tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67882012024-03-13T20:21:46.194-04:0010 Signs Like ThisA northern woman's life in rural GeorgiaJamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.comBlogger996125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-7775344445293415192009-01-22T21:51:00.002-05:002009-01-22T22:24:44.829-05:00The shape of things to comeThe other day, my mother rightfully pointed out that my blog still said "Christmas is coming." Guilty as charged. Unfortunately, the urge to blog just isn't in me these days. So will you settle for a list of what we're planting in the garden this year? At least it's sort of informative, even if it isn't scintillating prose.<br /><br />SPRING<br /><br />Snap pea - Sugar Sprint (a LOT of these)<br />Chinese Kale<br />Beet - Burpee's Golden<br />Beet - Chioggia<br />Chard - Five Color Silverbeet<br />Sorrel<br />Escarole - Biona a Cuore Pieno<br />Carrot - Scarlet Nantes<br />Carrot - Parmex Baby Ball<br />Turnip - Purple Top White Globe<br />Rutabaga - American Purple Top<br />Potato - La Ratte (fingerling)<br />Potato - German Butterball<br /><br /><br />SUMMER<br /><br />Tomato - Sun Gold<br />Tomato - Green Zebra<br />Tomato - Cherokee Purple<br />Tomato - Pruden's Purple<br />Tomato - Principe Borghese<br />Tomato - Better Boy<br />Tomatillo - Toma Verde<br />Eggplant - Rosa Bianca<br />Eggplant - Pingtung Long<br />Pepper - Quadrato Asti Giallo (yellow bell)<br />Pepper - Orange Bell<br />Pepper - Napoleon Sweet (red bell)<br />Watermelon - Ali Baba<br />Canteloupe - PMR Delicious 51<br />Summer Squash - Benning's Green Tint (pattypan)<br />Summer Squash - Partenon F1 (zucchini)<br />Summer Squash - Success PM Yellow Straightneck<br />Winter Squash - Honey Nut Mini-Butternut<br />Winter Squash - Potimarron<br />Pumpkin - Baby Pam<br />Cowpea - Pinkeye Purplehull<br />Bush Bean - Dragon's Tongue<br />Bush Bean - Sonesta (wax)<br />Cucumber - Picklebush<br />Purslane - Goldberg Golden<br />Parsley - Flat Leaf<br />Basil - Genovese<br />Okra - Clemson Spineless<br />Okra - Burgundy<br />Fennel - Perfection<br />Edamame - Ustie<br />Bitter Melon - Comet<br />Jicama<br />Sweet Potato - Porto Rico<br />Peanut - Early Spanish Type<br /><br /><br />FALL<br /><br />Turnip - Purple Top White Globe<br />Rutabaga - American Purple Top<br />Kale - Ripbor F1<br />Purple Sprouting Broccoli - Santee F1<br />Beet - Colossal Long Red Mangel (for the chickens!)<br />Strawberries - Fresca<br />Strawberries - Red Wonder Alpine<br />Cabbages<br />and a whole bunch of other stuff TBD...Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-81229750398072949832008-12-18T23:06:00.000-05:002008-12-18T23:07:28.394-05:00Christmas is coming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SUsd95Po29I/AAAAAAAAAY4/gHwdFBWfk40/s1600-h/xmastree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SUsd95Po29I/AAAAAAAAAY4/gHwdFBWfk40/s320/xmastree.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281347937197677522" /></a>Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-91327235734602316342008-12-18T08:02:00.002-05:002008-12-18T08:23:30.883-05:00AstonishedRecently we decided it was time to kick the dogs off the bed. Not only do we humans need to assert ourselves more (there's been some instability in the pack--dogs sniping at each other, etc.), but we were going to have to buy a larger bed to accommodate the 150 pounds of canine(s) that kept hogging all the space. So there was no choice; the dogs would have to sleep somewhere else.<br /><br />Gracie wouldn't be a problem. She already had a kennel of her own that she liked all right. She goes there when she's feeling insecure or just needs some "me" time.<br /><br />But Silver and Cairo have never been kennel dogs. Silver would do whatever she was told, albeit with Sad Eyes. But Cairo? I expected howls (literally) of protest. When he got his leg amputated, he fussed and fought constantly against being confined.<br /><br />"Just get him a really big wire kennel," said the s.o. "He doesn't like the regular kind because he can't turn around in there as easily, because of only having three legs."<br /><br />I doubted it, but I shrugged my shoulders and got Cairo a wire kennel big enough for a Newfoundland. For Silver, I got a large Canine Camper portable tent kennel with a nice fleecy liner. It was light and it could be collapsed into something akin to an art student's portfolio. We'd be able to take it on trips--convenient.<br /><br />I assembled Silver's kennel and lined it with a couple of extra blankets, because...well, because she's my princess. My heart was already broken because I wouldn't be able to be in constant contact with her throughout the night. Having her kennel next to me was not the same as having her furry butt against my knees!