Hunkering down...

Maggie "hunkering down" last February

I've seen the satellite images of the storm that's supposed to hit us tonight and was very much convinced that we needed to prepare. So, we've spent most of the afternoon making sure all the critters have a roof over their heads and shelter from the cold rain we've had all day...which is supposed to turn into sleet and snow during the night.

We started first at the barn. Got a temporary fix on a stall door and repaired one of the handles on the big barn door so we could latch it and keep the horses from getting in the hall of the barn. There's five stables now open for four horses and I'm betting three of them won't be used! Rose and Angel will bunk together and I wouldn't be surprised if Jasper and Shiloh also share a stall.

Don is headed over right now to check on Rose. She's our oldest horse at 26 years and we're concerned about her getting a chill (if she hasn't already). This could prove to be a very difficult winter for Rose.

After the horses were happily munching hay in the barn lot we headed back to the house and prepared a warm place on the front porch for the three dogs (Angus, Teagan and Caoilainn) that sleep in the front yard at night. We fixed an enclosure on a protected corner of the wrap around porch and filled it with hay. Aislainn and Tadhg immediately jumped in the hay and made themselves cozy little nests and curled up. I was happy to see them do it as it reassured me that Angus, Teagan and Caoilainn would be okay tonight.

Next it was time to tend to the chickens, ducks and Elvis. This mainly consisted of making sure their houses were draft proof and giving them dry hay. The hens, Aunt Bernice and Aunt Bertha, were very happily exploring the hay in their house when I came inside.

Now we've got a fire going in the fireplace and I'm going to make some venison spaghetti to warm our bellies!

Storm's a brewing...

Since yesterday I've been watching a large storm heading our way from the west. It's been slow moving, but appeared to be getting very close when I went out to feed Elvis, the ducks and chickens earlier than normal this afternoon.

Since this front is supposed to be bringing us colder temperatures (we even have a chance of snow flurries!) I decided I'd better get some firewood into the dry garage before it started raining. I got my little garden wheelbarrow and proceeded to pile it high.

My accomplice, our cat Siobhan (AKA Fat Girl), and I made a discovery while at the woodpile. It was a gooey, icky fungus growing on a large piece of Sycamore trunk. Of course I just had to take a photo of it and hurry in to research it online. It's rather yucky isn't it?

Turns out it is a Auricularia Cornea, commonly known as Wood Ear and quite edible when cooked. They are very popular in Asian cooking (usually steamed or in soup).

It turns purplish with age, so I'm guessing the one I found today is ready for the retirement home!

Wood Ear also has medicinal qualities and is used medicinally for many ailments, including cancer, fatigue and cardiovascular disease. It is high in calcium, iron, carotene and protein. This information and more is available at http://www.medicineatyourfeet.com/auriculariaspp.html.

This is one of the things I love about living out in the country. I just never know, when I step out my back door, what I'm going to find and what I'm going to learn about it!

It's cotton picking October!

On my way to the grocery store this morning I noticed that cotton picking as begun around here. We don't grow cotton on our place, but are surrounded by fields of cotton, soybeans and corn. Once all the cotton is picked the local farmers will harvest soybeans (corn was harvested in September).

One year I picked up a twig of cotton that had fallen off a trailer onto our driveway and sent it to a friend in Virginia. She's never seen a cotton field, or raw cotton and was very intrigued. She even shared it with her niece and nephew who took it to school for show and tell. I also sent some to a friend's son in California as he was doing a report on Mississippi and needed some "authentic Mississippi cotton" for his visual display.

Cotton is the third largest crop in Mississippi, with approximately 1.1 million acres planted in cotton each year. By the way, Mississippi has 30, 020, 454.4 acres of land. Obviously Mississippi isn't one big cotton field from Tennessee to the Gulf of Mexico!

The fields are very pretty in summer when the plants are green and even prettier this time of year when the cotton bolls open up fully.  From a distance it looks like there's snow on the fields! On my way home for the grocery store I slowed down to snap the picture above of the field across the road from us. Isn't it pretty?

My persimmons predict....

This evening I walked down to the pond and gathered up a handful of persimmons. I could smell their spicy sweet aroma before I got to the tree. Persimmons, like pumpkins, just smell like Autumn to me. However, unlike pumpkins, persimmons don't need to be cooked with spices to give off that wonderful smell.

I didn't gather these for snacking purposes though. No, these were for predicting this year's winter weather! According to folklore you can predict the weather by splitting a persimmon seed to find what the plant kernel is hiding. If you see a forked kernel, then the winter will be mild with some light powdery snow.

If you see a spoon shape, then the winter will bring lots of heavy wet snow. Lastly, if you see a knife shape the winter will be bitter cold and the wind will cut through you like a knife.

This is what my kernel looked like this year. I see a spoon, which would be just fine with me. I like snow! Last year my persimmon seed held a knife and we did have a cold winter with more than average snowfall. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but Don wasn't to thrilled as he's the one who has to go feed the horses every morning.

I don't know if this old folklore will hold true, but I do know I'm very glad we've already started our wood pile and I better order propane soon.

Oh, by the way...if you decide to split open a persimmon seed please be very careful! They are small and slippery. I wouldn't want anyone slicing off a finger!