Hunting... or Finding?

It was kind of funny, two different family members called yesterday for advice on hunting for morel mushrooms and a cousin was talking about it on Facebook. I think it's probably prime time in Ohio, but in this part of Kentucky I believe the time has passed for morels. Perhaps I've made it sound easier than it is, as the timing is of great importance (they only last for a few days before shriveling up or being eaten by wild animals) and just being in the right place to find them is critical- there is definitely a lot of luck involved!

We have found morels on only a fraction of our farm's wooded areas, and there doesn't seem to be a common denominator with the the two areas they've been discovered, other than that there is plenty of shade. If you read what the experts say, you'll see a diversity of opinions about what kinds of trees to look under, etc.

A grey morel, the best tasting (we only find a few of these here)

The morels we found this year were in about the 2nd week of April, which is almost always when we have found them. It has been an exceptionally wet spring, as it was during the banner year for morels that we had two years ago (last year we didn't find ANY).

So, my best advice is to take your time and enjoy the woods. There is something very relaxing about getting out into nature, especially in the springtime when so much new life is happening before your eyes.

Your eyes will become trained to spot the shape of a morel, but don't dismiss everything else you see on the forest floor (can you spot the two small morels in the picture above?).

There is so much beauty in the shapes, textures, and colors you'll see.

Even the lichens are beautiful if you take the time to look.

The "morel" of the story? If you're REALLY lucky, you'll fill the sink with these (small morels from this year's harvest). If not, well you'll have been lucky anyway... just to get out and enjoy nature. My next foraging experience? We're going to forage nettles this week, stay tuned!

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Fallingwater and Giveaway Results!

I've wanted to learn more about American architect Frank Lloyd Wright's designs for a while, but especially since reading Loving Frank, a novel about his flamboyant personal life and love affair(s) that our book club all enjoyed. My good college friend Jean from Pittsburgh had talked about Fallingwater, one of Wright's most famous houses and I'd read about it as well. We were on our way to meet the family for a long weekend ski vacation when I spotted the sign and suggested that we take a side trip. I was so glad that we did!

We were fortunate to be able to get in on a tour, and waited our turn in the welcome area which was an extension of Wright's visions of organic design with clean lines and openness to nature. The gift shop was tasteful as well, and I acquired two pieces of birch bark there for future craft projects yet unknown. The lush surroundings, well-preserved by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, were beautiful in the snow.

It was a short walk through the woods back to the house which is built literally on top of a waterfall which was magnificent in it's partially-frozen state. The hillside was covered with ice formations as well.

Photography is not allowed inside, but I did buy a great little book to help me remember the wonderful feel of Fallingwater, and the artistic vision that Wright constructed in this beautiful spot. You can take a really nice virtual tour here, and included is the Wright-designed furniture as well as the phenomenal collection of paintings and sculpture in the home, which has been a museum since the 60's when it was donated to the public by the original owners, the Kauffman family.

Several scenes will be forever etched in my mind from 2010, and many are shared here with you on this site. The highlights include horseback expeditions with friends, our family's RV voyage to Utah, and this view of Fallingwater.

To thank you all for sharing it with me, I posted a giveaway in this post and now it's time to announce the winner of a pair of alpaca socks and 2 skeins of alpaca yarn. The winners are Andy and Deb from Ontario, Canada, who said, "I would have to say....SIMPLIFY. It covers so much of life....simplify my schedule to enjoy more time with my family, simplify my lifestyle so there is less stress.....etc. Here's to 2011...may it be all you want it to be! The giveaway sounds amazing!"

Please send me an email at alpacalindy@gmail.com with your address, Andy and Deb, and I'll get the prize right out to you! I hope that all of your wishes, words and resolutions come true for 2011!

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Ice...sometimes nice!

... well, not to some that I know (one friend still can't get out her steep farm lane!) but I hope that lots of other people were able to appreciate the beauty of this recent winter storm. The weather people have been uncharacteristically accurate lately,and we got exactly what was predicted! (Fortunately on the lower end of the snow part).The studio view was pretty dark and undramatic the day after the ice arrived, and it wasn't until today when the sun came out that the lingering ice "turned to diamonds" as one friend observed. A quick trip around the farm gave me the chance to catch these photos. (Be sure to double-click on them to enlarge).

Some of them reminded me of Horton Hears a Who, or the dream world of my artist-friend Marti who recently wrote and illustrated an awesome book entitled HapiLani- The Natural History of a Dream Land. I hope you are able to find time during this hectic season to see the beauty in the small things around you (even if the ice is a real pain in the X)&$!*!)