<br /><br />Then, at the foot of the bed, I erected Fort Cairo, a massive edifice that took up half the bedroom. It looked clinical, so I took two big fluffy dog beds from elsewhere in the house and used them to make it comfy. The dog beds fit side by side in the kennel.<br /><br />Cairo walked into the bedroom and looked at the cage. "C'mere," I said, and he did. I climbed into the kennel and beckoned him to follow me. He did. He curled up in the soft cushions and looked contented. We stayed there for a few minutes snuggling, and then we left.<br /><br />An hour later I looked into the bedroom and was shocked to see Cairo sleeping in his kennel.<br /><br />Another hour later, I looked in and saw <span style="font-style:italic;">Silver</span> sleeping in Cairo's kennel. I gently ushered her out and showed her her own kennel again.<br /><br />Near bedtime, Cairo returned to his kennel. He looked content. I locked him in, and I felt sneaky and unfair doing it. He noticed, but did not react. I kenneled Gracie as well ("Gracie, kennel!" "Okay, mom!"), and then kenneled Silver.<br /><br />We all got a fantastic night's sleep, although I cried a little bit because I couldn't touch my dogs.<br /><br />When my alarm went off, I de-kenneled Silver and Gracie and led them out of the bedroom. I unlocked Cairo's cage, too, but he elected not to leave his fort. I really am gobsmacked that the Dog Who Would Not Be Kenneled is so fond of a big scary wire cage, but I guess if you fill a nice spacious area with soft pillows, certain dogs will always claim a spot.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-2082868103406027442008-12-15T13:49:00.003-05:002008-12-16T23:31:00.895-05:00a political pleaPlease, everyone, sign <a href="http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/">this</a> petition. I'm usually very skeptical of petitions, but this one has a very real and (I hope) attainable goal: the appointment of a Secretary of Agriculture who will fight for small, sustainable farms. I've had it up to here with the way corporations dictate our farm policy -- how 'bout you?<br /><br />ETA: Aaaaaand he's named a Monsanto stooge to the post. *sigh* Well, it was worth a try.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-38085517156300685532008-12-03T13:56:00.003-05:002008-12-03T14:03:57.310-05:00Trailer fireAt 2:45 AM, our dogs all stood straight up and started howling. Soon we humans could hear the sirens, too. It wasn't just a cop pulling someone over in our driveway (which they're fond of doing in the middle of the night, for some reason). It was a convergence of several types of sirens. Some of them we recognized from the s.o.'s days as a volunteer fireman.<br /><br />"Are you getting up to look?" the s.o. asked me groggily. He had returned from a poker game only an hour before, and had probably only just descended into REM sleep when the noise commenced.<br /><br />"Mm," I replied. I fumbled for my glasses, clapped them onto my face, and shuffled across the room to the front window. I crouched down and stared through the leaves of our umbrella plant at the flashing lights across the street.<br /><br />It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, and then suddenly I exclaimed, "Holy shit, the old trailer next to Eddie Lee's is on fire! I mean REALLY on fire!" The flames reached 20 feet in the air, bright as daylight.<br /><br />Today I went over to look at the remains of the trailer. I wasn't the only gawker; a man and his son had pulled up their pickup truck to peer at the shell of the structure. This is what we saw:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/STbX2mD78wI/AAAAAAAAAYw/qOjUJOdmsWA/s1600-h/burnedtrailer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/STbX2mD78wI/AAAAAAAAAYw/qOjUJOdmsWA/s320/burnedtrailer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275641346441081602" /></a><br /><br />Probably an arson. Or so you'd suspect when an uninhabited trailer with no power suddenly goes up like a flare in the middle of the night.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-28342143558259349172008-11-22T10:38:00.002-05:002008-11-22T10:42:20.260-05:00The sky is falling!No, this isn't a post about the economy. We had a 20-degree night last night, and I woke up to find our pecan trees dropping all their leaves simultaneously. Anyone ever seen anything like that? Because I haven't. This is new to me.<br /><br />There's an ankle-deep layer of leaf litter on the ground, and when you walk under the trees, entire compound leaves snow down upon you. When I walked the dogs, they got all crazy from the crunching and crackling and floaty things everywhere.<br /><br />I wish I had a way to post a video, because it's cool. Really cool.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-61750930317908504332008-11-11T23:15:00.003-05:002008-11-11T23:30:06.616-05:00Avian etymologyA lot of strange thoughts cross my mind at 7 in the morning before I've had my coffee. There I am, standing out in the yard with a dog on a leash, watching our birds socializing and getting their morning graze on. My thoughts wander and sometimes become very strange and esoteric.