Or was it a pekan? Anyhow she met one on the bridge between the house and barn yesterday when we were walking over to milk. She gasped, it snarled and the encounter was over just that quickly.
Personally I have never seen one, nor had she, but she described it perfectly. There were tracks....BIG tracks.....tracks at least four inches long from front to back. That is a big footprint!
Here is a story about how fishers are becoming quite common in the area.
And here is another story that makes me glad that this one snarled at Liz and then went on its way.
And here is a pretty good description of the critter and the lifestyle of the snarky and furry.
Wonder if this guy is behind the demise of our dear Lucy and the sudden absence of a favorite barn kitty, Calico Girl.....and the clawing of the ag bags. We were blaming coyotes and we certainly have those too. If you want to read the whole story check out Friday's Farm Side.
Went to our favorite orchard yesterday to pick a bushel of apples to store. (If we get a chance I am going back for more before they close.)
We had the place to ourselves as the season is winding down. It is so beautiful up there. There is no place like home, but Bellinger's Orchard is sure a close second. There was no shortage of apples either. The trees are still weighed right down with varieties ranging from standards like Ida Red to new ones I had never encountered before like Ruby Jon.
We almost filled our half bushel bags with Northern Spies and Ida Red. Then came the fun part...wandering among the trees looking for tasty looking apples to test drive this fall to see if we want a larger quantity next time. Alan nibbled a dropped Empire that he picked up and was sold immediately. He probably picked half a peck of them just for his own entertainment.
We also grabbed a few Pink Ladies, a couple of the aforementioned Ruby Jons, some Ambrosias, Granny Smiths and some Winesaps. (It does look as if our tree in the yard is a Winesap as the apples look just right.)
To me a couple bags of good hard apples in the front hall is like money in the bank. No, better than money in the bank...it is apple snack season. We have been making applesauce whenever we get any apples. There is still time for more spiced apple jelly.......Liz bakes a mean apple pie. Alan has suggested expanding his pumpkin bar franchise to include apple bars....
Yeah, I think I do need to run up and grab another bushel before they close...which might happen this week.
As you can see, I Have been climbing up to dust in high places. Why this pretty shelf is above the head of anyone my size is beyond me, but I do get to look at it every now and then when I clean the dining room.
For more Macro Monday
Lately I have been cooking mostly wild game and the odds and ends of past beeves and porkers, dug out of the back of the freezer and turned into unexpected things, which are (amazingly) pretty darned good. Those gristly shank bones...a little vinegar, some spices and some time in the oven and they become the basis for soup or chili that is hard to beat.
And I never made turkey soup before. Turns out I'm not too bad at it.
Applesauce from the Winesap tree that Grandma Peggy kept. The apples have always been terrible, mealy, harsh, bitter, blah. This year I left them on the tree until this week. Who knew that they are a variety that needs some good hard frosts to flavor up? They are fantastic! And not a worm in the bunch. I am going to get out the shepherd's crook and shake down the few that are still hanging on.....before the chickens get them
One pound of sausage that was hidden behind the ice cubes, sauteed with onion, garlic and lovage, topped with a can of green beans and a big bunch of instant mashed potatoes, whipped up with an egg, some grated Parmesan and garlic powder....bake for an hour and a half and get out of the way, they will be back for seconds.
Just around the corner is deer season. The hunter in chief is also the guy who cuts up the deer with me. He took meat cutting class in college last semester. That should help us turn any that he gets into a better product for better dining. Now I just hope that he is successful.
