Yesterday evening found this PFO (Primary Farm Operator), and FH (Father Harry) grandparents again!  Hooray!  Becoming a grandparent is far easier than becoming a new mommy.  The new family is close enough where help is a text message away, which is very exciting.

This makes grand-baby #6 for this Virginia family.  It is wonderful.  A brand new baby has all the hope of the future warmly wrapped in a snuggly blanket.  New grand-babies have a way of turning time backwards for this PFO.  To once again wander in those days when those bundles of future hope had Father Harry calling with the news of a new Bricker.  Of the many notions in this at-times-perplexing life, ‘time’ is the most perplexing of all.  Being out among the fields and mountains, or gazing at the sky one would hardly know that 25 years have marched by.  Yet, one look in the mirror will betray what the fields and mountains say!

Being twins assured the notion that rarely would much be done alone in this life.  Births of most all the children were attended in one form or fashion by one another.  Either one was having the baby while the other helped or visa versa. Being a mirror twin is rather like having one’s shadow with them all the time in living color!!

Being a mirror twin assured that little in life would be done alone.

“You mean there are TWO of you!”, a woman once remarked to my twinster.

So, when the shadow that was always following moved out west with her husband and family, twenty-five years ago, it rather felt as if the sun had stopped shining.   Solo—hmmm, new concept.   Those early years passed quickly with busy houses full of children.  Yet, as the place empties and the little footsteps are replaced with silence, being solo hits hard sometimes.  So now visits come more often.  Father Harry has always known he got a two-fer when he walked that aisle light years ago.  He has been a good sport about it too (as have all the husbands!).  Two of the same in one house can be a bit much.

More visits are required now that children are grown.  Father Harry is a great sport about it.

The last visit just recently ended and thus has this PFO a little gloomy.  What old age will look like for these set of twins that live so far apart can stir up some angst.  Until then the horses will continue to carry them into the woods where time stands still, and hope indeed springs eternal.

Until then the horses will carry them into the woods…

“Time well spent”, familiar words from long ago.  Having an air of a gate-keeper, these words question the value of where and how one spends this limited commodity called ‘time’.  Recently they returned to this PFO (Primary Farm Operator) as apples of gold in settings of silver.  Which, of course, requires an explanation.

The riding school here at Blue Rock Horses is solid and basic.  Students learn about horses from the ground up.  Everything learned on the ground transfers to the back of horse.  Here students are the groom, mucker (i.e. they clean horse poo), hayman, keeper of their own tack, groom their own horse, pick horses hooves and tack them themselves.  Oh yes, they must fetch their horse from the paddock as well.  Then they are ready to ride.

They are ready to ride after they have done all the ground work.

Competing in horse shows is not a focus of this school.  But what horse and rider does not love an audience?  Knowing this, Blue Rock Horses has developed a unique way to do just that–-Blue Rock Horses & Farm Riding Recital!

Students showcase their individual skills as well as drill skills.

Held annually, each student has the opportunity to showcase their horsemanship skills to recital attendees.  Every student and horse has strengths at different levels, and our recital gives them the opportunity to exhibit their growth over the year.  It also is a wonderful way for parents to see how their hard earned money is working for the student.

Every student and horse has unique skills.

Afterwards, students give pony rides to interested guests, answer questions, and enjoy goodies!

October is recital month, and plans are underway for next year!  There is work to be done, and fun to be had!

Students gave pony rides to guests, including grandma!

As guests were departing, one real cool grandma remarked with an earnest smile,”  Thank YOU!  It was time well spent!”

Yes, apples of gold in settings of silver.  Thank you, Nancy, for that lovely comment!

Thank you, Nancy, for the lovely compliment,”  It was time well spent!”

Homemade is best

Know the farmer.  Know the farm.

This is a fine question for those that ever think of the source of their food consumed.  Exactly what does it mean? Well, first off, it does not mean the cheapest.  The cheapest is—well, just that, cheap.  It’s akin to wanting a Nerf gun with all the coolness of Nerf and going to a dollar store to get one—-kindly excuse this PFO’s country expression—“Ain’t goin’ to happen.”

