" /></a><br />The above photo is of me beginning the construction of a low tunnel in late February. As you can see, there is still plenty of snow on the ground. However, we are not predicted to get any additional huge amounts of snow, so we are taking our chances by constructing this temporary low tunnel. I took 10 foot sections of 1/2 inch PVC pipe and attached them to the raised vegetable beds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1MewHQ-atYrmnTgIkVOKkocsvnBLbUus-hdEiJ2CkY8r2OfKPZsCkKtOwcfACGQQhcPMAWzTxWMiwyd2A8dXvvpjVtqmOZI90SobGCKlLbD7RfHfh0nZE15_R2xJ8vzSv0WlgKWStseo/s1600/IMG_5419.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1MewHQ-atYrmnTgIkVOKkocsvnBLbUus-hdEiJ2CkY8r2OfKPZsCkKtOwcfACGQQhcPMAWzTxWMiwyd2A8dXvvpjVtqmOZI90SobGCKlLbD7RfHfh0nZE15_R2xJ8vzSv0WlgKWStseo/s320/IMG_5419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578760094029538610" border="0" /></a><br />Each raised vegetable bed requires three 10 foot sections of PVC pipe.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_sNMLwvlj8y3jazCFsE6Y8vd1blLDkxJuuuOOqHukyi8Ndo6pC54snv_lGIRxy8wH1S1EE6v_L2vuPh-pHovQs18q2yMRfZzO9C7xIwMuhrWhM1egFxgWvq56AsJXO4wwOywbAipC0z-/s1600/IMG_5420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_sNMLwvlj8y3jazCFsE6Y8vd1blLDkxJuuuOOqHukyi8Ndo6pC54snv_lGIRxy8wH1S1EE6v_L2vuPh-pHovQs18q2yMRfZzO9C7xIwMuhrWhM1egFxgWvq56AsJXO4wwOywbAipC0z-/s320/IMG_5420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578760102879803202" border="0" /></a><br />Then, we stretched a sheet of 10' wide, 6 mil construction plastic. We opted for this over greenhouse film because it was so much cheaper.<br /><br />These four beds had winter greens, (Swiss Chard, spinach, cabbage, and lettuce) planted last fall. With a good cover of mulch and row fabric covers, they seemed to survive our winter okay. I hope the additional protection of the low tunnels will give them a jump start on spring.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-1510052216189088992011-02-27T07:29:00.000-08:002011-02-27T08:26:39.062-08:00Beth-Our new WWOOFerBelow is a photo of Beth, our newest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WWOOFer</span> and our son, Liam. She will be starting on Tuesday; four other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">WWOOFers</span> will join us in March. Unlike most of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WWOOFers</span>, Beth will not be living with us at The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ponderosa</span> Lodge because she lives locally. She is originally from Atlanta and currently works as a nurse at the hospital in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Beckley</span>, WV. Last year, she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">WWOOFed</span> full time at a farm/retreat in Oregon. We feel very lucky to have Beth join us here.<br />Welcome, Beth!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozPKoTBeJ9OxFeXnyw9v24j_pyOyhJFeLVmtQHovgxJ-R2-voUbrKNp1ybLYqOBNtW9JGqbtcDYEcCdvh6dH8IEDuejdXcnIfE8weNeSDLj-nra-HnS9iTczkuNCJcQ8kc451xPTycnAh/s1600/IMG_5434.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozPKoTBeJ9OxFeXnyw9v24j_pyOyhJFeLVmtQHovgxJ-R2-voUbrKNp1ybLYqOBNtW9JGqbtcDYEcCdvh6dH8IEDuejdXcnIfE8weNeSDLj-nra-HnS9iTczkuNCJcQ8kc451xPTycnAh/s320/IMG_5434.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578392539639324130" border="0" /></a>Although it is very early in the year and we will not have any vegetables coming on in the garden for a couple of months, there is still a lot of farm work to do at the lodge. We tell our potential <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">WOOFers</span> about the fickle spring weather and the lack of many growing things. Then, we happily accept the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">WWOOFers</span> who still want to come and learn. On Tuesday, Beth will help us transplant blackberry vines and fruit trees into their permanent locations. Additionally, in the early Spring, we will do the following work with our WWOOFers:<br />1) start more seeds,<br />2) move the chickens from their current coop/house into the fields where the cows will be. We will need to build them a hutch to roost in at night before we move them into the fields,<br />3) convert the chickens' old coop into a garden shed,<br />4) move all the gardening items from the garage into the new shed so that we can actually park the car in the garage,<br />5) start a rooftop garden on the new garden shed,<br />6) purchase cows and possibly other farm animals and haul them to the lodge,<br />7) burn brush piles. It was too dry all last year to burn, so we have a lot to catch up on,<br />8) transfer compost and mulch to garden and flower beds,<br />9) continue building more raised beds for vegetables, and<br />10) continue working on the blog.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-50037954616190366212011-02-13T07:11:00.000-08:002011-02-13T16:17:43.282-08:00Starting the Spring GardenThis past week I started our first "wave" of spring vegetables indoors. It felt great to finally be digging in some dirt and planning for the arrival of spring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTAZsuodzfFF4c4hDEGI3q0dutspgUtUeU-6idKye8ZWsk-1qEjPeGI_LOwbQSoNRUCiKx92Y71ohvNUQSH7Yi_hXDNp7Tf8sgkT3rVsi6EhomUwxtWN60-NQsOT4wgT4VxA97exPgm5k/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTAZsuodzfFF4c4hDEGI3q0dutspgUtUeU-6idKye8ZWsk-1qEjPeGI_LOwbQSoNRUCiKx92Y71ohvNUQSH7Yi_hXDNp7Tf8sgkT3rVsi6EhomUwxtWN60-NQsOT4wgT4VxA97exPgm5k/s320/IMG_5407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573193231119056978" border="0" /></a><br />All of the seeds I started came from <a href="http://www.rareseeds.com/">Baker Creek</a> and are non-hybrid, non-GMO seeds. I planted 2 trays of onion seeds (Bronze d'Amposta, Red of Florence, Tropeana Lunga, and Yellow of Parma), Leeks, herbs (dill and basil), 2 flats of lettuce (Black Seeded Simpson, Lotta Rossa, May Queen, and Parris Island Cos), Pak Choy, Extra Dwarf, rhubarb and Asparagus, Mary Washington.