The Wasilik Poplar Tree, Our Hike & Picnic, Part 1

Today we joined our friends Dick & Ursula to hike to the Wasilik Poplar tree, the second largest tree of it's kind in the nation.  The girth is 26' in circumference, but sadly it was struck by lightening 2 decades ago and is now dead.  Despite this, it is an amazing site.  The hike to it is along a well worn path into the woods that branches off of the Appalachian Trail, between Winding Stair Gap and Big Spring Gap.  Here we are at the sign, Ursula on the left, Mountain Man center, yours truly on the right.

Here she is upon my approach, she is the big white looking trunk in the center of the picture.

It is hard to grasp the enormity of this tree without being there yourself,

but here are a few shots from the bottom of the trunk to try to give you the sense of it...

This is a closeup of the bark near the top... 

We stayed around the tree for a while, taking in it's enormity.  I couldn't help but think how long it had been there, and how unfortunate that it was struck by lightening (good reminder that you don't want to be near a tall tree or anything tall during a lightening storm).  I tried to imagine what it must have looked like long, long ago...I only know the Poplar's in my own woods, and they are a miniature version of this one...so I let my imagination take me away...this must have been one shady tree!  Now it is just a huge shadow of it's former self, rotting away...which isn't such a bad thing because it allows for the knots to become clearly visible, and mushrooms and other things to become a part of it, and they are beautiful too!

Our hike to the tree was very pleasant.  We came across a gentleman with his two granddaughters, hiking the path and exploring every centipede and bug they came across; so nice to see!  He was also a wealth of knowledge about the area as well, telling us how to get to the tree but also a few other interesting "must see's" in the area. 

A few things of beauty to share...

a small fall along the way

After contemplating the Wasilik, we we headed to the Standing Indian Campground picnic tables and enjoyed our picnic feast.  The chicken was tasty, Ursula made delicious finger sandwiches with black forest ham, the potato salad just right, the watermelon and fresh plums refreshing, and the chocolate chip cookies a perfect ending to a lovely meal (see yesterday's blog for the simple recipes). Here is our lovely table and spread, with Ursula, Dick and Mountain Man:)

It truly was a lovely day, and this is only the beginning, Part 1.  After our picnic we visited two lovely waterfalls and an old graveyard.  Come back tomorrow and I will share Part 2 with you, being that there is so much to tell you and so many pictures to share I want to do them all justice.

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

Lise

Prepping for a Picnic & Things That Make Today Perfect

Tomorrow we are heading into the Nantahala National Forest, the Standing Indian Basin, to hike to see the Wasilik Poplar (details tomorrow) with our friends Ursula & Dick, and then for a picnic.  So today was a day of picnic prep cooking, among other things soon to be disclosed.  Since I have not posted a recipe in a while, I thought I'd share our menu, the simple recipes and the end results.  I am not including photos of the process, this all stuff you have done before yourself, you don't need me to show you how:)  Maybe these are just some new approaches...

I baked some skinless bone-in chicken breasts on the grill.  I patted them dry, put them individually in tin foil with a little olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence.  I turned on 1 side of the grill on low, to get the temperature to 325-350 degrees, and I put the chicken on the other side, so the heat was indirect, and closed the lid.  I kept the lid closed as much as possible except to rotate the chicken periodically.  I cooked it like that for about 1 hour.  Then I took the chicken out of the tin foil, used the juices for basting, and grilled on medium high with all 3 heat strips lighted until the outside got a little browned.  I believe it came out perfectly, we shall see tomorrow.  This it the chicken, cooled off.

I made old-fashioned potato salad.  I used russet potatoes because that is what I had.  Cut into pieces and boiled until soft (that is how we like it, you can cook them to your preferred tenderness).  I diced 2 stalks of celery leaves included, diced 1/3 of an onion, and added that to the only slightly cooled potatoes.  I prefer to keep them a little warm because I believe the flavors seep in more effectively with them warm.  Then about 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish, salt, pepper, and mayo to your preferred taste.  I actually add everything in two layers, potatoes, celery, onion, relish, salt, pepper, mayo.  Then everything again.  It makes it easier to stir, and helps not to break up the potatoes.  Voila, yummy potato salad...

Now many people put hard boiled eggs in their potato salad, I prefer not to.  But we do have some hard boiled eggs we are bringing along!

No picnic is complete without desert...I made Toll House chocolate chip cookies but added some white chips as well...you can get the recipe off the chocolate chip package, oooh oooh they are good!

We will also have lots of water, sliced watermelon, fresh plums right off the tree, white wine, and a few other things in the backpack for while we are hiking, just in case we need a boost.  It's enough to feed an army!  Wanna come???

As for the rest of the day, Mountain Man and I felled more trees...this was to increase the sun on our third square foot garden box.  Once again, success...see before and after...you can see the box to the center of the picture very much shaded...

