Sunday Afternoon

The afternoon on Sunday turned bright, crisp and sunny.  One must savor these beautiful early Fall days before the weather turns cold and wet.

I got Polly ready to go for a ride and a walk, and we ended up at Brightwater, just a few miles down the road.  Brightwater is a sewage treatment facility built a few years ago (amid much controversy as to the final location), and it's located on a large, wooded piece of land that has been developed as a park, walking trails, and an interpretive center.  There are tours, classes, and gardening in large raised beds. Surprisingly, it's one of the prime walking trail areas around.

Polly loves to go there, and we get in a good mile or two on the nice paths.  Here's Polly sitting on a large log on the way up the trail to an elevated area where you can see for quite a distance.  On our way down, we stopped at the interpretive center and toured the dahlia gardens.

 

 

 

 

The Front Porch of Crabtree Cottage

They say that the entrance to your home tells visitors a lot about who you are and what you love.  Do you agree?  Here's my Autumn front porch.  Welcome, all!

Pumpkins!

We took the truck to the Maltby Market yesterday to pick up corn stalks and pumpkins--big pumpkins, small ones, orange ones, and white ones. I decorated the front porch, the back deck, and the pergola leading into the pasture.  Polly the Dog wasn't sure what to do with the pumpkins (this is her first Autumn with us).  I got this shot of her saying, "This doesn't look like a dog biscuit to me!".

Putting Away Summer

This was the last weekend of September, usually saved for putting away all of my summer decorations, outdoor furniture, and for dismantling my garden.  It's a bittersweet time for me--I know time and seasons move on, but I am reluctant to let summer go each year.

It was the best summer of my life this year, having quit my job in April and then having all of these months to plant a garden, savor each and every lovely day, and get control back of my life.  Retirement is a wonderful thing, and I'm so glad I went ahead and dove headfirst into The Slow Life. Permanently.

Here's the deck with its Autumn decorations--everything from dried hydrangea blooms to sugar pumpkins and seasonal pillows (oh yes, and a dog!).  It looks inviting out there, and I know I'll still have some days ahead to enjoy crisp and sunny weather, bundled up in a warm sweater and sipping a spiced apple cider. 

 

 

Apple Pickin' Time

We finally finished picking all of the apples yesterday!  What a huge crop we had this year--all of the sunshine and warm weather increased the yield of just about everything.  The Liberty apples had the largest yield of all--we filled two large wooden apple boxes.  Here's the final box, filled to the brim.

 

 

Liberty Apple Pie

Today we tested our first of the 2014 batch of Liberty apples in a Caramel Apple Pie.  Liberty apples are much drier than the Gravenstein we have been using from our earlier crop, but the pie tasted very good, and we won't change the recipe at this point. We will continue to bake Liberty apple pies and applesauce to get more information about the various flavors and spice combinations.

We also solicit feedback from people who receive a free pie from us, so that is helpful as we move forward with our permanent recipes for the holiday season.  Maltby Pie Company is ready!

Golden Raspberries

My neighbor Roberta called me the other day to let me know she has a bunch of Golden Raspberry bushes for me if I'll come by and dig them out.  Today was the day--at 9 a.m., it was pouring down rain, but I put on my old jeans, boots and hooded jacket, and drove down with the truck and a big shovel.  It only took about 10 minutes to dig out 8 nice-sized plants, and I drove them home.

Tomorrow, I am adding compost to the new raspberry patch I'm creating for these, and I'll get them in the ground.  It will be fun to have two varieties for next season.

Here's some info about this variety.

Golden Raspberries (Rubus) are a mutant version of the popular red cultivar and have all the same planting, growing, soil and sunlight requirements. There are several different varieties, including Fall Gold, Golden Harvest and Honey Queen, all producing a light yellow sweet berry. I am planting Golden Harvest berries.

 

 

Tomato Harvest

This year, I planted five different types of tomatoes, and I am finally getting some to ripen (the first frost is not that far away!).  The cherry tomatoes did very well, and have been bearing for over a month now.  The black tomatoes are slow, but are coming, and the Italian tomatoes are doing the best of them all.

Here's a picture of my assorted crop so far.  Aren't the colors great?

