Mirin worked for hours and days carving and planing down a piece of mulberry wood to make a bow.  He has a regular from-the-store bow that he gets out occasionally, but he really wants a wooden bow.  He’s made a whole lot over the past few years He put a lot of work and effort…

While I’ve made other ferments, this is the first time I’ve attempted dill pickles.  Usually I get too many cucumbers and just make relish by dicing and salting them with a little onion.  I am growing a kind of pickling cucumber called Parade.  Supposedly they all get ripe at once, which solves the common problem…

A lot has been happening in this garden of ours!  (I take no credit for Ethan’s wonky owl “scarecrow,” just so you know).  Man, it’s a big garden.  I can’t even photograph it.  What was I thinking?  The first casualties have begun to appear: Most of my beans and a few squash and cucumbers have…

 The blueberries and blackberries are in full swing.  It’s a good year and the bushes are loaded.  We are busy picking for eating fresh, and also for the freezer.  The chores have slowed WAY down as everyone can’t help but stop for the luscious, ripe berry near the path.  That was Clothilde eating an “Akba,”…

The spiders are appearing more and more now that the weather is warming.  I think this is a Golden Orb Weaver.  I’ve read research that was done at Archibald Biological Station in South Florida that suggests the fancy white designs in spider webs are to keep damage from birds and larger animals to a minimum….

There were some long-awaited preparations going on Sunday afternoon as we got Rose ready for her second ballet recital. We are not used to make-up!  Especially not stage make-up.  But it turned out pretty good thanks to my amazing mother-in-law, Griselda. Clothilde even “sat” through most of the show (we did everyone a favor and…

The piglets are quickly growing up.  They have abandoned their nest and roam around after Star now. They stay together in a little herd and play together or try to root like big pigs.

 Over the weekend, Ethan went out to do the chores early in the morning so we could go to the Folk Festival.  The evening time out there is beautiful because of the sunsets and fireflies, but in the early mornings are all silvery with dew. When he arrived one day he noticed something interesting in…

We are all so tired from the Folk Festival.  This year the “Florida Remembered” area that we participate in was not in the usual nice, central spot under an oak tree by the Folk Life stage.  Instead there was a guy with chainsaw carvings.  They put us WAY far away beyond the dumpsters and portapotties. …

  We’re enjoying the Florida Folk Festival again today!  Mirin is really one of the Barefoot Boys this year, working with his own ax to hew a beam.