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0Fq3mNKI7wyCXjH4eqiAu26JxTvnlETzygPmfTV7KkhVnhC0n0eeCDfwPnFxFnJJGrtOn0eSHpgPhm79EU9CQ6EfujXvWcaMyqTfvjXKl_DHY5rHD8O-bDYSH97gm3-Va3HUpH1FdaJN/s1600/IMG_5408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0Fq3mNKI7wyCXjH4eqiAu26JxTvnlETzygPmfTV7KkhVnhC0n0eeCDfwPnFxFnJJGrtOn0eSHpgPhm79EU9CQ6EfujXvWcaMyqTfvjXKl_DHY5rHD8O-bDYSH97gm3-Va3HUpH1FdaJN/s320/IMG_5408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573193222168643074" border="0" /></a><br />The lettuce and pak choy germinated in two days and has already started to fill out the cells. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2H6PmJjYWzefgPZE6XAhTb_PCCCpvJrJXD76H3w0fObN9jMphEf_mWApjrsZ9pQSeQxm-Of0h5gvZ1H49gKZZdVZpRqUoWqrCAXSpJKyxMjD5cFUrEJR9pK9vTWgafWvIIHM8WRsGa8d0/s1600/IMG_5413.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2H6PmJjYWzefgPZE6XAhTb_PCCCpvJrJXD76H3w0fObN9jMphEf_mWApjrsZ9pQSeQxm-Of0h5gvZ1H49gKZZdVZpRqUoWqrCAXSpJKyxMjD5cFUrEJR9pK9vTWgafWvIIHM8WRsGa8d0/s320/IMG_5413.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573193220284643314" border="0" /></a><br />I plan to keep everything indoors for two weeks, then repot them and move them to a cold frame. I will start more lettuce and greens in three weeks to keep a succession of these vegetables all season.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-71676264207711919972011-02-12T08:06:00.000-08:002011-02-13T05:21:50.827-08:00Pruning a Fruit Tree 101Warm, sunny winter days are perfect for pruning fruit trees. The lack of snow and ice reduces the danger inherent in walking around, climbing, and cutting a tree with a pruning saw in your hand. Additionally, the lack of leaves and fruit on the trees helps you to easily identify which limbs to cut. It also is healthier for the tree because the sap is not flowing yet which allows the cut to heal better.<br /><br />The first place to start is to cut every tiny sucker coming of the trunk and main branches. These suckers do nothing but sap energy from the tree. The photograph below is an examples of a sucker.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7BR8j7XcNEtfgctJg4OWGULL5Q9nswARaetOVI6ixb_acteMWnK-ynyzbqIM2RjB6PZ9_7xaab6dXjdQERuWCybYZ4Cg-WTr-Bww7zRQhG-I0de2Y8PgpShk7k4hojUjZ4l-QPtNNKX3/s1600/DSC00958.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7BR8j7XcNEtfgctJg4OWGULL5Q9nswARaetOVI6ixb_acteMWnK-ynyzbqIM2RjB6PZ9_7xaab6dXjdQERuWCybYZ4Cg-WTr-Bww7zRQhG-I0de2Y8PgpShk7k4hojUjZ4l-QPtNNKX3/s320/DSC00958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572872616278516194" border="0" /></a><br />Once all of the suckers are cut, the next step is to cut all limbs that are growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch. In other words, if a limb is growing straight up from a main branch rather than diagonally upward and outward, it should be cut. Depending on how long it has been since the tree was last pruned, these limbs can be small, medium, or large. Some are so large that they have many more limbs growing off them. Regardless of their size, they should be cut. The photos below show examples of small, medium and large limbs that are growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch and that should be cut.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjk0sl-zh8hRpdUZ7tOqFJxV3X0JIUbe3T4a9LZiq20rEUXwuCyJ7_xKcIRT3F70aKDRbj4ZbNk4mxwtGHaHYqF-zYVu-P0wqBAQ8CuxF3japIsiveTFFGxCXc9BnkBfIfU4bvxyDd4iT/s1600/DSC00966.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjk0sl-zh8hRpdUZ7tOqFJxV3X0JIUbe3T4a9LZiq20rEUXwuCyJ7_xKcIRT3F70aKDRbj4ZbNk4mxwtGHaHYqF-zYVu-P0wqBAQ8CuxF3japIsiveTFFGxCXc9BnkBfIfU4bvxyDd4iT/s320/DSC00966.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573159221869702178" border="0" /></a><br />A small limb growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6wGnNdqu4fjxDN0YSLgND7UsxkJ_it20ajdZCoe_25fbQ0wCcTCH8KTx5uCOUGt4bcPMZ9upyvHd9JH0n4_649a_PatiDCkUYTMyKFH8u34J3xc3TIMTtSM-BvmIYWLyTMYiKrbBiBYQ/s1600/DSC00967.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6wGnNdqu4fjxDN0YSLgND7UsxkJ_it20ajdZCoe_25fbQ0wCcTCH8KTx5uCOUGt4bcPMZ9upyvHd9JH0n4_649a_PatiDCkUYTMyKFH8u34J3xc3TIMTtSM-BvmIYWLyTMYiKrbBiBYQ/s320/DSC00967.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573159230126575666" border="0" /></a><br />A medium limb growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWb3dPlIpM-KwjY1lp_ENz34QNTazIbHHCCXl8WejZ8jiaBijsDonySsJ-yvc0tGxwc1oSD6mINYuxuJP_4op8KavUeQI4mBgup12V0cU9elJ9L0B2lTRdlQTcvVlfkEotDEV-tTHN8v8/s1600/DSC00961.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWb3dPlIpM-KwjY1lp_ENz34QNTazIbHHCCXl8WejZ8jiaBijsDonySsJ-yvc0tGxwc1oSD6mINYuxuJP_4op8KavUeQI4mBgup12V0cU9elJ9L0B2lTRdlQTcvVlfkEotDEV-tTHN8v8/s320/DSC00961.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573161492117484130" border="0" /></a><br />An example of large limbs growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzW2vV9ER7XzEMSEHQgCnshr30lMdUmHX778zp5cVRsg-s_hmmfocFUL5WiNPnbcoQbFAobSFUtNkaMJ9rPgMjdsx4RbTXxGN3zwt86dWaTh5ZTQGRFruVGLT3CNfojk1D78xeZ159hU0N/s1600/DSC00969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzW2vV9ER7XzEMSEHQgCnshr30lMdUmHX778zp5cVRsg-s_hmmfocFUL5WiNPnbcoQbFAobSFUtNkaMJ9rPgMjdsx4RbTXxGN3zwt86dWaTh5ZTQGRFruVGLT3CNfojk1D78xeZ159hU0N/s320/DSC00969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572869605788472914" border="0" /></a><br />In this photo, Ken is cutting large limbs growing perpendicularly straight up from a main branch. This photo was taken about half way through this tree's pruning.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGdgmIZJ9AfkXeWdkwAhzxdv0TZN3cnekWDxf6K58lhFp4G2ZJ8ve1avt0XsdVTai7yV9AscMNvHi6M7AGUI4oSjw4Kc19dMXMLXSbusJ-Z_VkVwj3CkJ8SuOfu0imwCgSMapD_Q2Ej7n/s1600/DSC00970.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGdgmIZJ9AfkXeWdkwAhzxdv0TZN3cnekWDxf6K58lhFp4G2ZJ8ve1avt0XsdVTai7yV9AscMNvHi6M7AGUI4oSjw4Kc19dMXMLXSbusJ-Z_VkVwj3CkJ8SuOfu0imwCgSMapD_Q2Ej7n/s320/DSC00970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572869602259282962" border="0" /></a><br />The final and longest step in pruning a tree is to cut out the limbs that criss-cross each other or that are tangled up (see close up example of criss crossing above). This tangling is undesirable because it does not allow enough air and sunlight to circulate in and around the tree, especially once the leaves and fruit start to develop later in the spring. Additionally, when there is an excessive number of limbs on a tree, the energy created from the photosynthesis process is used to support the numerous branches rather than the fruit. This results in smaller fruit at harvest time. In the photo above, the limbs growing diagonally upward will be cut out.