Skywatch West Virginia

49 this morning, cloudy. Rain came around 10 and has rained all day. I planted most of my spring vegetable seeds yesterday so the rain is welcome.

My Skywatch photo is from several years ago. It was a cold winter day, but the sunset over a local lake was spectacular. 

Linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

In the Mountains: Gettin' High

34 at 8am, frost on the truck and van. We kept the heat on outside the little greenhouses and they look fine. Planted carrots, beets, spinach, chard, lettuce and kale this morning. I don't know why I bother with spinach as it rarely does any good here. My sacrifice to the garden gods, I suppose. 

The title of this post is not what it seems, of course! I wanted to go up Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. It had been 20 years since we were there, surprisingly; our last trip was with two of our grandchildren, our oldest son and his wife. Those kids are grown and fine now, one in the Navy and one finishing law school. How those years flew!

The mountain had changed since we were there. For one thing the road was much better than the twisty, washboard gravel track i remember.

And on top of the mountain there was change too. The Spruce trees had grown, a lot. So much that what used to be a 360° view from the observation tower is now mostly obstructed. Time for a new tower, Governor Justice! 

There were still good views to be had, however, from other vantage points.

The path to the observation tower had much to see, and the smell of the spruce trees was heavenly.

Bit windy up there, as you can imagine!

I was glad to see the mountain again. No matter how many times we visit such iconic places, they always seem to pull us back. I doubt this will be our last time to drive up Spruce Knob.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

In the Mountains: Brushy Run, Waterfalls, and Cows

34 this morning and clear. We put a heater just outside the greenhouse to keep the air a little warmer, and will need to do so again tonight. Brrr. Planted onions, peas, and snow peas yesterday, and potatoes today. I started tilling the space for carrots, beets, lettuce, radishes, etc., and hope to finish tomorrow. Moved some flower plants around, and planted crocosmia bulbs. The rest of today is a bust, since I have a doctor appointment an hour away. Sure messes up a day.

Back to our trip again. We turned up a little road called Brushy Run, a road I once traveled with my ex about 50 years ago. I was curious to see how it had changed. I vaguely remembered it as being full of rather rundown houses and mobile homes, very narrow and dark.

This time it was apparent that there had been many changes. I expect that it may have been hit by at least one major flood in the intervening years, since there have been 2 in that general area that I can remember. 

We saw camps, old homes and new, and waterfalls. There were quite a few, due to the heavy rains on Friday, and the run was sure running. 

One of the many waterfalls.

Cabin with a swinging walking bridge. Missing in the photo is a lovely waterfall just beside the cabin. 

An older home, too close to the creek for my comfort. You can see how the bank has washed away.

Here you can see the repairs from damage to the creek bank probably caused by the most recent flood, 4 or 5 years ago.

And this was the most surprising thing we saw: a cow giving birth! Look at that unconcerned look on her face. We decided to stop at the old white two-story farmhouse to let them know, in case the cow was having any trouble. The lady who came to the door was about 80, walking with a cane. She thanked us for stopping and said she would call her son, who owned the herd. We kind of wanted to hang around and watch the little one be born, but knew we had miles yet to go, so we drove on. We will never know the end of that story.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

In the Mountains: The Suitcase Junket

42 this morning and light overcast makes it feel colder. We spread about 20 bags of mulch yesterday, and Larry picked a LOT of wild creasy greens, aka wild mustard, so I will be cleaning and freezing them today. Also planting onions, peas and perhaps carrots today. I transplanted some peppers and tomato seedlings in the little greenhouse yesterday, and assembled a second greenhouse for the seeds beginning to sprout in the house. The peppers were from seeds I saved from a store-bought red pepper, and they came up very well. 

But, back to our weekend trip. I had heard The Suitcase Junket on radio shows a few times, and was so excited to see this remarkable musician in person. His name derives, I think, from the old suitcase he used to use to carry some of his unusual instruments. The suitcase was there, but does he still use it? I don't know.

