Monthly Archives: October 2013

More Barns and Beans

I have been looking at barns recently. I wish that every barn had a good home–just like cats and dogs. Here’s two that hit the lottery. They were in not-so-great shape a few years ago, but now they’re showing off.

Like this one…it’s even got a sign.

Mendota Farms Barn

And here’s its buddy…across the road.

Mendota Farms Other Barn

I like those barns because they are full of hay…planning for winter. That is what I’m doing, too. I’ve been trimming the shrubbery so I won’t have to do it in the spring. Here’s how messy it looked…

Before Trimming

I divided the daylillies which were like tree trunks. They have not been divided since the house was landscaped 14-15 years ago so they weren’t blooming very well. They may never bloom now, but I just had to do something so I took the shovel to them. I felt like Lizzie Borden out there axing away at the roots.

Day Lily Boulder

And after I gave everything a haircut and divided the daylillies, I took this picture. This area could use some mulch, but we’ll wait until spring. Right now, I just wanted it to look neat.

After

And Mike, who apparently has gotten in touch with his flowering side, has been out saving every zinnia seed. Who is this man and what did he do with my husband? He has the dried flowers in plastic bins like this sitting on top of our freezer so that all the moisture will be gone leaving about a gazillion seeds for next year.

Zinnia Heads

And here’s something I am definitely going to work on next spring. I stuck a few Mountaineer Half Runner beans in the raised beds late in the summer. Since I never watered them, they didn’t do very well. However, one survived and thrived. It’s got beans on it! I ate one! This will be how we plant beans next year, as all of the raised beds have had root crops in them this year. It’s not good to put your onions and potatoes (root crops) in the same spot, so the beans will be a nice change for the raised beds, and can you just imagine how pretty the tunnels will look if the beans climb like this one?

Mountaineer Half Runner

However, next year’s garden will have to wait. Something more important…like the Dear Girls waiting for their evening ride to bark at deer. We saw 32 yesterday. I do love my doggies.

Dear Girls

Tobacco Road – Mendota, Virginia

On Sunday afternoon, Mike’s son pulled out of the driveway after a quick weekend visit to Mendota, and I decided to take the dear girls for a ride. They are so stiff that I have to lift them into the truck, but they so enjoy their rides. My back is going to break before they are gone, but that’s okay. We took the camera on our ride and took a few pictures of the road work at Barnrock Road.

Here’s where Swinging Bridge Road intersects with Barnrock Road. The new road will be behind that black plastic…I’m not sure how the cut off onto Swinging Bridge will look. The Elk Knob folks who are working on this road seem to be focused on the other end at the present time.

Barn Rock Road Curve

And here’s where Granny Bott’s house was…

Barn Rock Road Intersection

Here’s how it looked a few months ago…

Granny Bott's House

I drove up to where Barnrock intersects with the Mendota Road which I still call “802”. Before the county actually named the roads, we called them by their route numbers. For instance, I live on 614. If I go up through Rich Valley, I’m traveling 700.

Sign

There is a new huge culvert/drain area running along the onset of Barnrock Road. Does VDOT know something we don’t? It’s true we have had water running across the road in this area but this thing could divert the North Fork of the Holston River! Here it is….

Another picture…I told you it was huge!
Huge trench

Here’s another…it’s as wide as the road.

Huge Huge Trench

I walked up the road (802) a bit and saw something I’ve been looking for. It was right under my nose. If you don’t know what this is, you aren’t over 40 and you weren’t raised in Washington County, Virginia. It’s the “premium leaf”…Burley tobacco.

Burley Surprise 1

Mr. Burley…I’ve been looking for you….

Burley Barn

Mr. Burley, I smell you…yes sir I do….

Burley 1

You’ll be “in case” or “in order” soon and then you’ll be sold. There will be a check to cash. I remember Mother and Daddy getting their check, and I’d get shoes! So long ago…so much has changed, so it’s nice to see your familiar face.

Cozart #1…Cozart #2…hey Mr. Burley I’ve been lookin’ for you!

Burley 2

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage. I hope you’ll come back. Please comment in the comment section or BETTER YET, subscribe so that future blog posts will be delivered to your email.

Dear Honeybees

Dear Honeybees,

Since you arrived at the end of May, I have made over 100 trips to your home. When I visit you, I bring you sugar water. Since May, you have consumed over 300 pounds of sugar. You should be sweet by now.

Sugar Water

You are not sweet. No…quite the reverse. You have rewarded me by stalking me. On a good day, you hitchhike and ride on my clothing while I’m outside. On a bad day, and there are lots of bad days, you are just mean. Mowing? Only on your terms else I’m chased. Due to you, liquid Benedryl has become a staple in my house. You have taken possession of my home recycling center, my garage entry, and you think the sheets on the clothesline are yours, too. You love my flowers and plants, but you get mad when I water them. What is it with you?

When my husband washed the car, you sent one of your guards out to sting his big toe, which grew to be really big. He was just washing the car????

In the near future, I’m going to cut off your sugar water. Did you hear that? No sugar water!! What do you think of that?

God Intervenes

lots of bees

Our beekeeping came to an abrupt halt in late winter when we realized every honeybee was dead. We were able to extract the honey left in the hives and we did that. We cleaned the boxes (supers) for all eight hives as best we could and stored them in Mike’s shop. We’ve since re-established three hives, but that left a lot of bee “houses” and supplies down in the shop. Even though we froze the frames to kill wax moths, we’ve still had moth activity destroying a portion of the stored combs. This week, Gerald and Mike pulled everything out to determine what to keep and what to destroy.