By the time we finished the sun was behind the trees to the West, but you can see the shadow is only from the West and not above the box any more.   

We had an adorable visitor this morning, this little guy had no fear, not even when Fluffy was stalking him...we have to teach him not to be so darn sociable!  Cute, huh!

This is a photo from sunset last night, through the trees.  Not a view I typically will post, but when I was sitting on the porch watching the sun through the trees, I thought it was worth sharing with you.





All this made for a perfect day.  And tomorrow, we hike!

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

Lise





Two Months In & I'm A Lumberjack!

It is hard to believe, but today marks the two month anniversary of our adventure!  In many ways it feels like we just arrived, and yet it feels as if we have always been here.  As I have said before, we know this is where we should be:)

One of our most adventurous activities has been creating our garden, which is very large compared to what we have planted in the past.  So far, so good, except for the creature that helped itself to one of my mounds of corn!  Our cantaloupe sprouted today...cute little sprouts!!!

We have discovered, though not to our surprise, that the Cherokee Purple tomatoes we planted on the NNE side  (knowing they would get limited sun) and the Russian Black tomatoes we planted on the SSE  side (not thinking the sun would be as limited as it is) are not getting nearly enough sun.  I have been "working" on Mountain Man, trying to get him to understand the value of cutting a few trees to get more sunlight where it is needed (he is not a fan of cutting down trees).  But hooray, sweet success, for today he agreed. 

This is the SSE side before I, and yes, I mean I = me, myself, & I, felled the trees.  Mountain Man had to go get a few more tools to cut the trees on the NNE side, so I said, "I can do it!".  Just call me Lise the Log Cabin Lumberjack:)

It was fun and hard work, but I was very pleased that me, myself & I could make it happen...the photo above is before, and the photo below is the end result...

It's a little hard to see with the felled trees laying on the ground, but these few less trees should allow a bit more of the morning sun to reach the garden!  Oh, and what do I know about felling trees?

1. A tree will fall in the direction it is leaning unless you work really hard to have it do otherwise; I have not mastered this skill as a lone Lumberjack.
2. Trees are heavier than they look:)  When me, myself & I tried to move them (out of the road, because that is how they were leaning...better than toward the garden), I had to use muscles I don't recall having.  I also had to growl, or something like that, not sure what it sounded like!
3. The wood is hard, even with a battery powered chainsaw.  Oh, should I admit to this??? Does this relinquish me of my newly attained Lumberjack status?  Aw, heck no, I still did it me, myself & I!
4. Cutting into an Oak trunk that is 6" in diameter is a lot harder than it looks!  Those proud Oaks are very happy standing!
5. I would not want to do this for a living and have tremendous respect for loggers, years ago, whose job it was to remove ginormous trees, both in width and height...with no electric or gas chain saws!  Lordy be, glad that wasn't me!

OK, back to the job...we did the NNE side together, this is before (well, one tree down already) and after...

...should allow for more afternoon sun:)  We shall see!  The other excellent result is more logs for fire wood!!!  At least we don't have to lug these through the woods:)

Other grand things of interest about today...

It was a cool, foggy morning, this is a view of the mountain immediately to our North, I don't usually show this side, but loved how the fog was rolling in...

A beautiful white rhododendron with guest...

Wild Blackberries are beginning to ripen...my niece Sophia is anxious for some Blackberry jam!

What we now believe to be Wild Onion...an very interesting plant to watch develop...

And finally, two photos of this cool flower, this is the kind of natural stuff scifi writers get their ideas from, I am sure... 

...and closer...

...this could be a spaceship and the pod open to grab things (like people) to bring them to their planet...I know, far fetched, but don't you see it?  And if you look back at the white rhododendron with guest, the guest could be a creature too!

That is it for today, 2 months into this adventure and I believe I will never want this to end!  I mean that with all my heart.  After everything we are learning, seems to me I will want to put those learning's into action...time will tell.  But for now, living our lives to the fullest:)

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

Deck Prep Stump Removal

Robert was able to fix his big machine and get started with our stump removal today...what a job!  I am no expert, but Robert is, and it was like watching surgery, removal of an unwanted, dead appendage that is...(ewww)...OK, not ugly like that, but really a science in getting it done.

The beginning...

...hole on the other side of the stump...

...this is Robert, very intense, as any good surgeon should be...

...now we have a really big hole surrounding the stump & you can see Mountain man collecting rocks from the dig (for our drainage system, we are only using what we can gather from our property)...

...beginning to move the stump (this is actually two Hemlock trunks that grew together and then died as a result of the Hemlock blight, we don't have a single living Hemlock left;

I'll write more about the blight another time)...

...now that's a stump!...