<br /><br />You can tell that the happy event of the recent election is still on my mind. The other night we reshuffled the birds' night quarters so that two years' worth of geese were housed together, and the ducks had more space to themselves in their safety pen. But when we let them all out again in the morning, the younger set of geese bolted away from the older geese and returned to grazing with the ducks they grew up with. It crossed my mind that the new geese <span style="font-style:italic;">caucused with the ducks</span>... and then I groaned because it was so profoundly stupid.<br /><br />Recently we've been thinking about the inevitable: the fact that we will have to slaughter the one young male duck and an indeterminate number of young male geese. The reason the number is indeterminate is that most of the time you absolutely cannot tell geese from ganders without grabbing them, turning them upside down, and pulling their tails back to (cough) expose their junk. We recently saw this done on <span style="font-style:italic;">Dirty Jobs</span>, but we scoffed at the usually-heroic Mike Rowe because the geese he was grabbing were about half the size of ours. Big deal, bucko--try to hold an Embden without getting your arm chewed off!<br /><br />Anyway, this caused me to wonder if I had discovered the origin of "taking a gander". Could the expression really have originated with the act of flipping a goose over and looking at its privates to see if it was a boy? Sadly, no--it apparently has more to do with craning your neck the way geese do when they honk. That's possibly the most disappointing etymology I've ever come across. You can't win 'em all.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-45495451744217687802008-11-04T08:43:00.005-05:002008-11-04T08:53:54.155-05:00My sweet little dinosaur pals<a href="http://www.rivercottage.net/landshare/">Here's</a> an intriguing local food idea that I hope takes off. Maybe someday we can emulate it in this country.<br /><br />In related news, our Thanksgiving this year will not be quite as local as usual. All three of our young Blue Slate turkeys have turned out to be <span style="font-style:italic;">hens</span>--friendly, winsome hens that we cannot bear to eat. They follow us around warbling and chirping. They cock their heads when we talk to them, and they eat out of our hands. Gah! So I (cough) ordered an organic turkey from Earthfare. It's embarrassing, sure, but who'll be laughing in the spring when we're eating turkey egg omelettes?<br /><br />Everybody in the U.S.: GO VOTE NOW!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-73641360068422845622008-11-03T17:41:00.003-05:002008-11-03T17:48:09.152-05:00Hooray for the sewing machine repairmenLast week I blew out a gear in my sewing machine while sewing the straps onto my new handbag. It was particularly irritating because I was only minutes from finishing the project...then all the more so because it cost me $100 to get the machine fixed. But it was well worth it. My sewing machine is a 1960s Singer with all metal parts. It needed a tuneup, or at least some kind of competent attention, so maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world for me to be forced to haul it in.<br /><br />Anyway, now I've finished the handbag. I'm a little irritated with the designer. Even though I used stout denim and upholstery fabric, the bag is floppy. I starched the hell out of it, but it only helped a little. She really should have specified a piece of stiff plastic or something similar for the bottom. I'm going to try to find something appropriate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQ9_lca73VI/AAAAAAAAAYo/FJUqB8YLOzw/s1600-h/bagoblique.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQ9_lca73VI/AAAAAAAAAYo/FJUqB8YLOzw/s320/bagoblique.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264566770680454482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQ9_lWVtenI/AAAAAAAAAYg/GYUorlZ7PbQ/s1600-h/bagback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQ9_lWVtenI/AAAAAAAAAYg/GYUorlZ7PbQ/s320/bagback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264566769047927410" /></a><br /><br />Still, don't you think it's cute? Note the water bottle pocket on the end and the newspaper holder on the side. The latter of these is made out of the waistband of an old pair of jeans. (Who, me? Spend money on twill tape? Never!)Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-85185017212419326772008-10-31T16:15:00.003-04:002008-10-31T16:17:37.158-04:00Happy Halloween<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQtnhYOsD9I/AAAAAAAAAYY/52Kv-fodz30/s1600-h/happyhalloween.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQtnhYOsD9I/AAAAAAAAAYY/52Kv-fodz30/s320/happyhalloween.