Fall Colors



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Sept. 30, 2010



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Sept 28, 2010
Check back here is a few days, to see how Autumn is progressing.  So far the maples are just starting to turn and a few leaves are dropping here and there with very pleasant weather.

Farm Share

Pretty good Haul!  Some time in the late Winter we signed up for a Farm Share--we paid about 400 dollars and then for 16 weeks we receive organically grown local vegetables during the Summer and Fall.   It has been fun trying new things and learning new recipes.  Thumbs up for the fresh basil---makes great pesto, the oven roasted corn on the cob was great, summer squash soup dee-lish, beets were ok.  The fresh parsley looked nice, but I don't really know what to do with it. Sam found out that he loves zucchini cooked into bread.   We loved the fresh peas, while the mustard greens gets a big thumbs down.   We tried out patty pans, a little squatty squash much tasting like a summer squash.   Thanks to the farm share supplementing our own garden,  we have been able to can lots of salsa and now 20 quarts of Summer Squash Soup.  We were lucky to have such a sunny warm summer--the plants just grew and grew.  Maybe sometime, when we have more time on our hands, we can sign up for the work share, and actually go and work at the farm and learn all the deep dark secrets of growing good veggies!

Still Hot and Spicey After 16 Years!!



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Salsa, it has become a tradition in our family---the condiment, not the dance.  Thanks to Heather, who introduced us to this delectable dish many years ago.  The tomatoes have come from various and sundry gardens--not all our own.  In Provo 1994, a friendly neighbor let us glean from their small backyard farm--how appropriate for a newly-wed couple working at Pro Steel and finishing a teaching degree.  Then in Attleboro, we got Hans' family hooked on the stuff, while we made salsa from Grandpa Peterson's garden.  In Worcester, now law student and underpaid art teacher, we managed to  support our jalapeno habit. 

So, now in Holden Maine, we broke ground in our very first garden of our own.  We have had years of  plenty, and years of little sun, too much rain or tomato blight.  Summer of 2010 has been ideal for gardens, evident by the gallons of tomatoes rolling into our yard.  This year we have canned 5 batches of salsa so far yielding 30 quarts.  Supplemented by the farm share, we should be "All Set" until next Summer.

Mom:  Soren we have lots of  onions to cut up for the salsa.
Soren:  I can help, I can cut up onions!
Mom:  Are you sure?  Onions can be really stinky, you know.
Soren:  Onions are stinky, just like Pirates.
Mom:  Pirates are stinky ?
Soren:  They don't take baths.

Just Keep Swimmin'

Soren does everything about the same way he gets into the pool.  One day his swim teacher was standing a little too close when Soren jumped.  For the remainder of class, the poor guy had two perfect RED hand prints on his chest.  Let's just say that he learned something from that experience, because, Eric is now much more cautious when asking Soren to jump. 

Our Branch Lake Beach

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17 Miles or 25 minutes from our house is Branch Lake.  We must have come here 10 times this Summer to get away from the heat.  Banana Rock, the Dock, the fish and the frogs always seemed glad to see us.   Flips off the dock, diving to the bottom to bring up heavy rocks, goggle-searching for sunken treasures, or just lying on a towel in the sun--it's all good.

Summer Reading-2010

We love our public library.  Thanks to generous donations from the author of It, our library is awesome!  During the Summer is a great time to catch up on reading and take full advantage of what the library has to offer.  Sam, Levi and Soren signed up, and got free ice cream, bowling and skating passes, a swim party and free books.  Levi actually outdid himself by reading 100 books.  What great timing for that, as he is very ready for first grade.  His reading as improved in every way.  He is now reading Magic Tree House books at the beginning of First Grade.  Soren won a drawing and got a 45 dollar Ski-Doo life jacket.  Caroline won 25 dollars for having her book review being drawn out of a hat.  I was proud of Natalie, who entered the photography contest.  As I was looking through the pics she took at the lake, the one she picked to enter jumped out at me.  She chose the Black and White version, which has some great qualities:  the various shades of blacks and greys, the detailed silhouettes of the leaves, the obvious but pleasing focal point, the restful horizon line.  Good Job Natalie!  And no, she didn't win the digital camera, but she did take a great photo!

Don't Try This At Home

"Roughing it" at Sebego Lake was virtually a camping utopia. No mosquitoes, perfect weather, georgeous campsite (All the paths were raked free of leaves and footprints), reletive privacy, our own sandy beach with warm water. We met Grandma and Grandpa Peterson, Barb, Larry and gang and Jake and Tatiana. There was good food and with the bikes and cousins, plenty to do. Uncle Jake was even courteous to provide some entertainment by tipping the kayak (several times). What more could you want? Sam provided a little excitement of his own. Let's just say bike, 9 year old boy, plus a BIG boulder-- that if you look at it a certain way really does resemble a stunt ramp. The kids say that Sam completed an arial front flip?! All we know is what he landed on--notice the slight chip out of his front tooth...thank goodness for helmets! Other than the midnight games of Marco Polo from neighboring campers, and the overused first-aid kit, it was a fabulous trip!

Caroline turns 11!

For Caroline's 11 Birthday, Laura, Kat, and the Bullochs came to dinner (BBQ chicken, pasta salad and corn on the cob).

This bird you see before your eyes was not always a pinata. It was once a paper mache globe made by Sam. Caroline rescued the Earth from the garbage and added her own creativity to come up with a little guy almost too cute to destroy.

Levi giving it his best shot

Our First Offical Teenager!

Look at this beautiful girl...er... young lady! We love our Natalie Wots and Wots and Wots!!

For her 13th birthday, we enjoyed a chocolate (made from scratch) hummingbird cake. A Ruby Throated Hummingbird to be excact.

Oh, yes and the flower is modeled after the morning glories that Natalie grew in the garden this Summer. She planted them at the base of some sunflowers and they grew right up the stalks.
For the girl's birthday this year, Dad made a way-cool double desk for them. Basically it is a frankinsteinish combinaton of a bookcase and a table. Dad put cork on the backs of alternating shelves, so each girl would have a bullitin board right above her desk.

Is tree climbing an Olympic Sport?

It makes a mother nervous to see her babies entirely too high for their own good.

White pines are not the prettiest trees around, but they are sure good for climbing. Biggest hazard: sap. Sam is sitting in an old tree house made by Aiden Worth circa 2006.

Fourth of July-2010

A couple of Natives showed up to help us celebrate. These fierce Penobscot warriors pose with traditional weaponry. "Sticks" is a favorite game among these tribesmen, much to the dismay of the "old ones", who still cling to the belief that the fun ends once someone gets poked in the eye??!!