The show was at the Purple Fiddle (see it in the above photo?), a little coffee shop/restaurant/ performance venue in tiny Thomas, WV. We have been there several times for meals, but not for a show. Our oldest son lives only 25 minutes from Thomas, and had attended shows in the past, and he wanted to see this one too. We chose seats fairly close to the stage, but not so close as to burst our eardrums. I have always wondered why venues want to have the music so loud! To me it distorts the sound, and I noticed at this show that one amp was definitely "buzzy" at times, which I found unpleasant to listen to. Didn't seem to bother anyone else in the full house, though, so maybe it's just my ears?

The show on the whole was great entertainment. His style can best be described as folk-blues-rock-country fusion, I guess. As far as I could tell, all his material was original. Add in some very funny side commentary and you can maybe get the drift of what he does. As a one-man show, he really gets a workout! One of his comic moments was introducing "the band", which included a baby shoe, a big pot, a circular saw blade, and other bizarre items that all contribute to his sound. Here is a small sample, in which he uses his guitar to create an echo effect with his voice.

And here is a look at the "junk" part of his music.

Bones and chains box.

Pots and the baby shoe, taped to a drum pedal.

I 

The saw blade.

I understand that The Suitcase Junket plays at the Purple Fiddle several times a year, always to a full house, so if you are planning a trip to Blackwater Falls, Canaan Valley and the surrounding area, check to see if he's playing. I don't think you will be disappointed. 

ACopyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

In the Mountains: The Billy

47 at 8am, clouding up after a sunny start. We may have a few showers, but for us it will be a mostly outside day. 30 more bags of mulch in the truck!

We had a little weekend getaway, much needed and much fun. Our goals were several: see a show by The Suitcase Junket at The Purple Fiddle in the small but cool town of Thomas, WV eat at The Billy Motel see our oldest son and my sister; explore a bit; and do some picking for our booths. A lot to crowd into 2 days, but we managed it all.

I'll start with The Billy, as it is known locally. 

It is a small, 10- room 50's era motel with a bar and restaurant. Doesn't sound all that appealing, right? But I had read some great things about the restaurant, and knew the place had been remodeled while keeping that 50s vibe, so I was really curious to check it out.

You actually check in at the bar. 

Macrame light shade, retro fireplace, cool chairs...for resellers like us it was perfect.

And the booths! There were only 2 I think; this is a small restaurant and it was packed for dinner. 

Guests get a token for a free drink when they check in. The rooms are adequate, a little pricey at $135 a night for what they are but this is a tourist area. They too had nice midcentury touches.

There is no cable TV but streaming is possible if you really want to sit in your room, but why do that when the lounge is such a cool place? We hung out there while waiting for our son, enjoying the 60s fireplace, a friendly dog, and conversation with the owner's daughter.

Dinner did not disappoint. I read a review on the Charleston Daily Mail about the unusual global menu a few years ago, and was intrigued that such unique food would be offered in tiny, tiny Davis, WV. It took a while to choose what to have from a menu that ranged from South America to Indonesia,  but we finally chose 4 dishes to share.

Larry chose the cheese tray, a fairly safe and routine selection, right?

But it included a marvelous goat cheese, homemade crispy crackers, ginger biscuits, pickled dates as well as an array of dried fruits and nuts, other cheeses and fresh fruit. 

I ordered what I think were Indian spicy cheese puffs, which I didn't care for but the guys enjoyed, and Vietnamese grape leaf-and-lime-wrapped beef.  Delicious. 

George selected Brazilian chicken which came with a lovely sauce, black beans and rice. Not the best picture of that dish-- it is in the back to the right. That's my green tea in the foreground.

And for dessert,  Creme Brule', which had a nice hint of orange.

Here is a link the menu, so you can see the variety of dishes  offered.

The Billy doesn't do breakfast, but has fresh coffee and tea ready in the lounge in the morning. We had a nice chat with the owner before we left. Would we go back? You bet!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Booth Update: Ripley

50 and raining. New moon last night. I moved the houseplants outside this morning, hoping the rain will do them good.