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263414412649959378" /></a><br /><br />Big Jack looks fierce as Li'l Jack (carved out of a turnip* just like in the original folktale) looks on.<br /><br />HAPPY HALLOWEEN!<br /><br />----------<br /><br />* Well, actually, in this case, a rutabaga. It was big enough to fit a tea light.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-76643688072640101982008-10-30T12:48:00.003-04:002008-10-30T12:51:16.303-04:00And I shall wear thee constantlyEver wait for-freaking-ever for something, and when it arrives, it's...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQnlyQTRp7I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bOmc5-EcIyk/s1600-h/dansko2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQnlyQTRp7I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/bOmc5-EcIyk/s320/dansko2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262990291091171250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQnlyP6VD5I/AAAAAAAAAYI/rAqlwgX8EGQ/s1600-h/dansko1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQnlyP6VD5I/AAAAAAAAAYI/rAqlwgX8EGQ/s320/dansko1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262990290986536850" /></a><br /><br />...even better than you imagined?<br /><br />I almost don't mind having pulled up lame with plantar fasciitis, because it made me get some decent shoes. I love my Danskos!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-57788829285392551792008-10-27T12:16:00.003-04:002008-10-27T12:26:11.091-04:00Sneaky!Remember a while back when I whined that my Netflix hadn't come on time? Now they <span style="font-style:italic;">never</span> come on time. In fact, they take an average of two to three additional days. I'm guessing that by watching two DVDs per week for so long (which is pretty heavy usage for a one-at-a-time renter), I got myself flagged as an unprofitable customer and they are <a href="http://club.cdfreaks.com/f1/netflix-finally-admits-they-delay-shipping-high-users-133639/">deliberately slowing down my shipments</a>.<br /><br />On one hand, I can respect that they have to keep their shipping costs below a certain threshold to make a profit. On the other hand, why don't they just charge enough to cover a more realistic level of usage? No need to be dishonest about it. Sheesh.<br /><br />Part of me wants to go back to the two-at-a-time plan so I can watch my shows, but part of me refuses to be manipulated into paying an extra $5 a month.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-62341562677107811122008-10-25T16:45:00.002-04:002008-10-25T16:48:16.800-04:00At long last<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQOFrz73AoI/AAAAAAAAAYA/4QYA9qDm4FY/s1600-h/obamasign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SQOFrz73AoI/AAAAAAAAAYA/4QYA9qDm4FY/s320/obamasign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261195777421017730" /></a><br /><br />It's taken me quite a bit of effort to get this sign (they're in high demand, which is good). Finally I laid hands on one. I figured I had better commemorate it here before some rat bastard steals it.<br /><br />Gooooooooooooooooo team!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-77086841684773398782008-10-24T18:11:00.002-04:002008-10-24T18:13:13.270-04:00BlastI had almost finished sewing myself a really beautiful handbag (if I do say so myself) when I did something to my sewing machine. The bobbin wheel isn't spinning in concert with the needle. I'm going to have to take it to get repaired, and who knows how long that will take. I WANT MY HANDBAG, DARN IT.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-47105623388114088402008-10-20T22:43:00.003-04:002008-10-20T23:05:44.749-04:00Dispatch from CharlotteThis week I'm in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a work-related conference. Here's a fun fact that I learned in the elevator at my motel: the N.C. Commissioner of Labor is some unfortunate soul named Cherie Berry.<br /><br />The conference has been really fun so far, believe it or not. The seminars have been interesting (and believe me, if they hadn't been, I'd have been snoring on the table, because I got in pretty late last night). And this afternoon we got a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of <a href="http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1">Hendrick Motorsports</a>. I'd show you pictures, but what we saw was Top Secret, so we had to put our cameras away. I will say this much: For a sport with such a redneck image, NASCAR is the geekiest, most gearheaded thing I have ever seen in my entire life. They fine-tune the cars on special metal slabs that are leveled to the zillionth of an inch. It's like the Space Program in there.