Moments Like These

Canning with Gramma

For years I have wanted to introduce my family to home canning, especially after watching my boys gobble down jars of home canned peaches from a local market.  

I grew up surrounded by farms and the mouth-watering fresh produce that was grown each year.  I have fond memories of the canned peaches that my mom would often put up...there's nothing like the taste of fresh peaches in the midst of a long, cold winter.

So, yesterday Gramma taught us a bit about canning.  Soon we'll be able to enjoy the sweet taste of summer long after the season has ended.

Beauty in Bloom

Of all the various wildflowers I've discovered this summer, the Turk's-cap Lily is by far my favorite.  Its flaming orange hues dotted with maroon freckles, and gracefully curved petals, give this charming perennial a spectacular bloom.

We first spotted this exceptional plant along the banks of Pine Creek and later observed it growing on the rich wooded slopes opposite the Creek.

I'm reading that this flower is a bit rare...so I am so delighted to have come across several in the wild.

Savoring the Harvest

Starting with Sheep...Ending with Shawls

Speed matters...especially when competing in a sheep-to-shawl competition.  Our Warrior Run Weavers were the first team to finish their shawl during the four-hour event.  The extra points that they received by being the first team to complete their piece nudged their overall total points upward and settled them into a second place win at the Troy Fair last week.

The team chose a beach theme, complete with beach towels, sand buckets, flip flops and a swimming pool to contain their fleece, and transformed their working space into a seaside world of fiber fun.

Warped and ready to go

Relaxing poolside

Turning up the heat

Finishing up

Final check

Run Abby, run!

The judges

The team's first shawl :-)

Well deserved second place!!!