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GtcQ3z2ApmWgoyNygSpFs1PMlp8LA7L6lScgpf5Hi722M_yQxjE8whDUBHm6_3xMxT2awtiJFVFMXZKiobOi9QmCKRbmhoufKYRzpU80ij1FOTWsnZA3XZlKxxDhmt-_80z_XCE3SGqW/s1600/DSC00971.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GtcQ3z2ApmWgoyNygSpFs1PMlp8LA7L6lScgpf5Hi722M_yQxjE8whDUBHm6_3xMxT2awtiJFVFMXZKiobOi9QmCKRbmhoufKYRzpU80ij1FOTWsnZA3XZlKxxDhmt-_80z_XCE3SGqW/s320/DSC00971.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572869594161382162" border="0" /></a><br />The above photo is an example of many limbs criss crossing and tangling. Approximately half of these limbs, especially the ones growing diagonally upward, will be cut out. This part of the pruning process is more art than science because it requires a good eye. Sometimes it can be done by cutting only a small limb. Other times it requires larger cuts or even the removal of an entire branch.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmHUUZROIyS5tXICg638hokGABnpQgwuwGdkOt7l4MBFMKn2XAU7Q__fc5Pa3lUejLUZ0McwMHEOq1XTqzk29ULBqbLcurWd5BZ8RftpAkBCfqBQHp8GlUmNB-UmZ35woWO01RLWxEl9-/s1600/DSC00963.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmHUUZROIyS5tXICg638hokGABnpQgwuwGdkOt7l4MBFMKn2XAU7Q__fc5Pa3lUejLUZ0McwMHEOq1XTqzk29ULBqbLcurWd5BZ8RftpAkBCfqBQHp8GlUmNB-UmZ35woWO01RLWxEl9-/s320/DSC00963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572871240153816290" border="0" /></a><br />Ken is almost done pruning this last tree. As you can see, this lower branch has limbs growing both perpendicularly upward and criss crossing with the limbs growing from the above branches. Although it is clear that more pruning is necessary on this tree, it is also important not to remove more than 30% of the tree at one time because it will shock the tree, so this tree is done for this year. Next year, Ken will cut and remove the majority of the limbs on this lower branch, and then the pruning job will be complete.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-19074512170360997572011-02-11T15:22:00.000-08:002011-02-12T08:05:12.074-08:00For the Love of BrutusAs many of you know, we are obsessed with English bulldogs. The latest addition to our brood is Brutus. He is a 5 year old, tan and white male who we adopted last summer. This is the story of how we came to be his forever home.<br /><br />We never planned on getting a second English bulldog. As most owners of this breed know, one is usually more than an enough. However, the dominant bitchiness inherent in our 2-year old English bulldog, Hope, never subsided even after we had her spayed and she reached adulthood. She woke up every morning to make another valiant attempt at ruling the world. However, she has always gotten along well with other animals. After deep thought and discussion, we decided that it would be best if she was not an only child. . . er, bulldog.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPCFT3b_amcr0kwlfu_EGMM6y3BUmfGUPclv4zuh0eJuYbGoyeAIfCEy9Bzax9nJU1DrJdXkp1-oSNfGIsK6YPVpXoTTSqYxLVnGFuM3mkS40DkXz7JapDCYUhbeJK5oAHTgSjc5TeXbo/s1600/IMG_4964.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPCFT3b_amcr0kwlfu_EGMM6y3BUmfGUPclv4zuh0eJuYbGoyeAIfCEy9Bzax9nJU1DrJdXkp1-oSNfGIsK6YPVpXoTTSqYxLVnGFuM3mkS40DkXz7JapDCYUhbeJK5oAHTgSjc5TeXbo/s320/IMG_4964.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572591511866807154" border="0" /></a>We knew we did not want a puppy because potty training and "chew patrol" is a full-time job that we did not have time for. Instead, we decided to attempt to adopt an older English bulldog, so we spent an entire Sunday afternoon on www.petfinder.com and contacted every rescue organization within a day's drive that had an English bulldog that was dog friendly, cat friendly, and child friendly. That was a pretty short list to be sure. All Tails R <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Waggin</span>' in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Pataskala</span>, OH (just outside of Columbus) was the first rescue organization that we contacted, and they were the first to respond to our inquiry. All Tails R <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Waggin</span>' (www.alltails.com) is a boarding and grooming business that also does volunteer rescue work on the side. The rescue dogs stay in the extra kennels they have at their beautiful, clean facility.<br /><br />We learned that Brutus had just been placed on the rescue website that day. He was a happy, healthy dog that was surrendered for financial reasons. Essentially, Brutus was yet another casualty of the economic collapse that occurred in late 2008. His previous family's primary breadwinner had lost his/her job, and the family could no longer afford Brutus. All Tails R <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Waggin</span>' completed our background check for Brutus in less than 1 week. By Saturday, we loaded up Liam, Hope, and the dog crate in the Subaru Outback and headed off for the 5 hour journey to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Pataskala</span> with our fingers crossed that all would turn out okay. We eventually arrived at All Tails R <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Waggin</span>' , picked up Brutus, placed him in the dog crate, and headed home right away.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEgmeGwxPCN6nMSb0fF3Xp5xeTJrySKRFa5IInLePokDLI0OthCcf8858Ne687wiuaZquvbBjste4hk3Xxj4uNbC6KJaizBCvBuCofws4fP37JmNKKyZJXO5i2bxWD-OmvGx7nSK-KiZC/s1600/IMG_5228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEgmeGwxPCN6nMSb0fF3Xp5xeTJrySKRFa5IInLePokDLI0OthCcf8858Ne687wiuaZquvbBjste4hk3Xxj4uNbC6KJaizBCvBuCofws4fP37JmNKKyZJXO5i2bxWD-OmvGx7nSK-KiZC/s320/IMG_5228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572589766081629426" border="0" /></a><br />After just a short time on the road, we were afraid Brutus was not going to make it home. Like many English Bulldogs, he overheats very easily. He was panting for dear life in the back of the car, so we placed him in the backseat with Liam in the car seat in the middle and Hope on the other side. It was quite a sight, but thankfully they all got along very well. However, Brutus was still panting, so we put him on the front floor board with all of the air conditioning vents on high and on him. He eventually cooled down, and we made it home safely.