Goodness me! I've done so much pruning and burning lately I am getting stuptified!

Ah, but a taste of "my" elderberry wine was delicious! It tastes strong and sweet. I really am impressed with it, especially because I am partially responsible for making the wine! Last year was an exceptionally fine elderberry year!

This morning, I was greeted at daybreak with beautiful streaks across the sky as usual. My friends call me from Aurora and near Rockford, and they just have plain, boring clear blue skies. I never do! I have wild and wonderful skies. They are with me every where I go - from this morning as I stepped out my door, later in Rochelle while doing errands, and back here at the ponderosa as I worked on the land. Please see the photos above and marvel at such lovely skies!

                          "Viewing . 'Someone' will trace the pattern."


I have a dear friend I may have told you about. He and I went to Ireland together when I was fresh out of college. Here is part of his email yesterday on St. Patrick's Day which includes  the famous Irish Blessing (and his "take" on it):

Top o’ the mornin’ to yer, lassie!  I have so many fond memories of our trip to Ireland! 

May the road rise to meet you,                                  it usually did when my motorcycle stopped and fell over!

May the wind be always at your back.                      I remember rain in my face most of the trip

May the sun shine warm upon your face,                there must have been one day of sunshine while we were there

The rains fall soft upon your fields.                           Would those be the soggy fields where we pitched our leaky tent?

And until we meet again,                                             sooner rather than later! ;)

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.             Always!!


How sweet! May I explain that the "motorcycle"  was really a used moped. I had one, too, that was in just a wee bit better shape, so I constantly passed up my dear friend, as I went roaring (at 2 miles per hour, if that!)  past his struggling bike.

I have such wonderful friends! Just like you, dear Reader. And I cherish all of you!

Today, even while burning and pruning, I managed to plant two  rows of peas (the folk lore is that peas are to be planted on St. Patrick's Day), and some radishes and lettuce salad mix. The day was perfect for planting! I also spied some green coming up in the straw covering two of the garden beds. On closer look, it was garlic I planted last fall! (see photo) Spring IS here!

And best of all, the blue heron was quietly sitting on the shore near the lower garden when I planted the peas.
After planting, I went to the beach area to wash the dirt off my hands. The great blue heron gently and quickly flew up and away. Unbeknownst to me, he had been there the entire time. I wish I had a picture of him. He is so large and graceful!

Tonight the peepers are at it again. ("Peepers are the toads or frogs you hear in the watery ditches and creeks, etc.) I love their happy little chirps. I flashed my floodlight all around the lake when I went outside a few minutes ago, but couldn't see any little peepers. I can hear them in the creek, though. Another sign of spring!

So, even though snow is forecasted for Sunday, I wish you a Happy Spring, dear Reader! Happy Spring!

Saturday night
After 4 hours in the dentist's chair (you don't want to know- just suffice it to say, I have a great dentist), I picked up my elderberry wine from Alice. What a thrill to actually see the wine from the elderberries I picked and destemmed!

I stayed and talked with Alice for quite a while. We watched a beautiful video she put together from her dad's 1930's home movies! It was so refreshing to see Yorkville so small and undeveloped! And Yellowstone in the 1930's! So remote and unpeopled! I had a great time. It behooves me to do more with my mother's pictures from 'way, 'way back, to pass on to Jeff and Angela.

I have so much more to tell you, dear Reader. And of course, I shall let the photos I took do the real talking.

First and foremost, the lake is melting. There seems to be no stopping it now. Is ice fishing really over for good?
Please see the photos above. The first two were taken on March 11th, and the third one is from today, March 13th. This morning I even saw two ducks swimming around. They were totally enjoying their new found water!

The next photo is of the hand pump I bought in Exline, Iowa. Exline is a tiny former coal mining town just above the Missouri border in south central Iowa . Dave H. came over today to get it out of my car, and take it to his house to work on. He asked me if I looked to see where the pump was made. Of course, I hadn't. So we looked at the lettering on it, and would you believe it was made in my home town? Davenport, Iowa!
 
Obviously by now you know I took a little trip to one of my favorite areas in Iowa - Van Buren and Appanoose Counties. This is rural America, folks, and I love it. The soil in Centerville and Exline, Iowa (Appanoose County) is not very good for growing crops, so there are lots of pastured cattle. There are hills and a great many huge oak trees (my favorite!). Lots of what I call "real" farms. Smaller farms with year around animals, haying, pastures and ponds. Exline just happens to be the hometown of Morgan Cline. Who is he? He is president and CEO of Cline, Davis and Mann in New York City - a company well-known for pharmaceutical advertising. He has gifted many projects in Centerville and Exline. The Exline general store last year won the best general store in Iowa! That's where I found my used hand water pump.