There was still residual honey in the boxes, and they set them out on the porch of the shop thinking our honeybees might discover and clean them. Honeybees are really good at finding honey. Mike said that within just a few minutes, there were six or seven bees investigating. Within 60 minutes, there were hundreds…maybe over a thousand…honeybees working to get that honey residue out of the boxes, fighting with each other over who the honey belonged to, and warning Mike and Gerald to get away while honey work was going on. Honeybees are very effective in their warning skills. Mike and Gerald left the shop as quickly as the bees showed up.

Mike could not enter the shop all day yesterday. The bees were like gladiators. This morning, he told me that since these were my bees, I could suit up and go down to the shop and move the bee boxes away from the door so that he could get in. He was right, but I was so irked. I didn’t want to get out of bed.

Mike went out and called out for me to come outside. I was in my pajamas and barefoot. Very annoyed at him. And then God intervened, and my day just changed completely.

Here’s what I saw when I went outside…the picture does not do it justice.

Pink Sky 1

Look at Clinch Mountain rolling up there in the background…

Pink Sky 2

Whew..what can I say?

Pink Sky 3

And just like that…it was over. I was down at the shop and even though it was early, a few hard-working honeybees were already there…maybe 50-60. I picked the boxes up and moved them away from the door. The bees didn’t mind. I was humming…they were humming.

Bee Hives

It was all good. Did you see the pink sky? Did your mood lighten?

Fall In the Country

Hello Fall…I love you! Today I’m linking up to a party at Rhoda’s of Southern Hospitality...it’s all about fall — outside the house! Please go look at Rhoda’s site and see all of the fall pretties she and others have put together.

Fall I love you

When you live in the country, it’s easy to get foddershocks. Yep..these used to be corn and now they are showing off in the front yard! We’ve eaten corn, the animals have eaten corn, and the foddershocks are the corn’s last hurrah! I put the bow on just before it got dark.

Fodder Shock With Bow Resized

Since I live in a rural area called Mendota, Virginia, I use things that reflect our country life. Simple things…like plain field pumpkins. This pumpkin has a story. Three pumpkins per year is the payment we receive from Mr. Faust who cuts and uses our hay. Works for me!

Fall Neil's Pumpkin

The grape cart has been with me since my house was built in 1998. I ordered it from an ad in a magazine. I called the 1.800 number about 2 am one night when I could not sleep. I thought I’d get a recording or a call center. What I got was the sleepy wife of the man who made it. It’s just the right size for summer squash and gourds from our garden along with a couple of mums from Lowe’s.

Here it is from a step back…a very traditional fall look. I wanted some white pumpkins, and I grew two, but they came in early and already have started to rot. Just my luck! That’s Sammy…my cat. If you live in the country, you seldom get to pick out a kitten. People from other places drive out here and throw them away…and sometimes, if the kitty is very, very lucky, it may find a home. Sammy did and he looks pretty in the picture. He is one mean cat!

Fall Grape Cart LP With Sam

This little wooden pumpkin is too primitive for inside the house, but it is sweet looking hanging off the grape cart. I believe after the picture was taken above, however, Sam the Cat peed on it. Not only is he mean, he has bad manners. Yuck Sam!

Fall Wood Pumpkin

The mums in the grape cart will be transferred to the ground when they start looking bad. I’ll put compost over them and next year, with a little luck, they’ll be back. Here’s former years’ “mums in a pot” enjoying their annual return…they are much bigger and better!

Mums

Here’s more pumpkins…including my homemade fabric pumpkins. I made the fabric pumpkins last year, and they are right back at work this year. They are stuffed with Walmart bags and pinto beans. I was so excited when I made them that I was jumping up and down. Gleeful! I thought I’d discovered something totally unique and felt brilliant. I then found that making fabric pumpkins is something everyone does! Oh well!

Cute Four Pumpkins

I don’t go over the top on the door but I do like a wreath, and this one works just fine. It’s not new, but it still has some life. Honestly, when you’ve reached a certain age (I’m 57), new and shiny is not always better. There is a comfort seeing an old friend again — even an old wreath friend!

Fall Door Wreath 2

Thank you for stopping by RiverCliff Cottage! Please come back! If you are visiting from the Linky Party, I would love it if you would leave a comment…you have to sort of “hunt it” like an Easter Egg. My comment section is going to be reworked…it seems like it disappears… but if you scroll just a little further down, you can find it.

September Unraveled

I am sitting here with Mike tonight, and he’s watching the Tom Cruise movie “Rock of Ages.” This is a stupid movie. I am so embarrassed for Tom Cruise. He is only a little younger than me, and I can tell you — I’d have better sense than to make such a silly movie in my 40’s. Look in the mirror Tom! You aren’t in your 20’s!!

Are you noticing that the days are getting shorter fast? It’s so nice to be semi-retired (still working a small bit) and able to sleep late on these cool mornings. However, I’ve got to use my time better. You’ve heard me say this before, but this time I mean it. Really. I’m going to lose weight.

Although I love this sweet faced cow…I don’t want to weigh as much as her.

cow 1

I’m doing a life style change in October. 20 minutes of exercise EVERY DAY. When I hook up with you and talk about what happened in October, I promise you that changes will be made! One of the changes is…gasp…Pal’s tea has got to go. Water. No tea.

I’ve been looking at pictures from the past month as well as RiverCliff Cottage’s results. Over 1500 people viewed Rivercliff Cottage in the past 30 days and they looked at about 3100 pages (posts). That’s not that many, but it’s way more than I ever thought would read this blog. I’m so thankful you stop by. I want more people to comment, but I realize my comment section is hard to find. Please look for it and say hello. I’m going to get that part of my site reworked soon.

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.