Last Three Months In Pictures

    If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then this post will give me a chance to catch up with some of you    The past 3 months have been some of the busiest  in years. 

      I know how to build “margin” in my life, and it’s slim….Ready?  Here goes…

We played host to a family reunion in July.  Wife’s siblings (she’s one of 7) were all back in town to connect.  I love my wife’s family.   They’re not perfect but they really work at staying involved in each others lives. They are scattered all over the United States.  I took one of my nephews to work one day:

Nephew bonding with Uncle Doug, pouring cement

Late July we hosted concert # 3  in the 2009 Bear River Concert series.  Here’s a picture of  Jesse Martin, Gayla Drake Paul and myself after the show

In 1999 I stayed several days with a family in California while attending a conference.  We’ve kept in touch ever since.  Catherine and her son Jonathan came for a visit. She was originally from the Midwest, came back for a school reunion, wanted Jonathan to connect with some of his roots.  This is a picture of all of us one Sunday morning

Here’s Jonathan seeing what potatoes look like fresh from the garden

Here’s Jonathan petting one of the hens.  I think it’s Joy

In early August, I got a call from someone saying “Let’s do it”  We’d been talking about building him a new 26,000 sq ft warehouse.  Here’s a picture of the first day digging footings.  Once we broke ground, this project  has been a priority .

We had 11 inches of rain the first 2 weeks of this job, our ditches had to be repeatedly pumped out in order to pour the wall and footings.  Here’s one area with 5 feet of water in mud.  Made for some long days

 

  

Dad always said, never ask someone to do something you won’t do yourself (I think many of our government leaders missed that lecture)  Here’s a picture of nephew, son and myself  bucketing mud off the footings.  The mud was too thick for the sump pump so we did it old school.

 

Speaking of school, I started teaching part time in a new community college building.  This is a picture of me in the shop. I teach 2 construction related classes from 12:30 till 2 Monday through Friday.   I love the class, have a great bunch of guys, but it has been brutal in terms of  my schedule.  I go to my first job (building new warehouse) from 7:30 till 11:15 , run home, clean up, head to the school, teach, then go back to the construction site.  In the evenings, most nights I have to work on the lesson plan for the next day.  It has really cut into the time I typically blog.

    In late August, we hosted concert # 4 with GDP 3.  Here’s a view through my video camera. 

Here’s a picture of the cement pump starting to pour the floor in the warehouse.

 

Forgot to mention, we have a bumper crop in the orchard this year, so we’ve started picking apples.  Here’s two little cousins picking apples

 

Here’s a picture of my son with some of the cortlands

   Last week friend and fellow blogger Kristina and family came for a visit.  I think we all made lots of memories.  Here’s a picture of us after we got off the river kayaking. 

Here’s a picture of Kristina in the kitchen cooking w/o meat.  She really is a great cook.   I could get used to having a full time maid

 Applejam (Concert #5) took place over the weekend that Kristina and family was here. They were a great help.  I’m guessing there were at least 120 people here for that.  Here’s a picture of a brother sister duo who were awesome.  He sang a Neil Young song that sounded as good as the original.

Young lady on the right  just finished singing @ Applejam.

     I did get on stage and sing an Alison Kraus song with Kathy, DJ and Lori during Applejam.

I’m going to have to stop there.      Wanted to stay in touch w/ those of you that are regular readers.- later- DM

Photo highlights of Our May 30th folk concert

         The Sill barn on the   Camp Courageous   property came alive this past Saturday night.   More than seventy Five people enjoyed an evening of great music in a rustic barn nestled back in the  tall pines.   The Dalziels and Beth Wood can each  hold their own with the best of them- Both have been finalists more than once @ theKerville folk festival, Beth won it in 2005.   If you have a second, check out that link to Kerville.  I’d never heard of it before we started hosting  music festivals..the level of talent will blow you away. 

      “The acoustics in the barn are so good, you might not even need a sound system.”  Scott Dalziel   commented 

      Judy F.(who attended the event with her husband Jamie)  said one of the things she loved about Saturday night was she could understand the words, it wasn’t just a bunch of noise.

    It’s hard to describe how magic the night really was.  If you’re not doing anything June 27th another evening is in the works.  A group called the Small Potatoes is coming to Monticello   We’ve already gotten calls from people as far away as the Twin Cities telling us they are coming. Most (not all)  of these artists coming for the concert series are  hand picked by Michelle Dalziel herself.   

        On July  18th Gayla Drake Paul is coming, she’s on a list of the top 100 acoustic guitarists on the planet!-

    Another fun project we have in the works with this concert series is a music DVD with highlights of the series.  A local TV station is taping each of the concerts and asked me to interview the artists  one on one for some “behind the music” clips as well. 

  Here are some photos from last Saturday night:

Here’s Michelle and Scott Dalziel, Beth Wood and the Mrs and I right after the concert

Here’s a picture of the crowd

Here’s my daughter Katie and her BF Jason helping us with check in

This is my co-worker and daughter Beka and her boyfriend Frank helping out at the merchandise table.