<br /><br />Probably my favorite things I saw at Hendrick were the semi trucks that serve as the teams' mobile offices. The upper level of each truck stores two cars simultaneously: the driver's favorite, and a spare in case he crashes during warm-ups. The bottom level is like the most tricked-out tour bus you've ever seen. It's kitchen, garage, and high-tech communication center all in one.<br /><br />In case anyone wonders, no, I did not see Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr. or any of the other drivers! Just lots of industrious crew members doing lots of industrious things. I came away feeling oddly warm and fuzzy--I suspect all the people there really love their jobs.<br /><br />I'm staying in an affordable chain motel out on the periphery of town. I picked it because it's near the city's brand-new light rail line. The rail system turns out to be a total delight. Not only is it fast and easy to use (it takes me about eight minutes to get to the convention center downtown, and the trains run constantly), but the people who ride it are so <span style="font-style:italic;">friendly</span>. On my way into town this morning, I had a really nice conversation with an older woman who was on her way to work. On my way back, I talked with a nice Honduran guy named Angel who is on month five of a six-month work visa. This sort of good cheer is what you get when you mix mass transit with southern hospitality, apparently.<br /><br />I'm exhausted and I have to be up early, so that's it for now.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-56931378467257940672008-10-18T19:04:00.003-04:002008-10-18T19:54:36.415-04:00A trip to the mountainsWater levels still low at Lake Lanier (the green in the foreground is a bridge beam):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_kHnTZI/AAAAAAAAAXg/XibuVNgo_jU/s1600-h/lakelanier.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_kHnTZI/AAAAAAAAAXg/XibuVNgo_jU/s320/lakelanier.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645249796296082" /></a><br /><br />The mind-blowingness that is Burt's Pumpkin Farm near Dawsonville, Georgia:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2AUHUfFI/AAAAAAAAAXo/jK37NdEkx50/s1600-h/pumpkinfarm.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2AUHUfFI/AAAAAAAAAXo/jK37NdEkx50/s320/pumpkinfarm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645262679964754" /></a><br /><br />Rouge Vif D'Etampes pumpkins...and me in the background:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2AyixPoI/AAAAAAAAAXw/ldV73LBc_lM/s1600-h/rougevif.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2AyixPoI/AAAAAAAAAXw/ldV73LBc_lM/s320/rougevif.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645270848159362" /></a><br /><br />Our haul:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2YhdRe8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/mQ9ryLCldfs/s1600-h/wheelbarrow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp2YhdRe8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/mQ9ryLCldfs/s320/wheelbarrow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645678578564034" /></a><br /><br />The path to Amicolola Falls is paved with recycled chopped-up automobile tires. It feels dreamy under the feet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_QTJUxI/AAAAAAAAAXY/vd8_eNhGmP0/s1600-h/amicalolapath.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_QTJUxI/AAAAAAAAAXY/vd8_eNhGmP0/s320/amicalolapath.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645244475953938" /></a><br /><br />And the falls themselves are totally incredible:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_IFUHEI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/320VbwxfncE/s1600-h/amicalolafalls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SPp1_IFUHEI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/320VbwxfncE/s320/amicalolafalls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258645242270456898" /></a><br /><br />We also got apples, lots of them, but didn't remember to take any pictures of the apple houses. Oops!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-63162274600310796492008-10-14T13:13:00.002-04:002008-10-14T13:27:30.197-04:00Exciting autumn plansWe're opting out of our usual Athens Locally Grown sales this week so that we can drive up to the mountains on Thursday and get our apples and pumpkins. I'm so excited I can barely contain myself--I was so worried we wouldn't manage to do it this year.<br /><br />We will be buying a few extra pumpkins to sell off the front porch, I think...if for no other reason than to irritate a local lady who last night ruined a meeting of an organization I belong to by quoting <a href="http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/Bible/Deuteronomy.html">Deut. 18:9-12</a> in full and announcing that Halloween-ish things were an abomination in the eyes of God. "Stricken" doesn't begin to describe the look on the face of the hostess, who had filled her home with beautiful holiday decorations. All religious questions aside, the whole thing was just unspeakably rude.