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nnwqjR83Idy8qWkAcViUvTjVVcrfPg0j-nAuOLRif6qx6_aPSKWDrodvVr50ZJ1PuIBFmEWGolqYuQdo-muLB49g3RdGTOww6ddsYs-8cecveVMPdp74YUQyzr15-jEccA2AKPQ7p880/s1600/IMG_5103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nnwqjR83Idy8qWkAcViUvTjVVcrfPg0j-nAuOLRif6qx6_aPSKWDrodvVr50ZJ1PuIBFmEWGolqYuQdo-muLB49g3RdGTOww6ddsYs-8cecveVMPdp74YUQyzr15-jEccA2AKPQ7p880/s320/IMG_5103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572579299073174018" border="0" /></a>Brutus fit in very well at The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ponderosa</span> Lodge from the very beginning. He truly fits the bulldog stereotype in every way. He is beyond easy going, and he loves nothing more than a good bone, a nice toy, and a little bit of love. He would sleep in his crate all day if we would let him, but he has gotten used to climbing the mountains around here with us. He is also a first-rate snorer and farter. What more could an English bulldog lover ask for? He is such a good, good boy, and we feel very blessed to have been chosen to be his forever home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxMjkgMt8n1GNKh5wb_77Fx1ZyD8IDJxSxMKGkjIvzgL_jqus1wpwgCI1HhXm_e6o7COEvbWaVrvnNYul_adTarQf6udRtMrchjyh9XuPL00R87Y_LWkEVQ2utDXySYTqkT_8LnFKMEB_/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxMjkgMt8n1GNKh5wb_77Fx1ZyD8IDJxSxMKGkjIvzgL_jqus1wpwgCI1HhXm_e6o7COEvbWaVrvnNYul_adTarQf6udRtMrchjyh9XuPL00R87Y_LWkEVQ2utDXySYTqkT_8LnFKMEB_/s320/IMG_5153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572589757774424850" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, our veterinarian diagnosed Brutus with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">entropium</span> shortly after we brought him home. This is a very common condition in English bulldogs. Essentially, the wrinkles near their eyes droop into they eyes which causes the fur on the skin to scratch the cornea. It requires an operation which is basically an eye-lift for dogs. His surgery went well, but poor Brutus's temperature spiked very high as the anesthesia was wearing off. Our veterinarian placed him in an ice bath and kept him over night for observation. Thankfully, we were allowed to bring him home the next day. It looks like he may require another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">entropium</span> surgery in the future, but we are keeping our fingers crossed for the best. (The photos above and below are of Brutus's (AKA <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Frankendog's) </span>eyes right after surgery with the stitches still in place<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"></span>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQXb7_He2ixoz6nUXEs6-JobycAHHj7nppNDcndqFvZN7B_l0tS100B0FafxYJI604Zzji83GuaYYeI-uRoZTXTf-pcMN69aLpY_ufIhHa_7kiISTwURt70upFs_aPlLLtqFbPh1INS4P/s1600/IMG_5152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQXb7_He2ixoz6nUXEs6-JobycAHHj7nppNDcndqFvZN7B_l0tS100B0FafxYJI604Zzji83GuaYYeI-uRoZTXTf-pcMN69aLpY_ufIhHa_7kiISTwURt70upFs_aPlLLtqFbPh1INS4P/s320/IMG_5152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572589757050653170" border="0" /></a> Brutus gets along with all the guests at The Ponderosa Lodge. He is in our private area most of the time, but he especially likes to sneak down to the kitchen and hide in the cubby next to the trash can hoping that some guests will drop him some food while they are cooking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97uySpMJPmt_s_c-lHWMOwP1-ZbWGG7kzVdEO58FcRguo0Tc-9k7ite4jHvMMCvP9EozUCCL2POWLauwiY_awCNC4AsAVxzQgN_cfMt_g582hfysvvqhIrL0wH2t7JFvNTcJu4ZMbyg5v/s1600/IMG_5247.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97uySpMJPmt_s_c-lHWMOwP1-ZbWGG7kzVdEO58FcRguo0Tc-9k7ite4jHvMMCvP9EozUCCL2POWLauwiY_awCNC4AsAVxzQgN_cfMt_g582hfysvvqhIrL0wH2t7JFvNTcJu4ZMbyg5v/s320/IMG_5247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572589770380069250" border="0" /></a><br />Most importantly, Brutus has been very good for Hope. They are not exactly best friends, but they do get along well and his older, more subdued personality seems to keep her in her place. Hope still wakes up every morning with the goal to rule the world. She probably always will, but, thankfully, Hope finally seems to realize that that world does not revolve completely around her.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0d7sJsy4Z6rS71Y73v25xsgvXpSluNAVWMffXvmuUoa4USCRSwxNqRkEEWS2249MtBqZYGzr4M7YlvxD1QioVHwgLHUnInjQmVjjCIrDOHgdPXvPSRBcbr6EQgCHcSeaRkbG3vwT3y4T/s1600/IMG_5380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0d7sJsy4Z6rS71Y73v25xsgvXpSluNAVWMffXvmuUoa4USCRSwxNqRkEEWS2249MtBqZYGzr4M7YlvxD1QioVHwgLHUnInjQmVjjCIrDOHgdPXvPSRBcbr6EQgCHcSeaRkbG3vwT3y4T/s320/IMG_5380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572589775957091010" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-40424457555607782362011-02-06T15:43:00.001-08:002011-02-06T15:59:13.609-08:00Fresh Vegetables Available in Northern Hemisphere by MonthMany people have heard the advice to eat seasonally and/or locally. However, most of us are so far removed from our food source, that we have no idea what this really means. Below is a list organized by month that details the fresh vegetables that are available during each month of the year. Please note that this list may vary according to which specific agricultural zone you live in, but it's a good start for most individuals who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, please note that some vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, and winter squash, store well and can be available all winter long.<br /><p>Jan - Mar</p> <p>Kale</p> <p><br /></p> <p>April</p> <p>Asparagus</p> <p>Swiss chard</p> <p><br /></p> <p>May</p> <p>Asparagus</p> <p>Sugar peas</p> <p>Lettuce (leaf)</p> <p>Spinach</p> <p>Wild greens</p> <p>Comfrey</p> <p>Turnip greens</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrDIHzZOIrP34_BTP9AawnwuaH3SRtejRRPh3FHFPyWY8sMWgHdGlJxyNmrWWGESj5Jigw-TJHYeEpBJLpbVsXCwUVQPiEl8RCF_ykLhXqZPLK1ZiZ7hCdh9pYcId7f_KO02U1Mg72x4Q/s1600/IMG_4844.