Saturday, October 20, 2012

Saturday, October 20, 2012

It rained all night. Perhaps this discouraged predators. Anyway, we did not catch anything. The rain let up around 9am and remained mostly cloudy but very warm.

Martin spent the day hunting with another friend and brought in some more birds. He stopped by here for a late snack before driving back to Biddeford. Abby made another beautiful salad, I made an omelet and baked blue potatoes that Martin brought from Presque Isle.

DS John called from Adelaide. One of their exchange students has left, the term being over. They were not too disappointed, as she had become a vegetarian with all the accompanying inconvenience and high mindedness.Every meal now included tofu, “a little white quivering blob almost spiritual in its perfection”, as John described it.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

The day began warm and moist and then turned rainy and cold.  There had been so much rain and warmish weather that the grass is pretty good. The animals all look pleased as they spread out to graze. I have not had much trouble calling them in.

Abby and I went to the dump and then to Weld to check the sump pump in Marcia’s camp. While Martin was around this weekend he heard the sump beeper going but could not get in. We did find water in the cellar but I was able to start the pump thanks to Martin’s hints on how to do it. 

DD Marcia sent me a marvelous picture of my great granddaughter Violet Anastasia Moranda Boles, age two and a half. I call her my Russian princess. Such eyebrows.

Monday, October 22, 2012

The cows and sheep came in perfectly. Fern’s production has dropped off a quart, often a sign the cow has settled. Sally hopes she is not preggers. She wanted me to wait and breed her so that the calf would be born when she is here but I forgot.

For the last couple of days when I let the sheep out there is a lot of butting and mounting taking place.

Abby was over here from her house earlier than usual. She immediately announced that she is moving out of Sally’s DLH (Dear Little House) and in with me. Night after night she has been troubled by a vehicle hovering in front of her house. There was no reason to think it had anything to do with her but nonetheless seemed sinister.  Last night around midnight she was awakened by somebody violently rattling the light weight back door to the old porch and partially removed shed. The intruder would have had to climb 4ft. up the siding to get to it. Of course she was terrified. She crept off her bed to find her cell phone, turning on the light to do so, and yelled “Who are you and what do you wan t?”  The rattling ceased. She got back onto her bed because she knew the intruder would not be able to see her from there. Unfortunately cell phone coverage from her place is nearly non existent, especially in that part of the room but she prayed for bars to show on her phone and on her third attempt she got one bar and was able to call 911. The dispatcher was very sluggish in her response. Abby kept telling her “The man is here, he is still outside the house”. Then the dispatcher figured out that Abby was in Franklin County notOxford County and transferred her over. Abby was so terrified she could barely speak to give her story all over again and then tell the sheriff, “No, it is not the wind shaking my door.” Twenty minutes later a sheriff arrived, an old guy.. He seemed doubtful of her story. Maybe he didn’t like having to go out on a call. Pretty soon another younger sheriff arrived who was much more disposed to find out what had happened. Abby reminded them that last year there was a prowler and a shot was fired next to the house and she did not report it until morning and was admonished to call immediately next time something happened. By this time of course the prowler had vanished. One can’t help wondering if the intruder at DD Marcia’s camp was the same one and is in fact a stalker. Just a thought. My vet, Dr. Cooper, stopped by today to drop off some meds. When we told him about it he said we needed a German Police dog.

(Some corrections were added on Tuesday to this account)

I made a nice simple supper if sausage, mashed potatoes and fresh spinach.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

DD Abby got a better night’s sleep. All was quiet here. However when she went over to her place to continue packing she found evidence that someone had again attempted to enter. She is beginning to feel nervous about going over even during daylight hours.

It was a fine day. Hard frost is predicted for tonight followed by a warming trend.

Fern’s production was up slightly today, 2 gallons and a quart.

Abby is in the kitchen making an apple pie – perfect comfort food.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

It was down to 25F this morning, a really hard frost. Later the sun came out and right by the house it got warm enough for bees to visit the margarita flowers. It is cold again tonight.

The animals are all fine.

Abby went out on errands and brought home a heavy brass hook and eye for my kitchen door which she mounted as a safety lock. That door is now impenetrable.

Abby has her suitcase all packed. She had left herself very little to do tomorrow, her last day. Friday she wants to go to Farmington farmer’s market to say goodbye to Mitra as it appears that Shireen will not be able to drive her to the airport as previously planned.

Friday, October 26, 2012

It was bright and warm today. Abby went to her house to run the vac and saw that someone had again tried the door.

            DD Marcia sent a box with a jar of her superb quince sauce. I served it over a sponge cake that I  made from a recipe in Guideposts. It is incredibly easy:

2 sticks of soft bitter

2 cups of sugar

6 eggs

2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

And I added 1 tablespoon of King Arthur powdered lemon juice.

Beat these together in the order given and beat with the stand mixer for 15 minutes.

Note that there is no leavening.

Bake in a prepared Bundt pan, oven 325F, about 45 minutes

Let cool 10 minutes in pan before inverting onto a rack.

Abby raved about this cake.

Marcia also sent one of her SIL Ernie’s hand blown glass pumpkins. It is a lovely thing like a paperweight, solid orange, weighing ¾ lb.

We are off in the morning to meet SIL Amy G and Martin at the Bread Shack in Auburn. They will take her the rest of the way to the airport.

I closed the cows into the barnyard so when I go out extra early I won’t have to call them.