Our life living off the land in our log cabin, breathing fresh mountain air, and getting back to basics.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

9 Months of Log Cabin Living!

It's hard to believe we've been living our log cabin life for 9 months already!  Actually, it is now 9 months and 2 days, being that I didn't think about it on Jan 4th.  Time is passing so quickly!!!  In celebration, here is a picture of a handsome Purple Finch...I've been trying to get a decent picture of this fellow since the first time I saw him back on the winter solstice.  Today, I was standing on the porch watching birds come to the feeders (I do enjoy watching and listening to them) when I saw him land on a branch just off the porch...it was as if he was saying 'thanks for all the sunflower seeds, my favorite, I'll sit here for a minute so you can take a picture' (a girl can imagine, can't she?)...I love the detail and color of his wings!  They have a beautiful song, though I have to admit I am still working to identify it in our woods.  Another thing I love about Purple Finches is the female is also beautiful, though she doesn't have the same coloring, her markings are detailed and intricate.


Yesterday, I wrote about making Chicken Pot Pie because I was busy in town most of the day.  I forgot to include adding half a soup can of milk (use the cream of mushroom can and stir the milk in it so you can get all the remaining soup) in the recipe.  I've updated my post, but thought I'd share that with you today too.  Just in case you are inspired to make an easy dinner tonight!

When I got into the car (yesterday) to head into town, the windshield was covered with frost crystals...this first photo is looking from the inside of the car out, so you see the bottom of the crystals laying on the glass...
...this one is from the outside looking in, so you are seeing the top of the crystals...
...incredible, aren't they? 

I mentioned that I found an awesome treasure while in town (yesterday)...this is it, a vintage Revere copper boiler tub with lid.  I bought it to put our firewood in...we've been using a wooden crate, a wicker basket and a typical firewood holder to collect and keep the wood in, but they all allow little bits of wood to fall out, keeping my rug dirty all the time.  This then results in my having to sweep up those bits every day, and though that is not a big deal, I believe in prevention...so, a solid tub to collect and store the wood is a good solution, donchathink?  It will replace at least one of those other containers.  I do believe I got a good deal, I did negotiate a cheaper price than they were asking, but it wasn't cheap (all the research I did showed similar tubs selling for more than I paid, so that is encouraging).  I figure it was worth every penny though, being that it will keep the wood chips in the tub!
And it works like a charm!

This is a random piece of information but I thought you might enjoy it.  Rhododendron plants curl their leaves up real tight when it is below 25 degrees or so to protect themselves (I am still determining what the actual highest temperature is when they begin curling themselves up, the 25 degrees is my observation at this time).  We can always tell how cold it is outside just by looking out the window! 
As the day warms up, they start to uncurl...
...until they eventually unfold completely.
It is really awesome to watch nature at it's best!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise

5 comments:

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

I LOVE your copper wash boiler! I have a washer boiler too but mine's not copper :(

Powell River Books said...

First, congratulations on your 10 month anniversary. It's a sign that your log cabin life is working well. I love the ice crystals. We've been so mild, that I've only seen them on the glass here once, and not very exciting ones at that. Also, I love your copper boiler tub. Copper is such a great metal. I have to be honest, we get wood chips and dust all over the cabin floor by the wood stove. But my place is a bit more rustic and I just sweep it up when it gets too bad. One thing I really like about our place is that I don't worry a lot about things like I do in the city. - Margy

Lise said...

Thanks Patti, I love it too:) It's doing a great job holding the wood!

Thanks Margy, this adventure certainly has been a worthwhile and life-changing experience! I know exactly what you mean about not worrying about too many things when at the cabin...eventually, we are going to remove the rug and replace it with a wood floor, and then wood chips can easily be swept up...now they get stuck in the rug and it's a pain to get up:)

Dad/Pepere said...

The copper boiler tub brought me back about 70 years. When we were young children, my grandmother Dalpe would send us out in the field to collect dandelions that she and my grandfather used to make wine. After cleaning and rinsing the dandelions, they were put into a, you guessed it, large copper tub that sat on the wood/coal burning stove in the "summer kitchen". We got a real kick out of collecting the plants and watching them as they boiled away in the pot.
"Thanks for the memory..." Another great song too! By the way, this morning we opened the 5/2012 strawberry jam and it is delicious. Could hardly remove the sealed inner cover proving you did a great canning job. Big hugs!

Lise said...

I love when you share your childhood memories, and am especially pleased that you have one specific to the boiler tub...I will never look at it the same way again!

Glad you enjoyed the strawberry jam, it is our favorite as well...actually now that I say that, the violet jelly was excellent too...they are both my favorite!

Hugs back!