 

 

Scarlet Runner Beans

The Scarlet Runner Beans are now producing, and I picked my first boxful of them today.  Inside, the seeds are a beautiful scarlet/purple color.  They make a wonderful side dish at dinner, and I'll steam them until still crisp, and add butter and salt and pepper. 

Autumn Bouquet

This lovely bouquet incorporates all of the flowers that I grew this season--roses, dahlias, and sunflowers.  The colors are all fall colors, and herald the new season that is now upon us.

Apple Picking Day Today!

Well, the day dawned cool and raining in torrents, so we had Blueberry Coffee Cake for breakfast, sipped hot beverages, and waited.  Around 11 a.m., the rain stopped and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.  Boots and hat on, Farmer Don grabbed his trusty rake (for grabbing tall branches), and headed out into his orchard (he planted every one of the 8 fruit trees in our mini-orchard!).

We collected a basket of apples, and he retired to the kitchen, peeled and cored them with his cool new peeler/corer, and then I froze the apple slices for two pies we are delivering for a memorial service on Sunday.  Then, Don headed back outside, and picked as many of the remaining apples as he could reach.  Tomorrow I'll hold the ladder while he climbs up a little higher and shakes the top branches to force the apples down.

We were admiring the large wooden apple box tonight filled with the most beautiful crop of Liberty apples we have ever grown.  We're proud farmers, living the Slow Life.

 

 

Bathroom Remodel

When we moved into our home 13 years ago, the third bathroom off the family room was dull-looking and neglected.  It is a very small space, and a large fiberglass utility sink took up most of the room.

A remodel was needed now that this bathroom is right off my piano studio.  Our plumber Noel got the old sink out,  installed our lovely new vanity and sink, and hooked up the pipes.  I repaired and cleaned the floor, and painted the whole room (ceiling and walls!) with our favorite Seabrook color "Straw".  The room is truly transformed!

Here are a few shots (it's hard taking photos in a small room like this!).  I LOVE it! My Mom did the cross-stitch--it's beautiful, and will always be a family heirloom.

 

 

 

 

Picture Day for Kaila!

Yesterday was picture day for Kaila, who is now in the 4th grade!  My son Dave gets extra points for doing her hair for this annual event!

Ocean Crest Resort Sunset

Look at this beautiful shot taken from Ocean Crest Resort on the Washington coast!

Sunflowers

My sunflowers are gigantic! I am so proud of my first foray into the experience of raising them.

Roses and Scarecrows

The Sonoma Sunset roses are thriving in the cool and wet fall weather.  I love that these beauties light up the yard this late in the year--they are truly in their prime!

My little scarecrow 'family' is watching over the garden until it is dismantled for another year. 

 

 

Apples and Flowers

I was out cleaning up the yard yesterday, and I was admiring our large crop of Liberty apples this year.  We are picking all of them tomorrow, and then processing/peeling them and putting them into freezer bags for our signature apple pies (Maltby Pie Company).  They are almost too beautiful to pick!

While working in the vegetable garden, I came upon this little yellow flower brightening up the raised bed that was filled with wild clover this summer.

Fresh Dill from the Snohomish Farm

Each week in my organic box that is delivered from a farm in Snohomish, I receive a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  Last week, I received a 'bouquet' of dill, and it was tall, green, and very fragrant.  Since I had no plans to make more pickles this year, I put the dill in a vase and put it on my antique drop-front desk that belonged to my grandfather.  It looks lovely in front of my large photograph of France, and it fills the houses with the wonderfully spicy smell of this plant.  Who says bouquets need to be made of flowers?

The Artist's Way

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves."  C.G. Jung

I've had the privilege for the last 8 years of watching a lovely young woman named Alison grow up right next door. She was always a happy and creative child, very sweet and caring when it comes to others.  She graduated from high school several years ago, and has had a difficult time deciding what should come next in her life.  She spent four months after graduation in Europe, visiting missionaries and seeing that wonderful part of the world.  She finally decided this year that she is going to take a huge step of faith and enroll in Shoreline College and get an art degree.  She is a wonderful artist, and I know this is a decision that comes from her very soul.

One of the most helpful books that guided me in my journey as an artist is Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.  It's a well-known book written in 1992, and I've used it constantly as I was moving forward with my art, photography and music careers.  I ordered Alison a copy and took it to her this weekend.  We had a great conversation about the journey she is embarking on, and I'm so proud of her for taking this huge step. We'll all be there for her, cheering her on and supporting her choice of career.

