The locust took out some of the persimmon trees nearby, too.
We’ve had a little too much excitement here lately. Saturday of last week, we had a big straight line wind blow through. The grandkids and I were taking a rest after our yard chores when I heard a huge noise outside and noticed that the power had gone out. An eighty foot tree had crashed down, of course, right on the transformer, taking out the power to the whole neighborhood, plus pulling all the lines down from the house. What a mess!
REC repairing the line. Some of the logs from the 80 ft tree, cut and ready for lumber in the future.
I quickly called the Rural Electric Coop while my son jumped in to cut up the tree. Later, after the REC arrived and began putting things back to rights, he finished cutting the tree into logs, and then using our old tractor, pushed them out of the way for future use as firewood. Limbs are still getting shaken down with each wind.
The unfortunate part is that although the REC got the rest of the neighbors back online, the line from the transformer to the house is the responsibility of the homeowner, so one needs an electrician for that. No electricity for us until the next morning. Reading by oil lamp, just like Abe Lincoln.
Damage to the house. The hidden reason the tree blew over, in addition to the straight line wind.
Of course, our local electrician was out here first thing so we got connected back to civilization quickly. Unfortunately, no internet for several more days. I’ve been having withdrawal. And a very slow cell phone connection remains. Well, so much for living the pioneer life in a 140 year old house.
Anyway, this happened when Hurricane Ike rolled through many years ago. A big wind knocked down several trees that time, and the electricity was out for nearly a week. Much less of an inconvenience this time. Be prepared for (nearly) anything with life in the country.
The three tallest locust trees. Now we’re just left with two. The one on the right is the culprit.It seems there is a hole in the sky with the missing big tree.
We have had an absolutely gorgeous sneak peek of spring out here on the farm. I can’t express how welcome this has been after a very harsh winter. Dozens (hundreds) of robins have appeared in the yard and fields already. Some have already begun to check out nesting spots.
Crocuses mysteriously appeared in the most unusual places thanks to grandchildren.
What has really been fun this week has been the early spring preview. With sunshine and warm temps, Spring has been bulldozing through the countryside. The trees are budding out and the beautiful spring greens are abundant. I really love the surprise of the bulbs that I let the grandchildren plant. Here’s a bag of crocus bulbs. Go plant them! They come up in the most unusual places. And, of course, the naturalized daffodils are nodding their golden heads everywhere.
Naturalized daffodils always make my heart sing this time of year.
Unfortunately, with the extreme warm temperatures, up to 80 this week!, the weather has become very unstable. A big front blew in late Friday and into the night. This often leads to storms and other disturbances, including straight line winds and tornados.
Watching the live weather report before dawn today. Serious weather with some tornados spotted.
My Saturday began at 4:15 a.m. when my son called me to let me know that there was a tornado warning in the area. (I can’t hear the sirens from my house and didn’t have the weather radio turned on.) I stumbled downstairs, threw on some clothes, and sorted some things for a dash to the cellar, if needed. As I began to wake up, I turned on a regional TV station which has great weather coverage. And then thought of more things that I ought to drag downstairs with me, just in case. Then I chastised myself for not having my go-bag ready. It will definitely be updated this week. I have even posted about this before.
This cute little tree frog wanted in, or at least was seeking shelter.
So wherever you are, I hope you are staying safe and taking positive steps to be safe in the disturbed spring weather.
Here are a couple of links to previous blog posts about being prepared in an emergency.
My west coast son asked me this week, Hey, Mom, have you been doing any work in your studio lately? Ha!
My studio is a summer kitchen about 30 feet from the house. In case you don’t know, summer kitchens were standard buildings for most farms in the south and Midwest a century ago. They were designed to keep the heat from the wood cookstoves out of the house during the summer, cooking and canning. Although very handy as a studio, it’s not really comfortable during the depth of winter. I’ve been known to wear a couple of pairs of socks, several layers of other clothes, a hat and fingerless gloves while working there in the winter. Turning up the heater is not really economical.
Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025. Muted sunrise on an overcast day.Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025. I love the fiery sunrise reflecting off the refrozen crusty snow.
