Feeling Right At Home

If you've visited this blog before you probably gather we have a darn cozy relationship with this tiny part of Vermont. How we cherish the quality of the life style we are able to sustain here and revel in the landscape, people and activities we find pleasure in. A community so worthy of calling home.

We are celebrating a very special wedding anniversary and are on an adventure exploring and playing on the island of Eleuthera, in the Bahamas. A quiet, rural, safe, friendly and simply gorgeous (sound familiar) spit of land in the Atlantic. We happened across this little jewel 15 years ago when close friends from the Valley shared their pleasures of spending time here and so we return again and again. In fun we call it our Valley in the tropics. We will be home soon and happy about that, though it does feel like coming home here to Eleuthera, too.

Good Morning Eleuthera

Catch of the day, lucky me!

Hankering for a mango.

Got a little lime? All we need is....

We seldom leave Vermont without taking a little with us: Easty's maple syrup, Red Hen's Mad River Grain bread, Butterwork's Farm oats,  Vermont Coffee Company's mild blend. I know, we're spoiled, that's what Vermont does.

Crossing Paths

With My Neighbors.

Spring and Summer mornings often begin with a walk up the hillside. We are fortunate to have back door access to a spider web network of trails that meander through hundreds of acres in a rich Northern Hardwood Forest. Walks can last moments or hours, pending time, weather, mood or energy level. Every day is unique. I am a counter and often assess my walks by the number of special and interesting sightings. My last walk was a 13 Red Eft morning, a good morning. These tiny, vibrant orange, creatures thrill me. I encourage you to get to know them, they are quite special.

And on an even better day, just moments upon returning to the back door, I add another critter to my list.

Hello, Snapping Turtle. 

I have perfectly lovely neighbors, how about you?

No Ordinary Kiss

Is This Rhubarb Love?

When we moved into our home 24 years ago there was a rhubarb patch (20' x 4') bigger than anyone could ever need. I didn't get it, what was it about rhubarb that enticed so many pies, jams and stewed stringy pots of slop compote. Over the years we scaled the patch down to a manageable 4' x 4' plot. Granted it is the first harvestable vegetable fruit in the garden and one of the first green shoots to make a showing after our long (extremely long) and snowy winters. Agreeably, that is of measurable value in these parts. But come on, the only way it's really palatable is to add it's weight (almost) in white sugar. And more often than not, combining it with another fruit like strawberries to help it along.

2011 produced record breaking snow. Many of us were certain it would be June before the ground was visible. However, weeks before the last of the snow had vanished the rhubarb patch had busted out and by the middle of May was ready for cutting. Out of the oven came the pie and crisp. Okay, it does have a pretty pink glow and with enough added sugar to curb the tartness it's quite nice with a side of vanilla ice cream (yes, more sugar).

Then I received an email from my best friend. He'd heard a segment of the NPR show The Splendid Table and was intrigued by a recipe for Rhubarbaritas by Katherine Whiteside and forwarded me the link. Rhubarb and tequila... now I'm interested. It calls for making rhubarb simple syrup, which I did (truly simple). It's beautiful, soft petal pink, knock your socks off bright and simply sweet. This clearly brings rhubarb to a new level. Take a look; better yet, take a sip. I promise you'll like it, even you, Lauren. :)

So have at it: rhubarb-ade (share it with the little ones), pink mojitos or you can try our new favorite late spring cocktail. Tall glass, shot of rhubarb simple syrup, shot of vodka (or the bf's favorite, white rum), juice of half a lime, fill with ice and top off with seltzer water... a Rhubarb Kiss. Is it 5 o'clock? I'd like a kiss please.

My rhubarb patch is picked clean. I get it now.

While The Sun Shines

It's not raining!

Hurry, we've a brief moment to catch up on the outdoor chores before it starts up again. This has been our wettest spring on record, over 16" of rainfall recorded in Burlington so far this season. Not today, according to Roger Hill, weather forecaster, meteorologist and Weathering Heights blogger, today should be a holiday (it's rain free).

Ready, set... garden. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, squash, rainbow chard, weed, rake, top dress, rake, plant, trellis, and mulch. Forget anything? Tomorrow morning looks good and then a potential for heavy rainfall (again) thru Sunday. Back to work, soybeans, spinach, sunflowers, basil...

Almost done!

And no, I didn't forget

From bud to blossom to petal confetti.

It was a beauty of a day, though it didn't quite feel like a holiday.