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrDIHzZOIrP34_BTP9AawnwuaH3SRtejRRPh3FHFPyWY8sMWgHdGlJxyNmrWWGESj5Jigw-TJHYeEpBJLpbVsXCwUVQPiEl8RCF_ykLhXqZPLK1ZiZ7hCdh9pYcId7f_KO02U1Mg72x4Q/s320/IMG_4844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570728854925470242" border="0" /></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p>June</p> <p>Asparagus</p> <p>Beans</p> <p>Peppers</p> <p>Lettuce</p> <p>Peas</p> <p>Zucchini</p> <p>New Zealand spinach</p> <p>Onions</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Kohlrabi</p> <p>Cabbage</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnG2LS7C6bVqHmzXg3Xb8v0QKlccBBue06L1nSGd5ABwznLuGzRkY-jMxi0rzJsT707fNfy0cK1jRlaHbldUoQF98VZe4kn1ya5IRLjooElxPN0XUJEExkOM3l4tMqzpKTE5WkcMIzLWSz/s1600/IMG_4918.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnG2LS7C6bVqHmzXg3Xb8v0QKlccBBue06L1nSGd5ABwznLuGzRkY-jMxi0rzJsT707fNfy0cK1jRlaHbldUoQF98VZe4kn1ya5IRLjooElxPN0XUJEExkOM3l4tMqzpKTE5WkcMIzLWSz/s320/IMG_4918.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570728866019976082" border="0" /></a></p> <p>July</p> <p>Asparagus</p> <p>Beans</p> <p>Peppers</p> <p>Lettuce</p> <p>Peas</p> <p>Zucchini</p> <p>New Zealand spinach</p> <p>Onions</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Kohlrabi</p> <p>Cabbage</p> <p>Corn</p> <p>Tomatoes</p> <p>Cucumbers</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p>Beets</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQYogsGwiU2LSzzdAaDD8V8T2_x4c-9Q_Fhv0IEthxkn3YgxF17vcC96eF_kn5uqTDrd4jnsB7e8sBtxgjVzt8xsZhr2OEsR1VDOPXEPacHXTd9iNX4bzOpBZFP6HO3J9gKjYutRAhtQ6/s1600/IMG_4896.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQYogsGwiU2LSzzdAaDD8V8T2_x4c-9Q_Fhv0IEthxkn3YgxF17vcC96eF_kn5uqTDrd4jnsB7e8sBtxgjVzt8xsZhr2OEsR1VDOPXEPacHXTd9iNX4bzOpBZFP6HO3J9gKjYutRAhtQ6/s320/IMG_4896.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570728861532910706" border="0" /></a></p> <p>August</p> <p>Beans</p> <p>Peppers</p> <p>Lettuce</p> <p>Zucchini</p> <p>New Zealand spinach</p> <p>Onions</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Kohlrabi</p> <p>Cabbage</p> <p>Corn</p> <p>Tomatoes</p> <p>Cucumbers</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p>Beets</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE2vZjbb_cKFxoMgoFtXSdRVsOrvgckTrHeqxGgixqg3XiJ3UTNNernvWe7A3oDNcGkY0K8zj4EWQBkH2on8IZFrLqkAFVqmdvDy0Bd5Ql3NcCGOlP8PusqfIDQwjT111Wvx3ZIErCOXc/s1600/IMG_4969.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE2vZjbb_cKFxoMgoFtXSdRVsOrvgckTrHeqxGgixqg3XiJ3UTNNernvWe7A3oDNcGkY0K8zj4EWQBkH2on8IZFrLqkAFVqmdvDy0Bd5Ql3NcCGOlP8PusqfIDQwjT111Wvx3ZIErCOXc/s320/IMG_4969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570728871831610002" border="0" /></a></p> <p>September</p> <p>Corn</p> <p>Tomatoes</p> <p>Peppers</p> <p>Lettuce</p> <p>Eggplant</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Cabbage</p> <p>Spinach</p> <p>Zucchini</p> <p>Cucumbers</p> <p>Potatoes</p><p>Escarole</p> <p>Chinese cabbage</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p>Beets</p> <p><br /></p> <p>October</p> <p>Tomatoes</p> <p>Peppers</p> <p>Lettuce</p> <p>Eggplant</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Cabbage</p> <p>Spinach</p> <p>Zucchini</p> <p>Cucumbers</p> <p>Potatoes</p><p>Escarole</p> <p>Chinese cabbage</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p>Beets</p> <p>Winter squash</p> <p>Parsnips</p> <p>Salsify</p> <p>Brussels sprouts</p> <p>Kale</p> <p>Collards</p> <p>Turnips</p> <p>Leeks</p> <p>Rutabagas</p> <p>Winter radishes</p> <p>Sweet potatoes</p> <p>Cauliflower</p> <p>Beans</p> <p><br /></p> <p>November</p> <p>Parsnips</p> <p>Salsify</p> <p>Brussels sprouts</p> <p>Kale</p> <p>Collards</p> <p>Turnips</p> <p>Leeks</p> <p>Head lettuce</p> <p>Spinach</p> <p>Rutabagas</p> <p>Winter radishes</p> <p>Rutabagas</p> <p>Broccoli</p> <p>Cauliflower</p> <p>Escarole</p> <p>Chinese cabbage</p> <p>Regular cabbage</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p><br /></p> <p>December</p> <p>Leeks</p> <p>Kale</p> <p>Chinese cabbage</p> <p>Parsnips</p> <p>Carrots</p> <p>Salsify</p> <p>Brussels sprouts</p>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-40281960042532354862011-02-05T15:58:00.000-08:002011-02-05T17:12:36.298-08:00Carving a Bowl, Part 1Winters in the high mountains of West Virginia are long, cold, dark, isolating, snowy, and really hard work. We spend much of our time splitting and stacking wood, tending to the fire, and keeping the sidewalk and driveway clear of snow. I always chuckle when our guests at The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ponderosa</span> Lodge mention our "simple" life here because it is any thing but simple. Basic, yes; simple, not exactly. So, when the weather breaks and the temperature is unusually warm (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ie</span>. slightly above freezing) for a week, it is nice to get out and do something. My husband bought me a set of wood carving tools for Christmas (pictured below), so I decided to head down to our friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dennis's</span> wood workshop to learn how to carve a wood bowl.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZ0aB_A-oUMJfGEwMh-i9hx1zxxo6LhQlDmE_NrdWfSvuwv2L3ZqHl4acURWLrUAOLU14h4oxQNIFoyV6yK2aim8QbyGfM35Mnx5YzHw-1LJWXVqUdFpJ33uagE9w2e8EB2TSQR4t_ziu/s1600/IMG_5406.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZ0aB_A-oUMJfGEwMh-i9hx1zxxo6LhQlDmE_NrdWfSvuwv2L3ZqHl4acURWLrUAOLU14h4oxQNIFoyV6yK2aim8QbyGfM35Mnx5YzHw-1LJWXVqUdFpJ33uagE9w2e8EB2TSQR4t_ziu/s320/IMG_5406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570360408038180738" border="0" /></a><br />Dennis is a native of West Virginia, and he has been carving for more than 50 years. If you have ever visited The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ponderosa</span> Lodge, you will recognize his beautiful work because he carved the coffee table, sofa table, and end tables in the Great Room. He also carved all of our bread bowls, and we sell these items and many more at the lodge. Below is a photo of a big beautiful bowl carved from a tree knot that he is working on for us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqny7J8hbGKRTwNLPaBTSHTcxg6g5PPZ-TnkFD0jNrOfioUNLXTQTAQbuEgxbDkoHwMdpgXuVnKCdvoCtEvM1ee1YxX8xU73MFxqR0uAYVa_7KBe8qgqtyWn8EZSCTLRHdI-U8-sfJMXg/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqny7J8hbGKRTwNLPaBTSHTcxg6g5PPZ-TnkFD0jNrOfioUNLXTQTAQbuEgxbDkoHwMdpgXuVnKCdvoCtEvM1ee1YxX8xU73MFxqR0uAYVa_7KBe8qgqtyWn8EZSCTLRHdI-U8-sfJMXg/s320/IMG_5405.