Normally, winters around here are like long autumns. We lived in Michigan for ten years so I’m pretty used to some pretty chilly weather. But this past couple of weeks, we’ve had nine or ten inches of snow with a few inches of ice on top. Temps have dropped to zero, and the sun has only weakly thawed and refrozen the ice. We were housebound for a few days. Our drive is still a mess and not for the faint of heart, or those without four wheel drive.
Thursday, Jan 23, 2025 Another rosy sunrise.Friday, Jan 24, 2025 Misty evaporation of the snow.
But…the scenery has been beautiful. Especially the sunrises. As you can see in the photos, the morning colors are reflected off the icy snow crusts. Probably subject for future paintings but I’m pretty tired of it by now.
Wherever you live, I hope you are having a more pleasant winter than we’ve been having. Keep warm. Keep safe.
Another golden sunrise, more melted and refrozen snow.
House on the Hill. Pretty photo. Another subject for a card in the future.
Like many millions of people in the mid-section of the nation, we have been dealing with a huge snow event the past few days. Schools and businesses shut down. Pretty much anything you can think of.
We have survived many winters in this old house, dealing with power outages. One year, I did my taxes with two kids home from school, a kerosene heater and oil lamps. This was in the days before computers, of course.
First snow, after only an hour. It was coming down quickly.Snow after two hours.Snow after three hours.Snow accumulation at noon. It kept coming but I quit taking photos.
This week we’ve been dealing with nine or ten inches of snow, with crusty ice on top, three or four inches. I finally made a foray outside to chip away at the sidewalks. We haven’t been out in days with a drive a third of a mile long. But we’re usually prepared. And the power is still working which is pretty important.
9 to 10 inches of snow with 3 to 4 inches of crust. Very difficult to break through. Son came up and is grading the drive with the old Allis Chalmers. I feel as if the cavalry has arrived.
Then today, my son walked in from the end of the drive to get old Johnny (the tractor) going and to grade the drive. That makes all the difference.
Woodshed in snowA pretty snow picture. Might end up as another pen and ink card.
Pretty to look at but this is about as much snow as I want to see for awhile.
Farmhouse through the Trees, oil on canvas, 18 x 24, Kit Miracle
I recently sold an older painting which had been on my Etsy shop for awhile. The subject is of a white two-story farmhouse with a smaller white building behind it. All painted with spring trees just leafing out so plenty of nice greens. This was a plein air painting, meaning that I actually painted it outside during the spring season.
It was a delight to finally sell this painting, actually to a repeat customer. He was delighted to get it. And I was happy to be able to find it easily in my studio (which is not always the case.) What has puzzled me about this painting is that it was one of the most popular on my site, a favorite of many people. I’ve just always been surprised that it hasn’t sold before.
As an artist for many years, I have some paintings which have lingered in the studio for a good while. And then suddenly, someone sees what I actually saw when I painted the subject. That is always rewarding.
Anyway, I’m rambling here. My point is this, if you see some artwork of any kind, and you really like it, then you should buy it for yourself or someone special. A painting is not like a donut that will go stale after a while. Beauty is always in style.
After I returned from vacation last spring, I immediately jumped into the many spring tasks requiring attention. The usual trimming and weeding. Building and adding a third raised bed. I really enjoyed gardening with those last year. Planting and spring cleaning.
Pea pods waiting for my basket.Mikey the dog keeping me company on the patio at the end of the day.
I dealt with a very stubborn cardinal who kept fighting his reflection in the window. All day long for weeks, beginning at dawn and going until dusk. I drew scary faces of owls which helped for a minute. Finally, I hung some netting which covered the window reflections. Until I caught mama cardinal trying to steal the netting for her nest, I presume.
Stubborn cardinal.The netting over the windows that finally kept Mr. Red Bird from banging at the window all day.
My son announced a visit in late June. Oh, and he’d be bringing a bunch of his California friends so they could see where he grew up. Whaaaa???? He and his girlfriend planned their trip to begin in Louisville where they showed them the sights with visits to distilleries and the famous Churchill Downs. Then they planned a day out here in the country. This led to weeks of preparation on our part, catching up on all those jobs which have been put off the past couple of years. Plus planning dinner for 12 or 14 people. Yikes!
