A Summer Morning on the Ranch

Though diminutive, I've come to love our little piece of America. There are no Republicans here at least.

Our first garden "trinket" from Drumms... Go big or go home.

a QUICK trip to Ohio

Pat's sweet new ride

Sarah's cannoli in Kent

I promised Gigi that I'd protect her identity. Kent after lunch at Taco Tontos

Beauty, even at the Akron slum house

Who says Medina's gotten too snooty?

Fire-architecture. Just one of my talents

A bold sky

MOUNTAIN BIKING!!!

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." Mark Twain

I never miss my brothers more than when I am riding. Here are some pictures to tempt you two to come ride with me. Ian, Cornell, IC, SUNY Cortland; these fine schools are all at your disposal from Brooktondale. Just saying.

I wrecked here in a manner that'd've made Ian proud.

Drivin' fast on dirt roads, rockin out to Ulysses.

Well I sit and hear sentimental footsteps
Then a voice say, "Hi, so?
So what you got, what you got this time?
Come on, let's get high"

Come on, Lexo, what you got next-o?
Walk twenty-five miles-o
Well I'm bored, I'm bored
Come on, let's get high

Well I found a new way
I found a new way
Come on, don't amuse me
I don't need your sympathy

La, la-la-la-la
Ulysses
I've found a new way

I've found a new way, baby

Drive outta the woods to be greeted by beautiful little fluffy clouds. lalalalala

Pictures from Glen Highland Farm

I will be working at Glen Highland Farm in August as a counselor and naturalist (and apparently a bike mechanic). They have a camp each summer that brings at risk kids from NYC, the Bronx, and Newark out to the country. The program revolves around the rescued border collies that the farm saves, heals, and adopts out year round. To see more about the farm click here.

I took a trip out there on Tuesday and what follows are some of my pictures.

Quick Update

Sarah's picture of one of the many woodpeckers visiting one of our many feeders. Note the tail used for balance and the grip of those zygodactyl toes.

Radishes. Starting to get food from the garden

Sprocket

Working on the 'ol Trek 8700

Sweating like a pig wearing a buffalo coat in the Amazon

Datura of some kind

Two of the three varieties of garlic we've harvested

Finally got the bird hotel in. Garden to come...tomorrow?

Detail of deer's nasal cavity. Deceased.

More stuff around the house

This is the view of the homestead. She's comin' along nicely. The fence is a dream! It looks good, the dogs LOVE being outside to lay about, sniff, or help us around the yard. And, as an added bonus, Tony can't ride his scooter across my yard anymore. Yes, unfortunately that was a real problem


We have raspberries and blackberries ripening all over the place. In fact, I think I'll spend some of my day picking them. Delicious. Incidentally, I finally figured out how to use the macro setting on the camera...which explains (if not excuses) the following flower pictures.

Rudbeckia hirta Bellis perennis

This is from a nice little wildflower garden around the side of the house. Note the artistry achieved with a shallow depth of focus... very classy

Asclepias tuberosa: This is a butterfly weed that Sarah planted. We have had little luck attracting butterflies in any above average numbers, but our humming bird population has skyrocketed this season.

Our lettuce. Almost ready

Pisum sativum
The beautiful and delicious pea.

This last is of our cucumbers. Sarah picked one so far and there are several more that are ready to be pickled. Have to go get the canning supplies today I guess. Can't wait to start learning a new skill!

I, Keith Harrington have tamed the shed. And I fixed one of the rototillers. And I fixed my truck's tailgate. And I built a fire. It was a very manly day.

Still can't believe this is our backyard! I love it. Note the fence.

I really like taking pictures into the sun. This is one of the many aspens in our yard. I find it fitting that we have them.

Lilium canadense
This'ns not in our yard. There are a bunch of them growing down along the old railroad trestle down by the swamp.

Agway. My favorite store. TSC follows closely.

Proud Eva

Happy Eva

So, I've been thinking about this for a day now, and I still can't quite wrap my head around it. I'm really proud of our little dog. It's not that I wanted her to kill the groundhog or even that the groundhog was a bother, and I certainly didn't enjoy seeing it happen. On the contrary, I was scared that Eva was going to get hurt and I felt bad for the groundhog. But in a way, through this act, Eva seems to have achieved her dogness. There was no doubt in my mind, nor hers of course, that this was her job. She was supposed to keep the house and yard free of vermin. At any rate, she dispatched the gopher quickly and sustained no injuries. It's great that just the other day Sarah purchased a book on crock-pot stews.

Hope all is well in everyone's world. It's been nice to see the flurry of posting. Swing on by. Between the garden and the wildlife, we should be able to whip up a meal for ya anytime.