Nostalgic Art

Becki Terpening is the artist who recently made my Barn Quilt for me.  She lives in Illinois, and does beautiful pencil and pen and ink drawings.  Included with my Barn Quilt last week was this lovely pen and ink drawing which I will have framed.  It definitely belongs in the category of "The Slow Life".

Retirement Lunch at the Pyramid Ale House

My two lovely co-workers and supervisors took me out to celebrate my retirement last week at the Pyramid Ale House.  It was nice to see them again, and to get caught up on what's happening at work.  They filled me in on how my replacement is doing, and told me some great stories.  We had a wonderful time!

Here's to 8 wonderful years working at this great company with these great women.  My work there allowed me to retire early and enjoy The Slow Life.

 

 

Birthday Card for Gracie

Gracie is the mascot for our neighbor's dog-boarding business, and she is a stately grand dame of the canine variety.  She was 11 years old on September 19.  This dog moved with her owners from Chicago to Maltby 7 years ago, and the dog-boarding business is called Gracie and Friends. It was only fitting that I create a special birthday card for her.

Here's a picture I took of Gracie and Henry, her "mini-me" companion.  Henry is an enthusiastic, vocal, and very active three-year-old, and he keeps Gracie young.  He can also be annoying (kind of like a kid brother!).  Anyway, these two have many great adventures together.

Here's the card I created. There was a doggie-haiku on the back!

Photos of Birthday Dinner in Kirkland

Here are photos of the bruschetta, Strawberry Spinach salad, shrimp scampi, and the spumoni ice cream.  It makes me hungry all over again just to look at these!

 

Don's 65th Birthday Celebration

Yesterday's birthday was a milestone event, and I decided that we were going to celebrate all day for this one!

The day started out with brunch at Preservation Kitchen in Bothell, an old favorite place of ours.  The brunch was wonderful--vegetable scramble and vegetable omelette, with home-made strawberry jam on the sourdough toast and red potatoes on the side.  We had a lovely table by the window, and it was a beautiful 'last day of summer' for everyone.

We had a leisurely day, and then prepared for dinner at Pizza Bank in Kirkland.  It's located in my old neighborhood (where I raised my son), and this restaurant was the site of Dave's first job as a busboy and waiter.  When he was 24 years old, he married the owner's daughter!

There is a new manager at the restaurant, so we had new menu offerings to choose from.  We started our Italian meal with bruschetta, followed by Strawberry and Spinach salad and Shrimp Scampi.  The Italian bread was thick and infused with garlic butter, and we enjoyed every bite of this wonderful meal.

We ended the meal with a small dish of spumoni ice cream.  It was a perfect day! Photos of dinner to follow in the next blog entry.

Preservation Kitchen

 

 

 

My Barn Quilt Arrived!

My barn quilt made it from Illinois to Federal Way to Maltby this last week!  I was so excited to find the large wrapped package on  my doorstep yesterday.

We got out the ladder (after finding the appropriate spot on the house to hang it), and I climbed up, inserted to large nails from the siding, and hung the heavy wooden quilt.  It's beautifully made and painted, and will grace the house and pastures for many years to come.

Thank you, Becky Terpening, for your wonderful work, and your Facebook page featuring examples of your artwork.

https://www.facebook.com/TerpCreekArt

More Dahlias

My late-summer dahlia bed is full of lovely colors and shapes!  I am so proud of these beauties!

 

 

The Morning Garden

The garden is an ever-changing entity as you observe it during different times of the day.  I love my 'early morning garden', all fresh and green from the morning dew and the cooler nights. 

Here are my beans and tomatoes--they form a lush 'alley' as you go around the north side of the shed. 

The Scarlet Runner beans are always my favorite, providing beautiful red blooms and large beans.  I think that the beans are always an afterthought after the showy display of the scarlet blossoms.

 

 

 

 

Sunflowers

Here's a shot of my sunflowers last week--they are really growing quickly at the end of the season, and they are about 8 feet tall and still growing!  I'm really proud of the fact that I planted the seeds so late (as an afterthought), and that they made it.  This was certainly my year for successfully growing flowers (roses and dahlias).