The friends and family group dinner. Italian, of course!Homemade bread for the group meal.
We all had a wonderful day. My son arranged for his friends to do things that they can’t or don’t normally do in California. Go fishing. A hike in the woods. Shooting off fireworks. And trying out some firearms. They were a wonderful group of people. So glad I got to meet them.
Afterwards, my son and his girlfriend spent the rest of the week. One day boating on the lake. Anchoring in a quiet cove for lunch and swimming, then cruising to another cove. Uncle teaching my grandson how to swim and skip rocks. Just what uncles are supposed to do. (Not the “pull my finger stunt, either.”)
Cruising on Lake Patoka. What a lovely day.
Now it’s time to pick tomatoes and peppers, make some salsa. Revisit the weeding. Welcome more visitors. Take the grandkids to library programs and classes. And actually do some painting for upcoming shows and exhibits.
Summer seems to speed up and fall is getting closer.
And, finally, on a sad note. My precious cat Leo who had been experiencing some serious health issues had to be put down last spring. I am heartbroken and can admit that I cried buckets. I’ll get another cat eventually but I’m not ready yet. Someday.
My precious Leo.
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the remainder of your summer and can get outside to enjoy nature.
About two thirds of all American households have at least one pet. We have had many and various pets over the years, often more than one at a time. Dogs, cats, a bird, chickens, fish, frogs and toads, snakes, tortoises, snails, crabs, and those are just those I can remember off hand. Some only stay awhile but some have lived here for years, like our previous cat who lived to age twenty-two. And she was an outdoor cat, too. Currently we have two pets, a lively border collie (high energy, very smart but also stubborn), and Leo the cat who has appeared in previous postings.
Leo was a gift from my son who had a litter of strays delivered in the window well of his house. I wasn’t really interested in another pet at the time, but he’s definitely grown on us. He’s an indoor/outdoor cat and has grown to be a pretty big boy from the tiny kitten we adopted. He sleeps all day in his special spot and prowls around outdoors all night. And he’s always ready to explore his food bowl but won’t touch any people food or live prey. All food must come from a box or a can. A teense spoiled but really, how much can one cat eat?
Earlier this week I noticed that he didn’t seem his usual self. He was slinking around the house, hiding under the furniture. Just acting different. Then he began yowling. So I took him to the vet and they quickly diagnosed him with a UTI, in this case, crystals forming in the bladder. That’s a little bit personal but I don’t think he’ll read this. A little minor surgery and a few days at the vet’s for some care. I picked him up yesterday with heavy rain and wind gusts heading our way. He yowled all the way home.
It’s funny how quiet and empty the house felt with one little fur boy absent. Even my husband noticed the difference. Those of you who have pets know what a hole they leave when they’re not around.
Anyway, everything seems to be on the mend. Although Leo definitely does not like the new food that was prescribed. He’s been outside a few times but with the artic air rolling in, seems content to sleep in the warm cellar (or on my lap).
So that’s what is happening on the home front here in the deep freeze. Hug your pets for me. We all could use a little TLC now and again.
Leo taking center stage in the middle of the living room.
Making cookies seems to be a holiday tradition for most households this time of year. We’re no exception. My husband channels his Italian roots and tackles making a variety of biscotti based on his mother’s hand-written recipe. Although she focused on the traditional anise seed and toasted almond cookies, he has expanded the variety that comes out of our kitchen enormously. This includes a variety of nuts, flavors, and dried fruit. Coffee and chocolate, anyone? Yumm.
In past years, he would begin making biscotti weeks in advance. They’re such a dry cookie that they seem to keep forever, that is, if we don’t eat them. However, we’ve had to cut back our production, primarily due to the increase in cost of ingredients, and especially the higher cost of shipping to our friends and relatives. So we thought that we’d share the recipe, a little updated, but anyone can follow this. Just allow some time.
We use all real butter and eggs, real nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, anise seed and vanilla. The recipe shown here is toasted almonds and Craisins, with white almond bark icing.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the following
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
Add 2 tbsp anise seed
2 tbsp anise flavoring but my husband uses vanilla instead
Set aside for a moment. In a smaller bowl, mix the dry ingredients together, sift
6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
6 tsp baking powder (that would be 2 tablespoons)
Have 1 cup almonds toasted and broken up or whatever other nuts you intend to use, ready to add.