We restocked our booth at Farmhouse Market Finds in Ripley yesterday. Here's a peek at recent changes.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Onward We Go

57 at 8 am this morning, after a showery night. It is beginning to feel like Spring. I hear that the hummingbirds have arrived in Southern Virginia, so they should arrive in a couple weeks here. I planted tomato and other seeds, and transplanted cabbages, broccoli, tomatoes, and kale into bigger pots. All the plants are in the greenhouse now that the Temps have finally warmed up. The starting seeds are inside, however, to guarantee a proper germination temperature. 

More of the same going on here---work on the cabin site, lots of mud, lots of cooking. The cabin sadly did not arrive yet, as there seems to be an issue now with placing it on the foundation. A crane operator came, looked, and said he couldn't do it so now other options are being explored. It will happen soon, but we are not sure when.

Yesterday we had our number 3 son and his daughter and granddaughter here, so I made snickerdoodle cookies, their favorite. Then for dinner chicken pot pie with a biscuit crust instead of piecrust,  and a big tossed salad. Perfect for a blustery day.

Little Ellie certainly ate her share. She is such a sweet baby, and seems much older than her 15 months.

Today Sarah is leaving, and we hate to see her go. Here she is, stylin' the coveralls we found for her. They were perfect for the muddy work this week.

What a good visit this has been. 

These little guys are blooming now. I can't remember their name...Glory of the Snow, maybe?

Later on we will be at our booths, restocking for the weekend.  So a short post today, as I get ready for the rest of the day.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Of Cabins, Cabinets, and Much More

19 again this morning. Cold, cold, cold. Like February and March traded weather! Mostly clear, light breezes.

It has been a busy time here as Sarah's cabin plans progress. The cabin may arrive this week, we are not sure yet. Much hinges on weather, of course.

Otherwise, I have been cooking for the workers and sweeping up after dogs. My goodness, can these dogs shed! I have not had an indoor dog in many years, and had forgotten how much hair they can lose and still be hairy. But Sarah's big boy Glen and our little Buddy have become fast friends, and I do not know what Buddy will do when Glen leaves.

Larry has been working on the cabin, of course, but he also has almost finished work on this genuine Hoosier cabinet.  (Pardon the stuff on the floor, this is Sarah's room while she's here)

 This one still had the sifter, which is often taken out.

I really like the hooks and the cookbook holder, still there surprisingly.

And on this door, a towel rack and a spice rack! They made special spice jars for Hoosier but we don't have any. Yet. Maybe one day we will find some.

You see those lighter places on the doors? They held some cardboard signs, like for measuring amounts, and this calendar, but both were in bad shape.

I so wish we had taken before photos,  because this was the worst one we have ever tackled. It had been in an old building for many years,, and needed a new back and a couple sides replaced.. the tambour doors--the roll-up ones--were in pieces too. But now it is almost ready to take to a booth, and he is deservedly proud of it.

I have been working on ebay betweentimes as it is important to post items regularly in order to sell. Today was china,  some from the former Czechoslovakia and a Meissen teacup. There are quite a few pieces of this pretty set.

I have been using this cup and like it very much, but for $40-50 I could be persuaded to part with it!

Yesterday was crystal very blingy bowls, the day before framed needlework. Or was that several days ago? It gets blurry when we have so many things going on.

The cold has kept me out of the gardens, very frustrating. But today Sarah and Larry did manage to pull down a branch that has been dangling dangerously over our sidewalk. Our intrepid granddaughter!

I did put garden stakes by the new iris to keep the dogs from continuing to smash it. Flower gardens and dogs are not a good mix, at least at my house.  Then spent some time painting this chair. 3 of them down, one to go before I start on the table that will go with them.

As far as cooking, so far this week I have made Italian wedding soup, brownies, venison stir-fry 2 batches of cornbread, turkey salad, apple spinach salad, waffles, and tonight Colcannon which is an Irish dish, with ham and corn. If nothing else, we have been eating well.

Recipe tomorrow, I promise.

All the news for now!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.