Dresses are a thing, a real BIG thing for this PFO.  Yet though the event is not about the dress, it surely makes an impact.  Just take a quick gander at all the lovely wedding facebook/instagram pages out in cyber-space.  Yes!  The dress does help!  What guy ever wants to marry a gal in sloppy, sack-of-a-dress dress?  So what’s the point?  This,  the things we choose do make a difference in our lives.  Food is no different, no different at all.

Just as a stone dropped in water affects the water to the very edge, so too do our decisions about food.

We ‘vote’, so to speak, with with our money.  And just as a stone is dropped into the water and gently ripples out to the very edge of the stream, so too our money affects our food and how it is produced.  We tell the world what is important to us through our dollars, and how we spend them.  If we are willing to spend good money on a good dress, should we also not be willing to spend good money on good, real food?  For our good food choices will add far more to the length and quality of our lives over any chosen dress (this PFO is fainting slightly at this thought!).

Here at Blue Rock Horses & Farm, our mantra is:  Know the Farmer, Know the Farm.  You are invited to come visit us at any time (except between 6 p.m.-5 a.m. as we go to bed with the chuckles!). We would sure enjoy showing you how we do things out here on this little farm.  This little farm, full of good and carefully cared for animals/food, that has been entrusted to us.  We, this PFO and FH, take this very seriously.

Know the farmer.  Know the farm. 

The morning broke with clouds and rain.  The outing was to be cancelled.  That at least was the plan.  But the best laid plans of mice and men…

So at 7:30 a.m. that very morning word came, the elderly folks were indeed making their trip to visit the farm and would arrive at 10:30.  This place was not the place to be for those well-organized minded folks.  Instantly, the farm turned into a ‘just-been-hit’ beehive!  A place needed to be cleared in the garage for the visitors.  Do not miss that point–-in the garage!   Say it ain’t so!   This room has the strictest of orders to not be open to visitors, and now it must receive guests?   To say orders were flying like a mad Army sergeant is polite speak.  How does one turn ‘messy, dirty’ into ‘marvelous, and delightful’ in less than 3 hours, get 6 bedraggled horses looking beautiful, gather up chickens that do not like rain, and keep wet dogs away from dry visitors?

The visitors were indeed coming in spite of the rain!  In the garage of all places!!

Whoopie is eager to greet our guests.

Teamwork!  That is what gets it done.  Everyone knew their job that had to be done to make it lovely for our special guests, and they did it and then some. So special thanks go out to Helen Bricker, the Activities Co-ordinator at Westminster-Canterbury, who planned the outing,  Josh Dudley, her able-bodied boyfriend, and Sarah Stanley, our capable horse-handler and riding student here at the farm.  A hearty, hearty Thank YOU!!

Sarah, and Helen showing the Bigs to our special guests.

The chuckles made everyone happy by their appearance!

A hearty, hearty Thank You to all those that worked fast and hard to get this put together with last minute plan changes!

Homemade is Best

Know the farmer, know the farm.

Three years ago next month we drove away for the last time.  We knew it was coming, and had been preparing for it over two years.  That made it none the easier.  We were packing up and leaving our mothers’ beloved home, Tag-Along Farm in Alleghany County, Virginia.  It had been sold, and the time had come for our final adieu.  We two sets of twins had buried our mother, emptied the house, divided up those treasures we wanted and hoped would remind us of the twenty-five plus years we have so loved this land and farm our mother was devoted to.

The persimmons are ripe!

The four miniature horses, left from Mom’s many years of breeding, showing and selling miniatures,  came to live with this PFO.  They have been happily living here on the new farm for over two years.  Instagram, texting and emails are a fun and easy way to keep everyone up-to-date on the Littles and what they are doing.  They are busy entertaining folks who visit out here at Blue Rock Horses & Farm.  They love company, attention, and especially treats.  They all are seniors, BR being the oldest.  He is 30 years old.  They were all foaled on our mother’s farm.  The pressure is on, for this PFO has three sets of eyes lovingly interested in their welfare!  It is an easy, privileged job.

BR is the oldest.  He is 30 years old.

And now the persimmons are ripe and dropping off the trees.

