Saturday, 26 December 2015
We got out for Boxing Day into intermittent sunshine—and shadows. Looks like the locomotive world is getting going again after a down day. We saw a crew-switch at another location, but not here, although it looks like a waiting situation….
Saturday, 31 October 2015
Our big activity today: squeezing apples aka cider-making. Which is far more than that.
The neighbors have a magic hand-operated machine that chips up the apples (circular motion, like a steering wheel), collects the chips in a cylindrical barrel lined with a stout, fabric filter. Then, with another circular motion on a different plane, we cranked down the press, squeezing the juice out through the cracks in the barrel, into the tray, and out the V-cut into the pan below. (I’m not sure why this particular batch was so foamy-bubbly.)
That brings in the next phase: filter and final bottling. We have special fabric filters (old sheeting) stretched across large funnels, and anchored with clothes pins. We pour the fresh juice through, which involves some fussing to get it all through (sediment blocks the filters, sl-o-w-ing the flow), and into a glass gallon jug. We transfer from that through the funnel (without the filter) to the final vessels, plastic jugs suitable for freezing. Long winters you know.
Use the hose outdoors to clean the fabric, wring, and reset on the funnels.
I was on the pouring operation. The Guru ended up on the apple loading and cranking and squeezing part of the operations.
Since it was raining, we did this in the commodious garage. Since it was cool, we didn’t have to watch out for busy and sometimes sated yellow jackets.
We took a break about two-thirds of the way through to have home-made potato soup and pasta (separately), topped off by home-made caramel corn. Living large!
What I didn’t mention was the prep work: collecting the apples, washing them. The apple-loaders picked through them, and selected from the various containers to make the blend.
Now, through the long winter, these households will have some fresh cider as a pick-me-up. We took a quart; it may last a few hundred miles.
Thursday, 29 October 2015
During a break in the weather (more wind than rain, but none of it particularly pleasant), we went down to the beach. This dark green arc indicates a fairy ring, and the fungi’s special tenticles makes the grass darker (although some types kill the grass). I love the red of the apples and the gold and brown of the leaves superimposed on the green, both light and dark.
Panos require a lot of work by the processor, and even more so when moving water is involved. Still, this image looks both normal and spooky to me.
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
Today I caught the sun just after it crested the horizon for a different effect. Still orange-gold.
Here’s the splitter that has been, under the Guru’s control, helping us convert more of the huge pine to firewood. Thanks to the neighbors for the loan. This one is on a trailer carriage, and is very sturdy. Note the hearing protection. The 8-horse Briggs and Stratton is noisy, and the operator has to stand right over it.
Thursday, 22 October 2015
I could see the orange in the dawn sky through the leaves and went down to the lake to get a few shots. Love the graduation to deep purple-blue above, and the deep midnight-blue of the water.
Mid-afternoon, all was bright and I was surprised at how quiet the water was. Offshore breeze, and slight—it turns out. Love the riffles in the sand. Noticed a few snails(?) still moseying about in the sand; would have thought the cold would have slowed them too much for that….
Another part of my day…these controls of the wood stove (our only heat), and periodically loading the wood (fetched by The Guru). So far the temps have been moderate enough (fingers crossed) that stove-tending hasn’t been bad at all…kinda fun actually.
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Went over the top at the meat counter today, and got spectacularly tasty lamb chops (organic, halal—the latter just happened—I found it on the label when I unwrapped them). To go with the glorious fresh mint I got the other day….
Probably should be a knife to pair with the meat-photo…however, this is what I have.
Thursday, 1 October 2015
First, it’s puh-puh-PUM October!
Found this street-charging setup…don’t know how many times I’ve walked past…on the other side of the street…and not noticed it.
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Sorry to go on about the weather, but the sun hasn’t been out from maybe five? days…someone ran this excavator long enough to need on of those giant plates to keep the street open (right, out of photo). Guess today’s rain kept the crew from closing up the rawness. It is soggy out there….
Here’s the fungal side effect of all this rain we’ve been “enjoying”…and have several days more ahead of us….
Saturday, 26 September 2015
I’m not sure what these are/this is. My mind replays The Botanist’s voice saying “ornamental crabs,” by which he meant crabapples. Except I keep wondering if the ornamental varieties would have fruit? Kinda defeats the purpose of ornamentalizing?
Anyway, fancy new phone has fancy camera…qualitatively better, I think.
Only…
If today is a true sample of reality, I can’t continue to listen to the TUNE-IN app and take a photo at the same time…when the camera becomes live, the app goes mute.
Friday, 25 September 2015
I got out when it wasn’t raining, just intermittent misting. Someone hacked back this Datura over a month ago, but it has recovered and is blooming again.
This is my last daily photo with what has become, as of 4:30pm, the old phone. Yes, I’m now a 6s gal. Yes, rose gold. Pretty cool!