Random Thoughts and Special Moments

Random thoughts and special moments. That’s what this blog post will be. After all, this is my journal, so a journal-entry approach seems appropriate.

Entry #1: I took this picture at the Oneto Family Farm on Highway 88. Everything about this place makes me happy -- its honor-system cash box, the handmade chalk labels/pricing, the fresh flowers and wide varieties of produce, and the owner, Scott Oneto, who I've come to know over the last year. Scott is the County Farm Advisor and is in charge of all things related to agriculture in the county, including the MFP program, and he's one of the nicest people I've met since living in Amador County. Enough said -- enjoy the photo.

Entry #2: At the end of July we attended the Amador County Fair in Plymouth. It was free for seniors on Friday (these occasional discounts are one of the few perks that come with aging). Actually, we’d planned on going Friday so that we could watch the jam judging. I know what you’re thinking…after touting my amazing jams and jellies over the past year I must have come home with a stack of blue ribbons! The answer is “no ribbons” for me, because I didn’t enter any of my jams and jellies. You’d like me to explain??? I’d like to make one thing clear, I never explain anything! (That’s the Mary Poppins approach and I use it often.) I can assure you, though, had I entered I would have been the top contender. No kidding! I sat in the front row so that I could see the products and hear the judge’s comments. At one point she quietly said to her helper, “Sometimes I just have to choose the best of the worst!”  Well, the experience boosted my confidence and I’m already planning to participate next year…not in the Amador County Fair, but one much larger like the El Dorado County Fair or maybe the California State Fair where I’ll be competing with jammers of a higher caliber and the ribbons will hold more significance. I plan to work all year further perfecting my practically perfect jams and jellies. I’m inspired and excited that I have a valid reason to keep on jamming. 

Before we left the Fair, we walked through the barn to look at the animals and reminisce. For about eight years while the girls were in junior high and high school, we practically lived at the fairgrounds during “Fair week.” Twice a day the girls had to tend to their animal entries (sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens) – feeding, cleaning their stalls and cages, washing and sheering sheep, until the grand finale, the Sunday Auction, where the girls sold their little friends to the highest bidder. There were tears the first year, since our Fair has a “kill” policy, but after that the girls adjusted to the idea that they were raising meat animals that would be humanely slaughtered and eaten. Of course, Jana became a vegetarian in high school and is to this day. Until now I’ve never considered there might be a connection between this childhood experience and her choice to forego meat. Hmm… something for us to discuss.

Entry #3: Speaking of jam making, my helper (that would be Verne) and I canned over 40 half-pint jars of plum jam this past week -- Plum Strawberry with Rosemary and Plum Strawberry with Vanilla. For the most part we buy our produce from farmers’ markets and the like. Occasionally, we have an opportunity to “pick our own” and enjoy a complete farm-to-table experience.  We have been tending Maria’s house in Ione while she and Ruben are fishing and noticed a few weeks ago that her two plum trees were heavily laden with fruit ready to be picked. We found a large bucket in her garage and picked until it was full (25+ pounds) and in a matter of two days we preserved it all – capturing a little bit of summer for Maria to enjoy this fall when she returns home. And, the 40 jars of jam are now her problem and not mine. Have I mentioned our pantry is a bit overcrowded? Actually, that word doesn’t begin to describe the sagging shelves and stacked boxes of home canned and dehydrated food we’ve put by over the last year and now an entire section is devoted to ferments. Oh my! Back to Maria…getting rid of food is really not a problem for her. She’s got a very large extended family and what isn’t given as gifts goes with her on the next fishing trip. My preserves, even the “seconds”, taste of artisan quality when you’re out to sea for two and three months at a time. That’s what I’m told, anyway. Maria always comes home with empty jars and rave reviews. It’s a win-win situation.

Entry #4: I’ve finished drinking my first quart of Kombucha and I’m still alive! After reading my blog post about “me and my SCOBY,” I’m sure a few of you figured the next post would be my obit. Nope, I’m alive and well and already brewing my next batch.  We must have perfect conditions in our basement pantry, because I’ve now got four healthy SCOBYs. There are lots of ideas for using excess SCOBYs (sharing with a friend, dehydrating and grinding into a powder to be added to food and drinks or used as a plant food), but I’m thinking I’ll chop them up and feed them to our chickens. We may end up with super-sized eggs or, at a minimum, super nutritious eggs. I took a second class this week on other fermented beverages using a ginger bug (rather than a SCOBY), including ginger beer, kvass, and carbonated lemonade. More inspiration! For your information, a ginger bug is not a “bug” at all, but the culture used to inoculate, or start, fermented beverages (other than Kombucha). Anyone can grow their own ginger bug with a mixture of water, sugar, and fresh ginger. Easy and not nearly as scary as a SCOBY.

Entry #5: We’ve spent about a month watching a pair of birds build a nest in a wreath that hangs on the front of the house. This isn’t the first time this has happened, but it’s always fun to watch. At the end of the first week I snuck a peak at three little eggs in the nest (and received a very strong scolding from Mama Bird). The next week there were three little down-covered baby birds (and another scolding). I’ve been checking on them every day and finally this past week they’d flown away and the nest was empty. They aren’t the only babies we’ve seen – there’s a mother doe and her twins along with another doe and baby that frequent our lawn and plants. They are so bold as to walk on the deck, check to see if we’re home, and then proceed to eat our plants. We’ve got several wild turkeys with youngsters and families of quail. We have a bird bath (and wildlife watering system) that brings them all quite close to the house. Verne spends hours sitting on the deck (he’ll deny this, but it’s true!) doing crosswords, reading, and smoking his pipe.  He’s so still and apparently has become so familiar to these animals (a fixture, of sorts) that they show little caution when approaching for water or to graze on our landscaping and will get within about ten feet from him. I occasionally catch him quietly watching and I quietly watch him watch them. It’s one of those special moments for both of us when we are living in the present moment. It’s a good thing!

Here's a picture of the baby Western Flycatchers.