Clearing fence rows has been a big, ongoing job our Farm Manager, who has deftly handled this mess for the past several months.  He is big, and taking on big jobs is extra-fun for him.  This is good, because these fence rows have not seen a trimming in many years.  The best part—he has cleared out the persimmon trees!  If the Littles could speak, they would be cheering!

It took no time for Raggedy to ask for his treat!

Snowbell knew exactly what was in store for her.

They ate them so fast, a photo could not catch it!

Yum, yum, Gone!  Clarette says.

So as the sweet treats are joyfully consumed by the chunky, happy minis, this PFO drifts back to a sweet time in younger days.   Days on a beloved farm laughing and sharing life with our mother and one another.   Sweet, sweet persimmons…

“Wrap it like a baby.  This is the most important part of yogurt making,”  the cooking instructor told the class, “and put it someplace warm.”  That was over twenty years ago at a cooking class taken from a local restaurant.

Making homemade yogurt from fresh milk is satisfying, yet specific.  Every time this PFO makes a batch, the kitchen is transformed back to that cooking class, as every step of the process is mimicked by that excellent teacher.

Measure four cups of fresh whole milk into a very clean stainless steel pot that has been rinsed out with water but not wiped dry.  Set on medium/high heat.

Measure 4 cups fresh cold milk.

Use very clean stainless steel pot that has been rinsed out with cold water (do not dry it).

Now the careful watching begins.  This is the most time consuming part of the process.  Watch and stir, watch and stir.  The milk must get just under the point of boiling.  On a medium-high heat, this may take 20-30 minutes.  Be patient and watch.  At the moment it very nearly begins to boil, remove from heat.  This starts the cooling step.  Every 10 minutes stir the milk.  Let sit, stir again, repeat. This step takes about 30 minutes.

Test the temperature of the milk by dipping little finger into milk.  It should feel very warm.

When the milk has cooled to very warm, it  will be ready to have a spoonful of yogurt (from a previous batch) gently blended in.  After stirring gently into milk, transfer to a plastic container with a tight lid.  The next step—Wrap it like a Baby!

When milk has cooled to a nice warm temperature, gently blend in a spoonful of yogurt from a previous batch.

Wrap it like a Baby!!  Place in warm spot for 6 hours.  Do not Disturb!!

Your batch of delicious homemade yogurt will need to grow for 6 hours in a warm spot.  Do not disturb!  After six hours of growing, your milk will have magically transformed into a beautiful tub of homemade yogurt.  There is hardly anything any better on it than a dollop of local honey!  Enjoy!!

After 6 hours of growing you will have a beautiful tub of yogurt, made by you!

Fresh homemade yogurt with local honey poured over top.  Delicious!!

Homemade is best.

Know the farmer know the farm.

Ride, Sally, ride.  That is the song that inspired her name.  She is a traveling cow to be sure.  An inquiry came over the internet about having a cow stay the night here at the farm.  A strange inquiry for sure, one to which this PFO (Primary Farm Operator) immediately replied an excited affirmative;  quite sure the meaning of an overnight dairy cow would be explained upon arrival to the farm.

The rig pulled in around 12:30 Thursday afternoon.  It was a beautifully, clean, colorful rig driven by a young, Southern lady whose name was, Amanda, who wore pearl earrings.  She parked the rig near the barn, jumped out of the truck with a big grin, and extra-firm handshake (comes from hand-milking the cow!).  Immediately she unloaded Sally, who was more than happy to be out of that tin can and onto eating green grass.

Amanda immediately unloaded Sally, the beautiful Jersey milk cow.

Sally was happy to get off the trailer and onto some green grass.

Amanda was charming and friendly, and very willing to answer all the dozen questions thrown at her:  Where are y’all from?  What is a Mobile Dairy Classroom?  Do all Auburn graduates wear pearl earrings?  Will Sally be okay in the field with our animals?  Where are y’all going tomorrow?

She patiently answered all our inquiries while Sally happily grazed in the yard, and the horses watched intently from the barn yard.  Amanda is an Instructor with the Mobile Dairy Classroom.  An outreach of SouthLand Dairy Farmers to teach school children and other interested groups about the dairy cow, milking, caring for them, and any questions they may have.  She actually milks Sally with modern equipment while she stands eating her feed in a ‘milking stall’ on the trailer. They were en-route to another class and needed a Mootel for Sally for the night!