About 1 cup of dried fruit (Craisins, dried cherries), or mini chocolate chips, etc. Maybe some orange or lemon zest, finely ground coffee, etc. Just don’t add so much that the dough becomes too moist or heavy. You want a dry dough.
Then begin to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, about a third at a time. His favorite tool is the plastic bowl scraper. You can add the nuts and fruit about half way. Keep adding all the dry ingredients. It will be a pretty stiff dough but don’t add any more liquid.
Divide the dough into four sections then place on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Shape into rolls and flatten. (See photo.) They’ll end up about 10 inches long and 4 or 5 inches wide. They will raise in the oven.
Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, reverse pans and cook until lightly brown. They’ll be a little bit soft but not much. After they cool on the pans until you can handle them, slice about ¾ inch wide in diagonals (see photo). Then bake for another 20 minutes to toast or until done.
Bring them out and let them cool on the pan.
When they are cool, then prepare the icing. I like white or chocolate almond bark, melted and drizzled over the cookies. Sometimes both. Sometimes dipped one end in chocolate. Sometimes make a powder sugar/lemon juice icing.
You will need four squares of white almond bark in a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Melt in the microwave about 1 minute and 20 seconds on medium. Pull out, start breaking up the lumps with a fork and stirring around. The heat from the cup melts the icing. Put back in the microwave about another minute. Then pull out and stir rapidly to continue melting the almond bark.
Here you have to be very quick to drizzle the icing over the cookies from the tines of the fork. You can add a contrasting layer of icing (say dark chocolate) in a different direction. DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID TO THE MELTED ALMOND BARK. It will create a mess. DO NOT OVERCOOK THE ALMOND BARK. It will burn.
When the cookies have totally cooled, store them in a lidded container. They should last for a long time but we don’t really know. They’re usually all gone before they have a chance to get stale.
Some of my favorite combinations of flavors are:
Traditional, anise seed and toasted almond
Craisins and almonds
Dried cherries and walnuts
Mini chocolate chips and coffee (grounds, tbsp)
Lemon and toasted almond
Chocolate chips and orange rind
Use your imagination. Please send photos if you decide to make this recipe. Santa will be very happy.
The original hand-written recipe
PS, my husband says that if they don’t turn out exactly right, get back with us and he’ll try to help you fix it.
Posted onDecember 3, 2023|Comments Off on Pen and ink, sketches and drawings
This week I’ve been fooling around with some pen and ink artwork. If it’s a sketch, then it’s looser. If it’s a drawing, then it’s more formal. That is not an official designation, just my own idea.
Birdseye Branch Library, pen and ink, Kit Miracle This one is plain but I actually colored in the Christmas wreath with a touch of red and green on the samples that I printed for the library.
So about a week ago, I thought I’d do a drawing of the library for the library. This is the little Birdseye Library which was featured in a post a few months back. I thought a pen and ink drawing which they could reproduce and sell as note cards would help them raise some funds. Most people can afford a package of cards for $15 without too much of a stretch. As with a previous painting I did of the library, I gave them the reproduction rights. They would handle all the printing, selling, etc. They can put the image on T-shirts, bags, cards, whatever. I hope it helps.
I’ve enjoyed creating pen and ink sketches for about 40 years. I find them very relaxing and will often just doodle while watching TV or sitting outside. Some of the images of buildings and structures are more formal, but most of the landscapes are pretty loose.
The old bank building and other stores, Birdseye, Indiana, pen and ink. Kit MiracleInman Episcopal Church, first church in Birdseye, Indiana, Pen and ink drawing, Kit Miracle
This week I did five sketches. In addition to the little library, I did a drawing of the first church in Birdseye and an old bank building in the small downtown area. The little church was from a very old photo that someone supplied me. But the downtown buildings were from some of my own photos. I have boxes of old pictures. Many have turned out to be good recordings of places and buildings which no longer exist.