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570360415670559154" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, when I arrived at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Dennis's</span> workshop (pictured below), he was not feeling well because he had a chemotherapy treatment yesterday, so I spent the day carving with his brother, Mac, and his wife, Dee.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Bv-lPya-0_LmNRCAMLoubXB0Id_jGONW_fmEvKjpjxQsYeSLkqoc96FVJvzMNzqf8jMsa4BHOAscbooqDCrPrvWgrCb_rwaJvP2sx97uwH8U5_nsqBmi9DuVRS_03iIlLcv852YzQA39/s1600/IMG_5388.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Bv-lPya-0_LmNRCAMLoubXB0Id_jGONW_fmEvKjpjxQsYeSLkqoc96FVJvzMNzqf8jMsa4BHOAscbooqDCrPrvWgrCb_rwaJvP2sx97uwH8U5_nsqBmi9DuVRS_03iIlLcv852YzQA39/s320/IMG_5388.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570367424696597650" border="0" /></a><br />This is the inside of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Dennis's</span> wood workshop and some of his cool power tools.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67Myzdd4n6tb7FKogVaFsO1YHeoKpB870Jh67v2INPWh6f8MUgSaeIcedhpGapby5FCvt-Rm4flSyEVl5K7cJBeBQCQEMf3Yk0HmifiIgEwcxjph78pjxq2U36psKS-ZkpjfBtuqPp9o4/s1600/IMG_5390.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67Myzdd4n6tb7FKogVaFsO1YHeoKpB870Jh67v2INPWh6f8MUgSaeIcedhpGapby5FCvt-Rm4flSyEVl5K7cJBeBQCQEMf3Yk0HmifiIgEwcxjph78pjxq2U36psKS-ZkpjfBtuqPp9o4/s320/IMG_5390.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570363596862135314" border="0" /></a><br />This is the piece of wood that I started with. It is a piece of cherry log split down the middle. I plan to carve it into a small bowl.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsxt8yDT9ad3hsa6yKIorCTGWuiOik1lYfBdHyAKSwgoS9jR4R8XdghXdpUlgTk6CPPaeQqe0aMaiieg6H5fmmnTbZVIjYaknhtqsN7uo8vfw42ZlNaewkxu3x8Ka3V1Q2G3c7eEnvkw3/s1600/IMG_5401.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsxt8yDT9ad3hsa6yKIorCTGWuiOik1lYfBdHyAKSwgoS9jR4R8XdghXdpUlgTk6CPPaeQqe0aMaiieg6H5fmmnTbZVIjYaknhtqsN7uo8vfw42ZlNaewkxu3x8Ka3V1Q2G3c7eEnvkw3/s320/IMG_5401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570361991953918914" border="0" /></a><br />Mac first used a drill press to remove a little bit of the wood from the top. This makes the overall process a little bit quicker, and it also makes it easier for me to carve out the inside of the bowl with my carving tools.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGNEta5Xt7WsVGEk5FQWwOgIuXsm0LxIV1Rs1-5ztKphnvA4Lak0io86bOwdmscRilcAOj2Ig3OpSNTbhMa5Y4YpimionuHrxpo7WfEGkKYD2F0EhTny2lZfh7b3sC_u-egfYCfLFBbfB/s1600/IMG_5394.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGNEta5Xt7WsVGEk5FQWwOgIuXsm0LxIV1Rs1-5ztKphnvA4Lak0io86bOwdmscRilcAOj2Ig3OpSNTbhMa5Y4YpimionuHrxpo7WfEGkKYD2F0EhTny2lZfh7b3sC_u-egfYCfLFBbfB/s320/IMG_5394.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570363582724860482" border="0" /></a>Liam and Ken also brought their own "tools," and they joined in the fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwoGFnkGOItLir49o1oXXrYNW5ND8-2u7-on6njwEP4eU3JkEC_61_Wof0vFQAI578CjVuHq4JG0OJ9_KlybZPPaPPHxpHKrghkll0wm7VQxdiDsbvKHAL7xcxohHmuj8IiWm9mSX10vh/s1600/IMG_5395.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwoGFnkGOItLir49o1oXXrYNW5ND8-2u7-on6njwEP4eU3JkEC_61_Wof0vFQAI578CjVuHq4JG0OJ9_KlybZPPaPPHxpHKrghkll0wm7VQxdiDsbvKHAL7xcxohHmuj8IiWm9mSX10vh/s320/IMG_5395.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570363581025602210" border="0" /></a><br />Liam was very interested in assisting me while I carved. The whole process is fairly simple. Essentially, you hold the gouge (pictured in my left hand) by the wood handle and place the sharp metal end against the wood where you want to carve. Then you hammer the handle of the gouge with a soft headed mallet (pictured in my right hand). The force of the mallet causes the sharp end of the gouge to carve out little pieces of wood. This process allows you to slowly carve out the inside of the bowl. Apparently, the idea is to carve the bowl as thin as possible without actually carving a hole in the bowl. (Although Mac promised me he could patch the bowl if I accidentally do carve a hole in the bowl). Thankfully, I did not chop off any fingers, but I did slice a hole right through my work jeans with the super sharp gouge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzLHYkdsOR1jCqord0w-CglUtYvw2SYhKwMcWkKDiWETwKHe2YZWvoBYAOZMvxr5lMVY19j4JiRqqEaKAXiqweL-BfZFy0tbfb7Mk3ZvW9ch_l7MXReRomSUg0E0_c8sxVYqjIoo1-6iN/s1600/IMG_5396.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzLHYkdsOR1jCqord0w-CglUtYvw2SYhKwMcWkKDiWETwKHe2YZWvoBYAOZMvxr5lMVY19j4JiRqqEaKAXiqweL-BfZFy0tbfb7Mk3ZvW9ch_l7MXReRomSUg0E0_c8sxVYqjIoo1-6iN/s320/IMG_5396.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570362013288263410" border="0" /></a><br />This is my little bowl after about 2 hours of carving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITQofuBNQhMfm0OITTG1M7MFihZQuuEoItfzKCcWa_zQGvXvDtMpMbJYhHM3GB0rE24RY-qpQhp1MpQ56rTzWPirD-FOSA6dONjebX0VJvXtuTRWTsMbesU4unsQVfahEe3zjw-aVk9ME/s1600/IMG_5403.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITQofuBNQhMfm0OITTG1M7MFihZQuuEoItfzKCcWa_zQGvXvDtMpMbJYhHM3GB0rE24RY-qpQhp1MpQ56rTzWPirD-FOSA6dONjebX0VJvXtuTRWTsMbesU4unsQVfahEe3zjw-aVk9ME/s320/IMG_5403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570360421913664770" border="0" /></a><br />This is my bowl after about 3 hours of carving. I still need to carve about 1/2" more to create the bottom of the bowl and then carve out the sides as well. Then, I will sand the inside and outside of the bowl. I plan to keep most of the bark on the outside, but Mac will sand around the corners so they are rounded rather than square.