...Robert again, still very intense, this is a big stump!...

...bye bye stump...

...down into the woods the stump rolls...

...stumps new home in the woods, it will make some creatures very happy...

And then, boom, the big wonderful machine won't reverse...there is something about this job that the big wonderful machine is not liking very much...first yesterday with the hydraulics and now today with backing up...

So Robert had to take his big wonderful machine back home, and called to tell us he thinks it might be a transmission problem.  Wouldn't you know it that Robert has not had a problem with this thing for years...must be something about the stump.

Anyway, now we have a really big hole (not going to share that photo because I figure, power of positive thinking, the hole will be gone soon).  But I mean to tell you this is a really big hole, if I stood in it, it would come to my waistline.  At least it isn't something I could trip into, can't miss the darn thing!

So, it has been a successful day, all said and done.  We just need to wait for the big wonderful machine to work again so we can remove one more stump (a much smaller one) and fill the holes!

Have you ever had a big project that got halted midstream because of a malfunction?

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

Lise

PS Did I tell you the corn has sprouted?  Now we just need to wait until it is 4" high and then we can plant the beans and squash to compete the three sisters patch.

Thank You to the Best F/F/R/S/F's & About Today

You are the Best f/f/r/s/f's!  Thank you for your comments today!  It tickled me to see so many responses.  It made me laugh out loud with joy, seriously!  I've known I am on the right path, but each of your confirming thoughts helped me through my hump.  I heart you so much, thanks and thanks and thanks!!!

One correction, I told you yesterday to email me if you have trouble making a comment, but I gave the wrong email address, the correct one would be liseslogcabinlife@gmail.com.

As for today...

Well, it was cold.  Unexpectedly cold.  Really cold.  Put your woollies and layers on cold.  We don't have TV, well we do, but we only get 3 PBS stations, which are great, but they don't tell the local weather.  And yes, we have Internet so I can keep in touch with y'all (and others:) ), but we have limited gigs we can use, so I, well, never mind.  Let it just be enough to say I was not expecting to be so cold during the night and it was a wood burning stove fire morning! In June no less, I love it!

Our friend and neighbor Robert came to help us remove some stumps today (see the double one below), in preparation for deck building.    

But his big machine decided not to work.  This is Johny, Robert & Ron (neighbor), befuddled (I like this word) by the problem.  They are still befuddled at this moment in time, and the stumps have not been removed yet.  Tomorrow is another day, may the big machine work!

This is Robert leaving...poo poo. 

  

Other exciting news from today...

I discovered a snow pea sprouted, only 1, (they were old seeds), but 1 makes me happy...it may end up being stir fry for 1, or salad for 1, or beans off the stalk for 1...( 1=me:) )

This is a close up of either wild garlic or onion, we are still waiting to see as it unfolds...but it is a really unusual and beautiful plant, the little string is new today, can't wait to see what that turns into.  The second photo is several of them together, very long stem, this pod near the top, and then a little bit more stem, and there are only a few that grow together, separate stalks in a grouping of 5 or less (that is what we have seen so far)...

I had lots of good comments about the Tiger Lily, it has new blooms (I did not realize the bloom only lives for one day) and here is another photo...I focuses on the pollen, made me think about my Best f/f/r/s/f's and how you are a little like pollen, spreading the word:)





One last note about today...I mowed almost the entire lawn, this includes the straight up hillsides, the sloping hillsides, the flat spaces, and all around the plant spaces...and I am still not done...my body is pooped!!!  Ron, our friend and neighbor, said as he watched me work a little this morning ( when he came to see what Robert was doing at our place:) ), that I would be a slimmer, trimmer me...ha ha, I said yes, that is part of the plan!

That is it for today my Best f/f/r/s/f's.  Thank you again for being so supportive and responsive!

Thanks for reading my blog, see you tomorrow,

Lise





True Confessions & Desires

When Mountain Man and I came to our log cabin, it was to simplify our lives and live off the land for one year.  An important part of that plan for me was to create a blog and write about our adventure.  So far, so good, we know we are exactly where we are supposed to be, HERE!

...stormy today...

I will begin with the end in mind...both yesterday and today, I have received comments from 2 readers I have not previously "met".  I knew about the comment from yesterday, but I have only just read today's comment.  Regardless (this will make more sense shortly), I will continue to post my thoughts for today as I originally intended. Because it is from my heart. Because you, my faithful family/friends/readers/subscribers/followers (now to be known as f/f/r/s/f), are important to me.  And I know all is evolving exactly as it should, and I continue to move confidently in the direction of my dreams (Thoreau).

