Rededication of the George Rogers Clark Memorial

Shots from the rededication
ceremony for the George Rogers
Clark Memorial.
It was a nice ceremony,
although there was a chilly
breeze from the river.

The Sons of the American Revolution presented a flag and certificates for the flag of George Rogers Clark that was flown over Afghanistan.




The Junior Rangers led the Pledge of
Allegiance.















They were absolutely adorable.























Sons of the
American
Revolution.





















My husband, Chris, looking
professional in his capacity as
a tour guide. He is a VIP, or
national park volunteer.



















The statue of Francis Vigo on the Wabash River.









It was overcast and cool, but the memorial is magnificent, as always.

Today at Cackleberry Farm...

Here is my newest raised bed. I've got the straw in it and will be adding top soil, compost, vermiculite, and worm castings. This is for my winter garden.






This is Scout. She is my baby. Scout is such a docile, friendly chicken. She lets me hold and cuddle her and will make happy chicken noises when I scratch under her feathers. She is also the most curious chicken I have ever seen. She is always first out, loves to examine anything new, and usually is the first to snatch at any treat I toss in the run.

Randy, ready for his close-up. Chris just tolerates Randy. I think he is pretty and I even like to hear him crow. I thought it would irritate me, but it just adds to the farm atmosphere.

Roxie, one of our Barred Plymouth Rocks. Actually, all four Rocks are named Roxie because we can't tell them apart.

Roxie checking out today's lovely eggs. The new girls are still laying mostly small eggs, but they are so pretty. The Rocks lay the darkest brown eggs, they look like chocolate.

Seven eggs so far! I love how the girls share the nesting box.

The gang in the run this afternoon. They gather everytime we come out, hoping for treats. Spoiled chickens! Anyone who talks to me on the phone when I am out back can hear the chickies "talking" to me, begging for treats.

There is always so much to do. I have homework to finish, a dinner to attend, bunnies to care for. I love it!

Watermelon on a trellis!

I have this cute moon and stars watermelon happily hanging from a trellis in a raised garden bed. I am thrilled that this actually works. My tomatoes are still looking good and I have been making heirloom tomato salad using a variety of tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and a splash of white balsalmic vinegar. A dash of salt and pepper and I am in tomato heaven!

Vincennes Farmer's Market

We have been enjoying the Farmer's Market this year. I have been pleasantly surprise to find a few heirloom varieties of veggies. The new pavilion is amazing, providing shelter yet remaining open. Definitely an asset to the community. Here are a few of the wonders we have found there:


Chocolate cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, low-acid yellow cherry tomatoes, cherry tomatoes.

Beautiful eggplant.

Summer squash, oriental melons, honeydew. Yum!

And our absolute favorite: Local honey, absolutely delicious, from Brad's Berry and Peach in Monroe City, Indiana. Obviously, we have been enjoying this treat as often as possible. I'll be heading to the market tomorrow morning to find more local produce.

New Spinning Wheel!

Hub and I took a trip to Bloomington today. We were really going to pick up some basmati rice at the Sahara Mart. We like to buy it in bulk, it is far tastier than plain white rice. Anyway, we went in a few stores in downtown Bloomington, including a lovely yarn shop. Hub talked to the owner and just happened to ask if they sold spinning wheels. Well, she said that they were getting ready to sell their old wheels and purchase new ones. She showed us her beautiful, well-cared for used wheels. The price? An amazing $150! Quite an excellent deal. It came with four bobbins. I have been practicing with the treadle tonight and will try it for real tomorrow.

Natural Gardener's Club

We had our meeting of the Vincennes Natural Gardener’s Club tonight at the Fortnightly Club. As usual, we had a carry-in dinner. As usual, I ate too much of the amazing food! Below is a sampling of the culinary delights we enjoyed.

Sustainable Living Fair

Now, why didn't I know about this last year? The second annual Sustainable Living Fair in Columbus, Indiana, will be on September 26, 2009. I can't wait to go and check it out! The website:

http://slf.helpmotherearth.com/

Expanding the chicken run and I've got new wheels!

My new wheels! It is a Schwinn Point Beach Cruiser! I am so excited and can't wait to take it out on the road.

In the foreground, the old run, which was bent PVC pipe covered in chicken wire. That's Hub in the background working on the deluxe new runs. Each side of the coop has its own run. This should help keep the chickies from pecking the snot out of each other.

As usual, Sophie is supervising the activitiy.