The Crabapple tree. Pen and ink, watercolor. Kit MiracleA Quiet Place to Rest, pen and ink, watercolor, Kit Miracle
Finally, I sketched a couple of trees. An old crabapple which the grandson loves to climb. And a dogwood by the herb bed which shelters a bench, perfect for taking a break from yardwork. I have added a couple of touches of color in the form a cardinal pair. This is done after the image has been printed on heavy card stock in black and white. I’m turning this one into our Christmas card this year. So it’s part print and part original.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that jazz. Take a moment to enjoy some nature and get a breath of fresh air.
This is the time of year when people gather together in homey places. Basements, dens, shops, barns. Places with warm stoves and fireplaces, indoors or outdoors, as weather permits. Shared food and snacks, tall tales, laughter and fun.
Typical buck in velvet captured on the deer cam a few years ago.
I’m not talking about Thanksgiving. I’m talking about the opening of deer season which was yesterday in Indiana. This is with firearms. Bow season has been open for a awhile already.
Oh, those poor Bambis!, you say. I probably thought that over 35 years ago when I lived in the city. Now that I’ve lived in the county for most of my life, I have an entirely different perspective. Long gone are the days when my Uncle Elmer Ray would go hunting in the UP in Michigan, bring back the deer he bagged, then drive around with the poor victim strapped across the hood of his car. It always tasted a little wonky to me. Wonder why?
Not only did I feel sorry for the poor deer, when I moved to my90acres, I didn’t worry about the deer roaming around the property. Hummmm…. After they’ve eaten rows of green beans, new pea sprouts, or my flowers, I’ve got a different viewpoint. They don’t have much respect for what is my territory and what is their space.
But what really changed my opinion over the years have been the ELEVEN deer / car run accidents my family has had over the years. Plenty of expense and at least one car totaled. No injuries, fortunately.
The white tail deer population was mostly wiped out in Indiana by the early 1900s. It was reintroduced in the 1940s. Now, there are an estimated 680,000 deer here. Unfortuntely, having large wild animals roaming freely means that Indiana also saw more than 14,000 deer / vehicle accidents last year. That translates to 1.5 M across the US. This translates further to 1 B damages and around 200 fatalities.
Look carefully at the bottom of the photo to spot numerous deer tracks in the mud.
I’m not going to discuss the pros and cons of hunting season, but here are some things to keep in mind from becoming a statistic if you have to travel through rural areas. And by the way, the deer population is pretty strong in urban areas, too. This information is not scientific so draw your own conclusions. But I used to drive to work on country roads for a minimum of 250 miles per week for many years. These are some of my conclusions.
If you see dead deer along a certain stretch of the road consistently, consider that an unofficial deer crossing. They will often use the same paths over many years. Be aware. I saw one trying to cross the road in such a place just this past Friday evening. I was driving rather slowly (50 mph, probably to the annoyance of the car behind me) when a young buck appeared on the side of the road. I laid on the horn and the brakes; fortunately he turned around and went back but he looked as if he was going to run out in front of me.
They like to move at dawn and dusk but don’t let your guard down. I’ve seen them roaming at all times of day and night.
I’ve noticed that where a tip of woods touches the road with another tip on the other side, you’ll often see deer crossing. They’re using the cover of the trees.
Same goes for drainage ditches. They’ll take cover running along in the ditch, then pop up where the road crosses. Surprise!
They often run in groups. I’ve braked for a deer running across the road, then drove on, only to see in my reaview mirror the car behind me hit another animal in the herd.
Those are just a few hints to help you avoid becoming a statistic. Just use caution this time of year. Avoid feeding times, use your high beams, if possible. Slow down a bit. It just might save you a lot of aggravation down the road.
Just a note. The hunters around here are not just seeking trophies (although there is some bragging for that nine-pointer), but they actually use the meat for the table. Many hunters even share with local food banks and other organizations of need.
Afternoon visitors. They’re eating fallen fruit from the orchard.
I'm a professional artist, retired director of a performing arts center, bona fide book addict, and enjoy the quiet life...most of the time. I'd love to hear from you or get your ideas for future posts. Come back soon!
I'm a professional artist, retired director of a performing arts center, bona fide book addict, and enjoy the quiet life...most of the time. I'd love to hear from you or get your ideas for future posts. Come back soon!
my90acres 