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-utIy-x8EHTTAz9tDW6tHJozc9d4e7PmoR9wVHSGnqFBasilOG9jzzSB2ZigOQqdYTRxh-XcgbIsJK3LiVN1fhEgmmyVDwXF8CN8PXSXkeqVqdt7BBzcCi01M8hUdsX5QLWmVFbSM-tAd/s1600/bowl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-utIy-x8EHTTAz9tDW6tHJozc9d4e7PmoR9wVHSGnqFBasilOG9jzzSB2ZigOQqdYTRxh-XcgbIsJK3LiVN1fhEgmmyVDwXF8CN8PXSXkeqVqdt7BBzcCi01M8hUdsX5QLWmVFbSM-tAd/s320/bowl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570375228112911154" border="0" /></a><br />Dee sanded these bowls while I carved mine. Sanding is one of the final steps in the process. She is nearly done with these bowls.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK3d2lEw32nDtM16VXlzz-PsFmIlsb1_0u6AGJYKfZ7lu8YmO6DzeAokzQpo3bTHY8eYBNPEd9zq3wG8jCYUz4kjmX8g8rWNJkwPrdAsSEFea0AMpiHJScnv3A2IhjM1Unhp6M-QZXTUS/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK3d2lEw32nDtM16VXlzz-PsFmIlsb1_0u6AGJYKfZ7lu8YmO6DzeAokzQpo3bTHY8eYBNPEd9zq3wG8jCYUz4kjmX8g8rWNJkwPrdAsSEFea0AMpiHJScnv3A2IhjM1Unhp6M-QZXTUS/s320/IMG_5391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570363590557559266" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-73672909001743853012011-02-04T17:21:00.000-08:002011-02-04T17:59:57.139-08:00Cold StorageI was very excited when Ken and Mac completed our cold storage room in 2010. They tore down 2 block walls and ripped out an unused shower stall, sink, and toilet to open up a space that would be big enough to hold 2 deep freezers and make shift shelves to hold winter squash, pumpkins, onion, apples, potatoes, and other produce that stores well. In Spring, Fall, and Winter, this room generally stays around 40 degrees which is the perfect temperature for the long term storage of crops. This low temperature also decreases the amount of electricity that the freezers use which is greener for the environment and keeps our electric bills lower. The cold storage room is located between the garage and the lodge, so every time I walk by it, I have the opportunity to admire the non-GMO, non-hybrid heirloom veggies we raised in our vegetable gardens this year.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz52oL9qq5-HKdSOU-VkCAAb9pjKx18rLZ8AQflPZOEeJZ3QEV0tFh3yp2xaEzZ4bfYB6Rhwd6LccNQWekI2HJBOV6Qn_IivwiKY9287XAiIpzKPnNmgxJBAJvwtuzsTTya7bIZOmszj2q/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz52oL9qq5-HKdSOU-VkCAAb9pjKx18rLZ8AQflPZOEeJZ3QEV0tFh3yp2xaEzZ4bfYB6Rhwd6LccNQWekI2HJBOV6Qn_IivwiKY9287XAiIpzKPnNmgxJBAJvwtuzsTTya7bIZOmszj2q/s320/IMG_5387.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570010927119706930" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite crop that we grew for long term storage is the jarrahdale pumpkin. It is a slate, blue-grey pumpkin that weighs 6-10 pounds. Its shape is flat, ribbed, and very decorative. It is a good keeper. As a practical matter, it was very easy to grow, but the vines do require a large amount of garden space. Also, it is very easy to clean out and cook up because the flesh is smooth rather than stringy, and it has a very delicious flesh. These pumpkins are not available at traditional groceries, but they are sometimes available at farmer's markets in Fall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_zIYeuurps6X5O5exyI0y3wP3m9RYc92uS15miJnkKEs-LXz2mCMJZWWOoZDnZjqjTr2mxA7vwUQg1yeoBTG9STqwrVlPGmmaUthhmGUqzkx6sXSVLpVv5hg2Z1uUoLB9a2noeV75aUr/s1600/PumpkinJ+Blue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_zIYeuurps6X5O5exyI0y3wP3m9RYc92uS15miJnkKEs-LXz2mCMJZWWOoZDnZjqjTr2mxA7vwUQg1yeoBTG9STqwrVlPGmmaUthhmGUqzkx6sXSVLpVv5hg2Z1uUoLB9a2noeV75aUr/s320/PumpkinJ+Blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570015367484420370" border="0" /></a><br />I admired our jarrahdale pumpkins sitting in our cold storage for the past 4 months instead of eating them, so they were starting to spoil a little. The majority of the inside flesh was fine, but it was definitely time to do something with them. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajXdald9WWy51CfqTnK0TH62GbR2vEPhjIs6D9sJ0qQXnyIaQDmfRVToqqMKGl2VFZSYg_B2urhLNle6ETdQ635rr9dWVrUfYv7HMxavKDRmej6EdEPPMjkU109MjboHPW8Hud9NhEyiF/s1600/IMG_5386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajXdald9WWy51CfqTnK0TH62GbR2vEPhjIs6D9sJ0qQXnyIaQDmfRVToqqMKGl2VFZSYg_B2urhLNle6ETdQ635rr9dWVrUfYv7HMxavKDRmej6EdEPPMjkU109MjboHPW8Hud9NhEyiF/s320/IMG_5386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570010917471671522" border="0" /></a><br />Ken cut open, seeded, and cubed the pumpkin.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp6KV3xWBXPwgSAA4Tf5Z_pNTHclnJ38qlVNyMEp7c3gFIJoQZiuq6MogwNuwQq8Wxfrzdc-kG6vAwSYHUmjhI3Pf-cPDYwAwPKEDiLUfAFTlJE2r227PLr1-HOvjaT3rqXcRgqI_8a5s/s1600/IMG_5384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUp6KV3xWBXPwgSAA4Tf5Z_pNTHclnJ38qlVNyMEp7c3gFIJoQZiuq6MogwNuwQq8Wxfrzdc-kG6vAwSYHUmjhI3Pf-cPDYwAwPKEDiLUfAFTlJE2r227PLr1-HOvjaT3rqXcRgqI_8a5s/s320/IMG_5384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570010902124224690" border="0" /></a><br />Then, he placed the cubed pumpkin in a large stock pot and cooked it down. We will use the resulting pumpkin puree to make pumpkin soup tomorrow. The rest of the pumpkin puree will be placed in Ziploc bags and put in the freezer. We will use the puree this summer to make pumpkin bread for our guests at The Ponderosa Lodge.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs20cKg_KuWhPsEVaZb_u72wmdeQblRRIW8GYm9WagC9tEt0WKSA_5FM0Xq8xmTZ1v9PaBqBCFj-QaSr9LDb_8WQrmRycXasKzpx1-XUPZOa8DXSWCgiBVGUErr145tAm5l3ufQYWOWUF/s1600/IMG_5385.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUs20cKg_KuWhPsEVaZb_u72wmdeQblRRIW8GYm9WagC9tEt0WKSA_5FM0Xq8xmTZ1v9PaBqBCFj-QaSr9LDb_8WQrmRycXasKzpx1-XUPZOa8DXSWCgiBVGUErr145tAm5l3ufQYWOWUF/s320/IMG_5385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570010910329046914" border="0" /></a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-33682189608186878592011-02-03T05:50:00.000-08:002011-02-03T09:31:13.087-08:00Preparing and PlanningThe past couple of days, we had some above freezing temperatures that got be pining for digging and planting in the garden. Winter has returned, though, but there is much to do to prepare for Spring.