The girls are curious about the hole Chris cut for the vent. They tried, but are too big to get out that way!

Finally, a ripe tomato! This is one of my Mr. Stripey tomatoes, just about ready to eat!

It is stinking hot here today and very humid. I need to clean out the coop and put in new bedding, but I don't think I could stand to be "cooped" up in this heat. I'll try to get an early start tomorrow while it is cool.

Supper harvest

Chris pulled some of our beautiful Oxheart carrots for supper tonight. We are having ribeyes, fried potatoes with onion and bell pepper, and glazed carrots. Yum! The bunnies enjoy the carrot tops and we enjoy the bottoms!

Rain

So, no solar clothes dryer today. It is rainy and seems to have settle in for the day. So, I'll keep decluttering inside the house. I can make a run to Good Will and the library to unload books and clothes we don't need. I also plan to make bread today. I think breadmaking is a learned skill. My first loaf, 17 years ago, could have been used as a brick. I doubt there has ever been a bread so dense. I hope I have better luck today!

Today on the homestead...

Busted! I caught the youngsters peering at me through the French doors! This is the first time I have seen them on the deck, the little stinkers. They have been out enjoying bugs all morning. They should be close to needing nesting boxes. I'll have to look around to see if I can throw something together for them to lay in. I did warn Chris that I would be using his power tools! Run, chickies, run! Scout looks like she is about to take off as she flees to "safety!"

Randy the Magnificent. This bird is so full of himself. My friend Jeanna begged for his life. That and my soft heart are the only reasons he has been spared the stew pot. He was not attractive as a chick, but he has become much prettier the last few weeks.

Marigolds, Dragon carrots, heirloom tomatoes. So pretty! This raised bed has done so well this year!

My Black-eyed Susans have gone crazy again this year. It is so amazing to look out and see this lovely yellow field every day. The pollinators have been buzzing like crazy around these gorgeous flowers.

My acorn squash has made an appearance. I can't wait to cook with these! I love winter squash and it is so good for you, too!

On a stroll around the woodsrow, I found the sumac looking good. I have never tried to pick any. I am told it can make an excellent drink, rather like lemonade. I have never tested that theory. There isn't very much of it and I know the wildlife enjoys it in the winter. So, I'll leave it be.

Hidden treasure! I found more blackberries that look lucious. There aren't very many, but I think I could make a vinaigrette dressing with these.

Just peachy! These pretty peaches are just starting to ripen. Not very many, but it is the first fruiting for this tree. I want to order some bare root dwarf variety fruit trees this fall to expand our orchard. If you can call three fruit trees an "orchard!"

On my own...

I am now unemployed, for the most part. I will be home for the next two weeks, working on improving the homestead. It is my intention to make a living from out land, getting out of the stress and rat race of a "job." I am scared to death but excited by the possibility of supporting us with our homestead. So, I have started with the basics. I am cleaning and decluttering, weeding and planning. It is good to be home...

I have issues

I don't have any photos to post this time, but I do have a lot to say. Although I have been busy the last many months with school and work, I still have causes and issues that are near and dear to my heart.

I truly believe that our corporate system and our farming system is in need of serious change. These large-scale industrial systems undermine our diversity, our healthy eco-system, and our healthy people.

I believe in a sustainable model for living. This doesn't mean you have to do without, it means you must make mindful choices. I know that the processed food in our supermarkets makes a negative impact on our planet and our health. People have lost the connection to their food. Food-borne illness seems more common and our food all tastes the same.

I am trying to make a small difference by growing some of my own food and raising chickens for eggs and rabbits for wool and fertilizer. I intend to add goats in the next year, to increase the fertilizer production, perhaps even to use for weed control.

I recently purchased a more fuel-efficient car. It isn't the hybrid I have been dreaming about, but I recently got 50 mpg on a short trip to Oklahoma. I would like to start using a bike to get around town on the weekends. This would also make a small difference. It would certainly save gas and reduce wear on my car, which has to last me ten years.

I want to increase my community connections with others who are interested in sustainable and organic living. These human connections are what it is all about. We need to help each other achieve the healthy lifestyle that will benefit our community.

I want the food that is in the grocery store to be labeled so the consumer will know exactly what they are getting. That means everything. There shouldn't be anything hidden in our food.

So, I will keep joining campaigns to let my government officials know how I feel. I will pay close attention to what I buy at the store. And I will keep my little homestead going to give me the most wonderful heirloom produce.

I will also try to educate anyone who will listen. So, thanks for listening.