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A Quick Winter Walk

We're not cold, just FEED US, FEED US, FEED US (Pepe and Shelby, Mirian's lambs)

Well, if it's going to be winter (technically it's not yet, but don't tell that to Mother Nature, geez it was 7 degrees F this morning, seems to have been one of the coldest spots in the Eastern US!), then there might as well be snow. I'll take the cold and a bit of sparkly-clean snow over mud and rain at 38 degrees!
The animals always seem to look so good under these conditions, love this little snow-boy's cute face!And my sweet and nosy Cherry Bomb, hungry and curious all the time!I figured the chickens would be happy and snug in their little coop with a heat light inside. They have finally started laying again (blue and green eggs from the aracaunas, no less, which I love!)
Unfortunately, we didn't find these eggs in time and they were frozen solid! Oh well, some woodland creature will no doubt enjoy them as they thaw.There's still plenty around for the wildlife to eat, such as hedgeapples which are relished by the deer and squirrels.Evidence of a flock of turkeys out looking for acorns. There are several groups around on the farm now, and we've seen as many as 50 at a time! Pin It Now!

Fairy Frost

I shot these pictures on November 7th when we had our first real frost (which was followed by multiple days in the 70's, and now we're facing snow and temps in the teens, all within a month!). That's Kentucky for you!
Anyway, the white you see at the base of these stalky weeds is ice crystals. I can't formally name this phenomenon, but I've been happy to observe it for many years when we have the first cold of the season. I think that the moisture in these stalks is forced out by the contraction of freezing, and it forms into thin crystals along the stalk.
I like to think of them as pendants put up by fairies to celebrate the coming of winter! Pin It Now!

Wordless Wednesday

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After the Storms

View from the studio window

We ended up having around 10 inches of rain here over two days of Derby weekend, and with it came the flash flooding over our local roads, water running through our older barns, and general soppiness that comes with it.And now, under the most pristine of blue skies, the Kentucky River is still rising as all of the little creeks and ponds overflow into it, and is expected to crest at noon today at around 41 feet. We are on the same pool as Frankfort, and the people there and in the small communities on either side of us are dealing with the miserable reality of having a muddy river invade their homes. Our hearts go out to them, as well as people we know in the Nashville, TN area that are dealing with even worse devastation.

We have experienced this here before, and knew to keep an eye on the small bridge approaching our home as it has been underwater from the river backing up during previous floods. Mirian was home sick yesterday, and we went down hourly to watch the water rise by our bridge, finding it really intriguing but also being aware of it's perils. Paul and I parked our vehicles on the opposite side, and brought over our ATV for crossing the small creek further upstream to get across. Here's what it looked like just before the water got to the top of the bridge:
And here's what it looks like this morning. (These were taken from opposite sides- note the tree standing alone is the same one in both photos).The pastures in front of our house are about half-covered in water from the river, with the water nearly to the top of the farthest gate opposite our house, as has happened once before. The llama that was alone in the paddock on the right was beside himself watching the murky water, and we let him join his alpaca friends in the larger field with more high ground.We aren't complaining, for us it's the most minor of inconvenience and our prayers go out for those who have had their homes flooded. And to think that a month ago we were experiencing half of our normal rainfall and were in a significant drought! Pin It Now!

Antler Memories

Mother Nature has gifted me twice in two days with one of my favorite of her creations... shed deer antlers. We have zillions of white-tailed deer on our farm, and February is the time that the bucks annually shed them. (Here's a doe that I photographed from the car window after one of our recent snows).

Yesterday, I found one while feeding, at the spot where one of our guardian dogs always lies. Today, I just happened to see a very lovely one laying in the grass near our driveway. Paul and I have a nice collection on our mantle, and hope to make something really neat with them someday.
My brother Andy was here two years ago, and we went for a long hike with the hope of finding "sheds." He had given me a gorgeous antler one time many years ago for my birthday- he found it in Colorado while hiking on a high plateau. On this walk, we came upon one of the most spectacular ones I'd ever seen, right in the middle of the trail and in perfect condition. I mentioned that I'd heard that sometimes a buck will lose both antlers at nearly the same time, so we should look for the other. Sure enough, just a stone's throw away was the other half of the pair. Andy kept one and I have the other- we took some silly photos with them!

My final antler memory goes way back to my sophomore year in college. I was extremely infatuated with a guy named Dave and was thrilled when he invited me to go jogging with him. We had what was to me an enchanting run, stopping at a pine forest on the outskirts of campus along the way. Later we crossed a field and came upon an antler. He saw it first and kept it, though I secretly coveted that antler since I was a city girl and had never even touched one. We went on a few magical dates after that, and on Valentine's Day there was a card and small package at my door- it was the antler! Our relationship never really went much past my own crush, but I do still have that antler.

I adore antler buttons, and am knitting a sweater vest right now for which I plan to use some that I brought back from Alaska. There is no doubt in my mind that Mother Nature always shares with us the best gifts, with examples such as today's beautiful weather and the lovely antlers!

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