<br /><br />I took advantage of the nice day yesterday and cleaned our wood stove and chimney. We burn a lot of wood in our stove and I have to sweep it 4 or 5 times throughout the season. We use the stove to heat our dining room and kitchen as well as keeping the dogs warm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlmvvKTylq3iwQJueCjsb1RnxlziFIFP-ef0bvcjBS9_aNRkZ8ZPPSfQQvjGa36tt-GQcBOdnyRT5m4dWPMv3xvkxS7qsSB6ZhSdqrDIC6YG4uIW-NAAX99r8uKNzq2byOrxY8Jam5DUG/s1600/IMG_5380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlmvvKTylq3iwQJueCjsb1RnxlziFIFP-ef0bvcjBS9_aNRkZ8ZPPSfQQvjGa36tt-GQcBOdnyRT5m4dWPMv3xvkxS7qsSB6ZhSdqrDIC6YG4uIW-NAAX99r8uKNzq2byOrxY8Jam5DUG/s320/IMG_5380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569500735926519042" border="0" /></a>I also will begin inspecting and disinfection my maple sap collection equipment. I wash the buckets, spiles, lids, and milk jugs in a solution of 1 part unscented bleach to 20 parts water. We have over a dozen sugar maple trees on our farm that I tap each season. I hope to start tapping trees in another week or two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdtVSnDSfBdwwKo6cig9716RyfwXPhzpGR5qZz0B5wveL-j6KrVRfDjqeO-WisyFpmWPzmYoWP_E5DQsm6041f2VnczLntt6QoTnOuGqf_XDmVxcmMZ5Rxr7zzk04jywKFGrvNsEErylN/s1600/IMG_5381.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdtVSnDSfBdwwKo6cig9716RyfwXPhzpGR5qZz0B5wveL-j6KrVRfDjqeO-WisyFpmWPzmYoWP_E5DQsm6041f2VnczLntt6QoTnOuGqf_XDmVxcmMZ5Rxr7zzk04jywKFGrvNsEErylN/s320/IMG_5381.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569500732109596434" border="0" /></a><br />I also clean my seed starting pots in a solution of the same mixture. In the next couple of days I will begin starting seeds indoors, with the first ones being onions, asparagus, rhubarb, lettuce, and spinach. Once these plants germinate they will be moved outdoors to the cold frames. I also will draw plans for my gardens this year and decide what varieties to grow. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSEpgkv1S74SzLUzV-1MUPHU6MDudi_8glcZq8qlTGNhyZ6hTFs35Fr-jLR_ya_P_a_ym-q83HTW4wmJzxzEDEV1lc9WrAXVpFnN9LPpfUHKK78IkVKhSeSbnGVOJYcH1eIsE23NHnRHy/s1600/IMG_5383.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSEpgkv1S74SzLUzV-1MUPHU6MDudi_8glcZq8qlTGNhyZ6hTFs35Fr-jLR_ya_P_a_ym-q83HTW4wmJzxzEDEV1lc9WrAXVpFnN9LPpfUHKK78IkVKhSeSbnGVOJYcH1eIsE23NHnRHy/s320/IMG_5383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569500723210979250" border="0" /></a><br />Last, I need to clean a room and prepare for our first intern of the 2011 season! Erich will be joining us next week. He is one of many interns who will be joining us this season and we are exciting to be working with everyone of them. <br /><br />With Erich, we plan to make some repairs and do some painting indoors until the weather breaks. Then we have a lot of work to do outside. Some of the projects we have planned are building more raised beds, preparing the gardens, building new rabbit pens, converting the chicken coop into a garden shed for Jorene, and trimming apple trees. Look for more posts on our progress throughout the season.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-83433238215850859732011-01-21T08:05:00.000-08:002011-01-21T08:06:52.907-08:00Intern Positions AvailableOUR INTERSHIP POSITIONS FOR SPRING AND SUMMER 2011 ARE CURRENTLY FILLED. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN INTERNING FALL 2011, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US. HAPPY GROWING!! We are seeking an intern(s) to join us for Fall 2011. Our interns will be provided room and board, all meals, free internet and U.S. domestic telephone calls, and the use of a vehicle. We would also be happy to fill out any paperwork that would allow you to get college credit for your work. We are unique in that we specialize in both small organic farming and lodging. All interns should be willing to participate in both sides of the business. Please feel free to contact us for further information. We are located in the New River Gorge area of southern West Virginia which is noted for countless exciting outdoor activities, including whitewater rafting, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, tree canopy tours, boating, and hiking. For more information about our farm located in Southern Western Virginia, please visit our Facebook page (The Ponderosa Lodge), or our website at: <a href="http://www.theponderosalodge.com">www.theponderosalodge.com</a>Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1543534480943370166.post-1276494630132458502010-10-07T03:35:00.000-07:002010-10-07T03:48:10.633-07:00Farm Photos - October 7<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6OeecG97rTeKUpc3yAECt9MgHPoJKLjjpIiV_EZWG3E_rnGnoriFcWOg5Dh0CdzklqTpbxCczOuTed9DgQsSFsuJKG4TlRBZ5xM1kjMz_xMfLzZUFiIrdB2obruBSSNbvzXOHaHt8S9r/s1600/IMG_5225.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6OeecG97rTeKUpc3yAECt9MgHPoJKLjjpIiV_EZWG3E_rnGnoriFcWOg5Dh0CdzklqTpbxCczOuTed9DgQsSFsuJKG4TlRBZ5xM1kjMz_xMfLzZUFiIrdB2obruBSSNbvzXOHaHt8S9r/s320/IMG_5225.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525252179437087298" border="0" /></a>Here's Liam, fully awake and making bread at 5:30 in the morning. He loves eating the dough and would slurp and say with a big grin "Bread!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_OS_rcHlQI1kin5rGwDvlXMjIu34by6L_Z9ttK1f3eGHLdTJ55aCEJe_0XZWwco2p4em3mg3h9Vx-gVscGMYjtHsnF0xQZpDaXQmFFT4VansJ4_eAvaerO0Vem9oPBq-9i7e93-5sRH2/s1600/IMG_5223.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_OS_rcHlQI1kin5rGwDvlXMjIu34by6L_Z9ttK1f3eGHLdTJ55aCEJe_0XZWwco2p4em3mg3h9Vx-gVscGMYjtHsnF0xQZpDaXQmFFT4VansJ4_eAvaerO0Vem9oPBq-9i7e93-5sRH2/s320/IMG_5223.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525252177421606898" border="0" /></a>Jorene likes to make a fall display every year in front of the lodge. All of the gourds and pumpkins were grown here on our farm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho61vsMIpIowli241UQWdtE-ttIrXgBlqEYPvmNYyuRCE0hUNMV_Qc5yqc4RErF6V-mLfhadzDS5gi36JmLup88bbCvCZmLJXMYh8AhsKJDv__n_uxZlGgKSFMdZxMSD_AzLc91ex9X6xz/s1600/IMG_5224.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho61vsMIpIowli241UQWdtE-ttIrXgBlqEYPvmNYyuRCE0hUNMV_Qc5yqc4RErF6V-mLfhadzDS5gi36JmLup88bbCvCZmLJXMYh8AhsKJDv__n_uxZlGgKSFMdZxMSD_AzLc91ex9X6xz/s320/IMG_5224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525252162060728370" border="0" /></a>I've been clearing some trees around our parking lot to open it up for more sunshine. As always, the wood is being milled for lumber or cut up for firewood.Ken Toneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03125500192498692012noreply@blogger.com3