High Hope was not exactly hospitable at first.  Though she tried to be intimidating, it did not work on Sally.  Sally was happy to be in the field, and was busy inspecting her accommodations for night.

High Hope did not extend the warmest of welcomes!  Notice how HH is touching Sally with her nose and not her teeth? 

That cow in High Hope’s stall?  Why that is too much for any decent mare to have to put up with!!

When the steers and she met, they followed her everywhere like little black shadows.  It was easy to see she was very used to being in different places.  She made herself right at home inspecting the entire field and barn.

The steers followed her all afternoon.

She sure is LOTS bigger than our miniatures!

Amanda and Sally loaded up and left early the following morning.  Sally gave us a lovely thank-you gift before leaving, a little milk!  Time to make home-made yogurt!  The topic of our next blog.  Stay tuned.

HOMEMADE IS BEST.

KNOW THE FARMER, KNOW THE FARM.

Be prepared to hand out this recipe wherever it is served.  Posh Squash is surely simple and yummy.  Do not count often on having left-overs of this dish.  It is a quiche, a crustless quiche.  It has become a summer staple out here on the farm.  Only those folks who just cannot stand the thought of eating squash of any sort will turn this dish down.  More for the fans!

Two pounds of squash is needed.

Posh Squash

2 lbs. yellow squash sliced.  Cook with one small onion, chopped, until just done.  Drain & mash (not too fine).

Combine:  1/2 c mayonnaise; 1/2 c Parmesan cheese;  2 beaten eggs                                              Fold squash into above mix.  Put in 1&1/2 qt casserole.  Salt & pepper to taste.                          Bake 1/2 hour at 350^

This PFO adds thin sliced fresh tomatoes on the top and paprika for garnish before baking.

Cook squash and onion together.

Add mayonnaise mixture to .mashed squash with onion.

For pretty color and appeal, add fresh tomatoes, and sprinkle with paprika.

This dish makes up very easy.  The fresher the squash, the faster it cooks.  It goes well with beef, fish, or chicken.  Once it has been served at a meal, be prepared to requests for the recipe.  So keep it near-by!  FH (Father Harry) says it is one of his most favorite summer dishes.  Give it a whirl! Give a shout-out on how it turned out!

Voila!  Eat with a delicate, pretty fork!

Fresh eggs in quiche are cheerfully laid by the happy Chuckles!

           Homemade is always best!!

                                                 Know the farmer, know the farm.

“They taste like doughnuts,” is the usual response heard for these old fashioned homemade rolls this PFO (Primary Farm Operator) makes so often.  Another one;  “They taste like the ones my grandmother used to make”, or even “Ohhhh, they remind me of the ones I used to eat in school!”  Must have been when real food was cooked in school cafeterias.

These rolls go far back into family time on Father Harry’s side.  BTW, ‘Father Harry’ is the loving title given by one of the sassy offspring that share the same last name.     Anyway, these golden bits of yumminess come from Father Harry’s grandmother’s kitchen now only cobwebs of memories in one’s mind.  Thank goodness for handwritten recipes, and mothers teaching their little girls homemade magic in their busy country kitchens.

The happy dough rises just as it should–quickly.  Scales are used to insure every roll will be the same weight.  This avoids fighting over the bigger ones, and helps keep Father Harry’s waist neat and trim!

Rising time is 25 minutes after forming rolls.  Baking time is 22-25 minutes.  From start to finish, this old fashioned, simple recipe takes about 1&1/2 hours to 2 hours.  There is time during the risings to do other things as well, like shooing the chuckles out of the flower gardens, fresh water for dogs and cats, opening gates for the cattle, snipping fresh flowers for the table or just sitting on the cool porch with a cup of hot coffee.

Fresh from the oven.

May have to hide them to make it to supper time!

The recipe is not included.  Please make a request for it, if desired, via this blog!  FH (Father Harry) has given permission to share!

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS BETTER!!! 

Know the farmer know the farm.