Hallowe'en

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,
May luck be yours on Halloween.

The boys trick or treating in the neighborhood across the street from our farm.

The neighborhood children hitching a ride :)

One last house.

Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold.

The night sky is a miracle of infinitude.

All Hallows Eve (The Eve of Samhain)

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees,

"Tonight is Halloween!"

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.

Fall Hike - Silver Creek Conservation Area

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

~Galileo

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers - for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.

I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

~Albert Einstein

Intelligent Beauty

Every now and then,

Take a good look at something

Not made with hands;

A mountain, a star,

The curve of a stream.

There will come to you

Wisdom and patience,

And above all, the assurance

That you are not alone in the world.

The End of Our Homeschooling Day :) Tomorrow Brings Something New...

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.

~Author Unknown

Todays Hike

Happy Birthday to Me!

You don't take a photograph. You ask, quietly, to borrow it.

My Auntie Lori

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

Chad and Amanda

Aunt Lori and I

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.

My beautiful Boys.

The baboon in the Tree.

Tomato Canning - Secret Family Recipe

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies.

Tomato Canning in North Bay

Over Sixty Field Tomatoes

Add a touch of Boiling water to help with skin removal

Peel and chop

Add this and that and a few other secret family ingredients

Boil down

Fill the jars

And fill some more

Seal the jars and Voila!

Immune Boosting Chai Recipe.

The weather is starting to shift to the cool raininess of autumn. The kids have started their homeschool activities, and there's a buzz in the air this year about illness.

How can we help our bodies transition from the warm dry summer, through the cool damp autumn and into cold winter?

"Chai!"

Keep a pot of an immune boosting, herbal chai brewing throughout the winter , and the kids will LOVE it. What a wonderful feeling to be nourishing them with medicine they enjoy.

I'm starting the chai early - using it as a fall tonic to nourish our immune systems and to warm our bodies on chilly fall days.

Most often chai is made with strong black tea, but I am not interested in that large dose of caffeine and make mine with herbs alone. It is delicious!

Ready for the recipe?

Immune Building Autumn Chai Recipe 3 1⁄2 cups of boiling water 2 Cinnamon sticks 1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated 1 whole Nutmeg, chopped 1 Tablespoon Cardamom seed pods 5 tongues of Astragulus root 1 Tablespoon dried burdock root 1 Tablespoon dried dandelion root 1⁄2 tsp. whole Cloves 1⁄4 tsp. black Peppercorns 1⁄2 tsp. Anise seeds 1⁄2 tsp. whole Allspice 1⁄2 tsp. Echinacea root

What you do...

Simmer the spices in the water for about 15 minutes. (If you’d like to add black tea, add 1/8 cup after removing from the heat and steep for not more than 3 minutes.)

Strain out the herbs, add warmed milk (I suggest at least 1/4 cup) and honey to taste. Enjoy this delicious fall tonic, and the wonderful feeling of giving your kids (and you) a tasty, nourishing treat!

Enjoy!