<br /><br />I am thinking of making a <a href="http://www.pinkraygun.com/2008/09/23/free-pumpkin-carving-template-doctor-who-and-tardis/">Dr. Who jack-o'-lantern</a>. I would make <a href="http://www.pinkraygun.com/2008/09/25/free-pumpkin-carving-template-jack-harkness-and-ianto-jones-from-the-bbcs-torchwood/">the Torchwood one</a>, but I don't think Captain Jack looks like Captain Jack.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-91738953176786591262008-10-14T13:06:00.001-04:002008-10-14T13:06:38.961-04:00Woo hoo, comments are back!Rescued by the Haloscan people!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-6253012170513427952008-10-11T16:54:00.004-04:002008-10-11T17:03:08.881-04:00Dumb luckOn my way to the farmers' market this morning, I noticed that gas was $3.51 a gallon. Four hours later, when I left the farmers' market and pulled into the gas station, it was $3.41. Let's hear it for procrastination! So glad I waited.<br /><br />Business was slow today, but on the bright side, I was able to lay hands on some really wonderful homemade wheat bread (much better than I could make myself--and the woman grinds her own flour), as well as some cabbage, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.<br /><br />In other news, the nice Haloscan people are working with me to fix the comments problem, so we should be back up and running soon. Part of the problem, for me, was my upgrade to the new type of Blogger template with drag-and-drop capabilities. As soon as I changed over, my html metamorphosed from something I understood fairly well to a black box of "wrappers" and "skins" and cryptic variables whose purpose I could not determine. Anything I have managed to accomplish since then has been...well, see the title of this post.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-728809141247313862008-10-10T09:48:00.005-04:002008-10-10T10:21:52.222-04:00The spoils of battleAs I mentioned yesterday, I was an idiot and forgot to actually submit my order at Athens Locally Grown, which meant that I was forced to go on a sort of local foods raid of all the grocery stores in town. What I got was mostly inferior to what I would have gotten at ALG, in that it wasn't as organic or as grown-by-people-I-actually-know, but it wasn't bad. Instead of being from about a 75-mile radius, it was from about a 150-mile radius. All in all, better than blindly buying South African oranges and Indonesian tilapia.<br /><br />I should mention, before I show you what I bought, that there are a lot of things we <span style="font-style:italic;">don't</span> need to buy. We have a garden full of vegetables (yes, even in mid-October): a few tomatoes, lots of eggplant, cucumbers, kale, mustard greens, bitter melons, and peppers of every possible description. We have herbs, from basil to sorrel to parsley. And we have a freezer full of our own chicken, plus some local grass-fed beef, wild Gulf shrimp, and a 16-pound chunk of pork. We expect to take delivery of half a lamb later this month.<br /><br />We also have already socked away some locally ground wheat flour, cornmeal, Carolina Gold rice, and grits. We have canned and frozen vegetables including tomatoes and borlotti beans. And since right now is the tail end of the muscadine grape season, we have more of that glorious fruit than anyone could stand.<br /><br />So with that introduction, here's what I found at Kroger and EarthFare. First, the things that were actually grown in the area:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SO9gGfq7H4I/AAAAAAAAAXA/tPqtdwIavPw/s1600-h/locallygrown.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SO9gGfq7H4I/AAAAAAAAAXA/tPqtdwIavPw/s320/locallygrown.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255524954861674370" /></a><br /><br />Clockwise, from the upper left: Organic milk that was certified in North Carolina (this is the one item whose provenance I have the least certainty about, but beggars can't be choosers when they forget to order their raw milk from 70 miles up the road!); boiled peanuts from central Georgia; lettuce and bean sprouts from western North Carolina; Georgia chicken breast (for those times when I need something quick and don't want to defrost a whole one of ours); butterbeans from western North Carolina; and sausage from a Georgia town about 45 minutes west of us. There were Georgia potatoes, too, but I forgot to take their picture.<br /><br />Second, the items whose ingredients might be exotic, but which were made by local companies:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SO9gGm9NrMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/0-OK-t1Z_hg/s1600-h/locallymade.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PcyBsLzkdcA/SO9gGm9NrMI/AAAAAAAAAXI/0-OK-t1Z_hg/s320/locallymade.