Another favorite general store is Dutchman's store in Cantril (Van Buren County). It is owned and operated by Mennonites, and has everything from yards of calico prints, to homeschooling books, to heavy-duty boots and clothing, to homemade quilts, to a complete grocery store. It's one of the most fun places to visit.  Many days you will find Amish horse and buggies pulled up next to the line of cars in front of the block-long building. I didn't see any this time, but of course, the Amish were clop, clop, clopping down the roads! (see photos)

Milton, Iowa is another one of the seven villages of Van Buren County. It just happens to have the Milton Creamery featuring the best cheese of 2009! Prairie Breeze is the best cheese I've tasted! I'm not alone. It won two top awards for cheese. In April, 2009, Milton Creamery's Prairie Breeze won the Open Hard Class at the Wisconsin Cheesemakers national USA contest in Wisconsin. It takes a great cheese to win in Wisconsin - home of the Cheese Heads! But that's not all.  Prairie Breeze also won in Austin, Texas at the American Cheese Societies Annual Conference and Competition in August, 2009 (in the Cheddar 12-24 month class). "This is an incredible achievement by a small and new Cheesemaker..."

I forgot to tell you that I stopped in Pulaski, Iowa (a two-block town) to take photos of the name of this town in honor of Michael, my dear friend who takes me to great restaurants. Michael was born in Poland and came to the United States when he was three. He called me a few weeks ago to tell me that Chicago was honoring Revolutionary War hero, Casimir Pulaski, so I thought it was only fair that I stop and take a photo of Pulaski, Iowa!
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The house photos (and I use that term loosely) are of a house that needs some work in Van Buren County- just the kind of house I like to restore! I found an unexpected animal in the delapitated barn a fer piece from the house.  I would say the landscaping could use some clean up, wouldn't you?

Further down the quaint road of V63, is a newer beautiful log home with this lovely elk statue near the road. Thought you would like to see it, dear Reader. It is quite dramatic on top of the hill.

Last, but not least, on the way home I travel through Columbus Junction, which just happened to get flooded big time in the last Iowa flood. The Iowa and Des Moines rivers meet just above Columbus Junction and boy!  that leads to some high water. The name of this bar, "Rumors and Excuses," caught my eye. I thought you would like it, too. At least they're honest. Not to mention they "raise the bar!"

And that's it for the pictures from my trip. It was a great, but short, time. Now it's back to prune, prune, prune and yes, start my seeds! I heard it might be 60 degrees by Thursday! Let's hope so!

Enjoy the photos! I wish you had been along for the ride!

Ohwee! What a day! When the sun came out this afternoon, it really warmed up. And south winds, too! The snow is almost  gone!

Had a wonderful call from Matt at  Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, IL. That's where the 225 pounds of delicious elderberries I picked and de-stemmed last summer ended up. Yes, I (and my farm and wild harvesting) actually am responsible for the making of quite a bit of elderberry wine. They just finished  it and Matt says  - for as young as it is - the wine is really, really good! I'm so heartened to hear that! I worked hard - and loved it!

Matt will be dropping off some bottles for me as  a gift. Alice Zeman ordered a whole case for Christmas presents for dear friends who have helped her. As the wine wasn't ready for Christmas, Matt is dropping off her case and my wine at the same time. Alice is very instrumental in  making the wine, too, as she was kind enough to let me use  most of her freezer to store the elderberries as I destemmed them (before Matt picked them up). I enjoyed rushing to Alice's farm with a bags of elderberries every day or two. We'd chat for a while and then off I would go...until the next time. Alice was a dear to put up with such craziness!

So we both feel quite a part of these bottles of wine. Matt says the demand is high for elderberry wine. It's his winery's specialty. They don't ship the wine, so people have to pick them up, unless you're special as Alice and I are! According to Matt, the people have really been pouring in to pick up the wine. Amazing!

Even the bees were  enjoying the sunshine today! It's good to see them outside of their hive. I think they have spring fever, too. (see photo above). 

I left the door open to the cottage this afternoon as I worked. First time in a LOOOONG time!  I took a photo of the open door. The following photo is of  the sign that is next to the door. I thought you would appreciate it, dear  Reader! It says it all!

I enjoyed  a beautiful evening sky overhead (photo#4) and another spectacular sunset again tonight (photos 5-10). I had to share it with you. These photos are all taken from the Land, at various spots. I am realizing that  my picture taking during each day, dictates my blog entries at night.  Hope you enjoy these photos !

Well, I don't want to be a broken record, but I'm tired from all that good air and lots of hard work outside. Dear Reader, please know that I am cleaning up the Land so I can invite you out to enjoy it with me. Dear friends and family are always welcome!

Nighty-night!