When I began my blog on April 4th, I was amazed at the number of pageviews each day, and how quickly my friends and family (that would be you, my faithful f/f/r/s/f, thank you!) subscribed for daily email updates and as followers.  I discovered that I can look at my blog stats (traffic, referral sources, number of pageviews, etc) each day, which gives me the chance to see who my audience is. This is a good thing.  Except the 'driven/have got to get it right' part of me is still alive and strong, and even though I work hard at channeling that into an internal competitiveness of how quickly I can get to the mailbox and back, or through the woods with a wheelbarrow full of logs...I have noticed that my blog audience (don't get me wrong, I appreciate each and every one of you) isn't growing as quickly as I would like.

Why is this important?  Well, I am a writer, and I intend on becoming the best writer I can be.  And in doing so, will move my professional life toward new and exciting things that include writing, and talking to people about my writing, and writing about my Log Cabin Life, and talking to people about my Log Cabin Life...you get the picture...

Speaking of pictures...

...this little furry beauty is a Virginian Tiger Moth, looks soft enough to pet!...

Back to my point, I've learned, as I have jumped further into "blog world"...reading and following relevant blogs (to me), seeing how "seasoned bloggers" do things, learning how to utilize more blogging tools...that writing in this realm is, well, an art, and a field filled with talented people (yikes, danger zone, the 'c' word...I mean competitive, ha ha, had you going there).

I was thrilled when Tipper of Blind Pig & the Acorn asked me if she could use my Car Wave Hello post as a guest post on her blog.  WOO HOO!  It was a wonderful compliment to be asked in the first place, but I also gained several new readers and followers as a result.  I still get excited when I look at that post, it fills me with continued enthusiasm and the confidence that I am doing exactly what I should be doing, and this in-and-of-itself is success!

All that said, I feel like...

...I am moving at a snails pace; this little fellow was on our road this morning after returning from the garden (and discovering the corn has sprouted, woo hoo!)

I have found, this is my true confession, that I am completely challenged with getting readers (that would be you, my faithful f/f/r/s/f's, don't get me wrong, I appreciate each and every one of you, whether you comment or not) to comment on my posts.  And while I write because I love it, and I want to capture the experience of living off the land for a year, and I will continue to write each day no matter what, I am also interested in your comments and feedback.  Lara Britt, in her blog Writing Space, has a section, An Experiment in Co-Creation, and I can not explain my interest about you commenting any more succinctly than she has.  You can click on the link to read more, but in brief, Lara says

"Writers do not write in a vacuum.  Readers are an integral element to the equation...Interaction with you, My Dear Readers, makes this experiment dynamic dialogue rather than stilted monologue." 

I am so pleased I came across her blog (and signed up for email updates, and no, I did not comment there yet, so I understand not always wanting to do so immediately), because it is this description that gave me the "brave" to write this post.

So, this is my desire, when you read a post you find interesting, please leave me a comment.  Or if you just want to say hi, please leave me a comment.  Or if you want to disagree with something I have written, please leave me a comment.  Or if you have a suggestion, please leave me a comment.  Or if you don't have anything to say but you want me to have some comments, please leave me a comment.  

It's really not difficult, just click on the comment link, identify yourself - only your name will be posted, or you can remain anonymous, and comment away!  And if you find yourself befuddled and need a helping hand, just email me at liseslogcabinlife@google.com and I will do my best to guide you through the steps. 

OK, truth be told, I have one more true confession.  I would like to find more people who are interested in reading about my adventures, you know, build my audience, broaden my horizons, more faithful f/f/r/s/f's.  Oh yes, and comment leavers:)  So this is my second desire, if you know someone who just might be interested in reading about Lise's Log Cabin Life, forward them a link to my blog:).  They just might be interested, sign up for email updates, or follow my blog.  Then again, they may not, and that is OK too.

And now I am getting ready to click publish, and thinking to myself, good golly, what if no one comments?  That will be OK too, because I will keep on writing, keep on posting, and I will know that you, my faithful f/f/r/s/f's, just don't want to comment:)

I'll leave you with one more photo, this is of some sort of wheaty/grass by the road, I found it beautifully peaceful...

Oh, btw, I am going to try to stay updated on Pinterest and Twitter as well, you know, building audience, etc...so if you are so inclined, you can find me there.  I also post my blog on Facebook each day...at some point, I will figure out how to put those like buttons right on the blog so you can click directly.  So far, that tool continues to befuddle me!

And one more thought, some of you do comment via my email address, and I love that too.  The thing is, blogs have this "community potential", in that as one person comments, then does another, then does another, and soon, you have a community of faithful f/f/r/s/f's who are exchanging about your blog.  This evolves into more faithful f/f/r/s/f's, and interested potentials, you follow (ha ha, pun intended)...I would like that with/for www.Lise'sLogCabinLife.com...

Thanks for your ongoing support, and really, I treasure you, my faithful f/f/r/s/f's!
Thank you for reading my blog, see you tomorrow,
Lise