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255524956817435842" /></a><br /><br />Clockwise, from the upper left: Terrapin India Brown Ale from Athens, Ga.; Red Brick Ale from Atlanta; Red Rock Ginger Ale from Atlanta (no HFCS!); tofu and fresh lo mein noodles made in the northeast Atlanta metro; organic fairtrade coffee roasted about 70 miles away in South Carolina; and bread from the very same Athens-based company I would have gotten it from if I had remembered to order it from the buying club!<br /><br />Note the absence of one of the beers in the photo. Several more of them appear to be missing this morning...<br /><br />One of the first orders of business, as far as cooking all this bounty, will be a big wokful of chicken lo mein, using some of the chicken breast, the lo mein noodles, the bean sprouts, and some of our own greens.<br /><br />A major goal I've set for myself is to drive up to the north Georgia mountains, as I have in years past, to get pumpkins and (even more importantly) apples. Oh, and sorghum syrup, too--my pancakes simply aren't as good without it. But I'm really busy right now and I have a work-related conference in Charlotte coming up in a little more than a week. Gas prices are also a major deterrent. It's possible that I won't have time to go to the apple houses at all, and that makes me sad. No! I have to find the time. I just have to.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-31100598617868618902008-10-09T11:03:00.004-04:002008-10-09T11:09:15.713-04:00Eat Local Challenge FAILOh, <span style="font-style:italic;">man</span>. When I went to look at Athens Locally Grown today so that I could fulfill all the orders other people had placed with us, I found my own order still sitting in my shopping cart, disabled because the ordering period is over. I never actually placed the order, so now I don't get goat milk yogurt or raw cow's milk or goat stew meat or locally ground coffee or locally baked breads. The breads I can make myself, but jeez, now my enthusiasm is mighty low. I was really looking forward to all that stuff.<br /><br />I had meant to post a photo of my haul this evening. I still will, but now I am going to have to do some serious scrounging while I am in town.<br /><br />I would ask if anyone knows whether you can make goat milk yogurt out of frozen goat milk (we do have some in the freezer), but my comments are still botched, so, er, e-mail me!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-4935027471495152312008-10-08T13:43:00.003-04:002008-10-08T13:56:14.431-04:00Oh botherAs you may notice, I've tried to do a bit of sprucing up around here. (Since it doesn't appear that I'm going to get around to doing any major renovations, it's the least I can offer my beloved blog guests!) Unfortunately, I'm having some trouble with the Haloscan comments installer, and while all my comments <span style="font-style:italic;">do</span> still seem to exist, none of them can currently be viewed.<br /><br />If anyone has any experience with Haloscan (or, indeed, enough grasp of html to help me figure this stuff out!), can you please e-mail me at jlswedberg at y@hoo dot c0m?<br /><br />In the meantime, let me see if I can get my wishlist and other sundries going again!Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-7197402855336215772008-10-07T15:12:00.002-04:002008-10-07T15:15:27.335-04:00Call the waaaaahhhhhhmbulanceFor a long time, I've had really good luck with the Netflix shipping center in Atlanta. They turn around my movies and TV shows in one day, meaning that even though I have the ultra-cheapie one-at-a-time plan, I can see two per week if I make sure to stick them in the mail the next morning. I've been maintaining a steady Tuesday-and-Friday schedule.<br /><br />Today my Netflix didn't come. My whole schedule is shot. And there is NO DR. WHO WITH DAVID TENNANT and NOTHING TO DISTRACT ME FROM THE DEBATE TONIGHT.<br /><br />Shit. Shit. Shit.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-1173964175972970952008-10-06T17:05:00.002-04:002008-10-06T17:10:49.106-04:00Also, apropos of nothingIs anyone doing <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>? I'm doing it sort of informally because I'm breaking the rules: Instead of a novel, I'm going to work on a cookbook.<br /><br />Et vous?Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6788201.post-83982561134358445162008-10-06T16:54:00.002-04:002008-10-06T16:57:11.344-04:00ChirpyHas anyone else here in the south noticed that there seem to be a whole lot of mockingbirds this year? Today one was sitting in one of our butterfly bushes, singing his head off at me. He was so cheerful that I had to stop and listen.<br /><br />This year was extraordinary for butterflies, too. I don't know if that's a function of some natural cycle, or just the fact that we had a 100-foot row of zinnias this summer.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03304958139383108809noreply@blogger.com0