   

     

Pictorial highlights of my week

  “In the best of times, our days are numbered anyway.  So it would be a crime against nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly, that it put off enjoying those things for which we were designed in the first place:  the opportunity to do good work, to enjoy friends, to fall in love, to hit a ball and bounce a baby.”    Alistair Cook

    Photo of Grandson and I.  He and his sister were feeling under the weather this week. His mama (my eldest) came for a week to visit her mama  (my wife) as she celebrated her 50th birthday.  It was great having them around.

       Tuesday morning I met w/ Matt to firm up details for the Bear River Concert series we are putting together this Summer.  Here’s the logo for the series.  Some of you have already seen it on face book:

       Eldest daughter showed me this  Pixar  clip .  It  is right @ the top of my list for this weeks highlights.  I’ve watched it at least a dozen times.  Don’t let the fact that it is an animation fool you.  There is a profound life changing principle woven into its  4 minutes and 42 seconds:

 

 

      The orchard is stirring with new life.  If the buds on the trees are any indication, it looks to be a bumper crop.  Here is a photo of  a Liberty apple tree.  Keep in mind, every flower is potentially an apple:

 

 

     Wednesday night, I was invited to watch Master Gardener Laura L. demonstrate some basic grafting techniques.  As our orchard gets established, I would like to start doing some of this for fun:

Daughter number 3 and I worked around the property this week .  Here is a photo of us just after we finished assembling her shiny new wheel barrow:

     Saturday was weather perfect.  I had staked out a new area for a garden, discovered the topsoil was gone,  even though the location is perfect, so I went to plan B, build and fill some raised garden beds.    We have acres of black topsoil behind the  barn, so I grabbed daughter #3′s shiny new wheelbarrow, mixed topsoil, sheep dung, and some of that white stuff you see in potting soil together to create (4)  4 ft by 4 ft square foot raised  garden beds.  My long  term goal is to add  4 inches each year, until the beds are 2 to 3 ft high.  That way, when I’m old and feeble, I won’t have to bend down so far.  What do you think?  BTW, the wood is non-toxic 2 by 4′s which will eventually rot but as Michael  cautioned me on face book, the green wood can be toxic and leach into the soil. Here’s a picture of my handiwork from Saturday:

   Here’s a recent photo of Winston the pig .   Last night I went to check on her, and after a couple of minutes scratching her head, she laid on her side and wanted me to rub her belly.  I’ve never had a 300 pound pet pig before. A farmer told me this week, she may reach  800- 900 pounds.  I cut back on the grain now that she’s in the pasture :

  So what were some of your highlights from the past week?

I am an Orchardist

        2002 we planted (40)  Cortland, Gala, Honey-crisp and Red Delicious apple trees. 

    In 2003 we added Suncrip, braeburn, and Gingergold- (60 more trees all together)

         I felt in partnership with nature,  watching the young trees respond to my touch.

       I have been  telling  people,  for me, it’s not work, it’s therapy. 

        The first 3 or 4 year of a young tree’s life  (they’re called a whip)   are the most important in terms of the mature tree’s shape. 

         I have  felt like an artist creating  a living work of art.    I could already see them laden with  fruit like this picture from our 2007 growing season:

 

 

     Flash forward to this week. 

    I  decided to get a jump on pruning since  I had a break between construction projects.

      The  trees this year are taking  10 to 20 minutes per tree to prune - one tree took me  30 minutes.

    What I’m slowly discovering  (and no body told me) was  when you prune a branch,    the tree responds by  growing two, three, and sometimes four branches in response.  (think Hydra monster)

 

 

Here’s me this week in the West orchard: (not to be confused with the East orchard)

 

    Here’s a shot of those trees covered with frost:

 

Here’s me in the East orchard:

        Oh, did  I mention I placed an order for an additional 40 trees this past Fall- due to arrive on or around April 1st?

     Anybody want to come to a “tree planting party”  or  be mentored in the  art of pruning an apple tree?

       I’m willing to teach you

Stay tuned… this post is just a rough draft, I hope to include some specific instructions on how to prune an apple tree.

In The Mood

 

The Promise of Bread

Out on the frozen uplands, underneath the snow
      and sleet,
In the bosom of the plowland sleeps the Promise
      of the Wheat.
With the ice for head-and-footstone, and a snowy
      shroud outspread
In the frost-locked tomb of winter sleeps the Miracle
      of Bread….

^___C. L. Edson

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     There is something very  earthy to  me about making bread . 

      I can still see my grandma- we called her “Oma” standing by her kitchen table with flour on her hands. 

     She was a Jedi  bread master.

   

   Before she died, I asked her to teach me how  to make bread her way.    Below  is a picture of her shortly before she died and a copy of her recipe:

 

         At supper last night I was eating a piece of store bought wheat bread.  It wasn’t your normal looking loaf – no, it was sort of round,  had a grainy texture. 

      I thought to myself- this bread is delicious.

       Then it struck-  the mood to make bread

     I’m going to let you in on a little secret- you can be masculine and still enjoy baking bread.   

    In the mid 1990′s I was running a framing crew.    One day at break, the conversation  turned to a bar   Scott had in his lunch bucket.   Next day, he comes up to me real quiet  on the sly and whispers…”Don’t let anyone know you and I are trading recipe’s”  

    Not to worry Scott…I won’t tell a soul  

    The  first  photo  is a close up  of  the bread I  baked this morning.

   

 The words of the poem  are especially  meaningful  to me today- 12 inches of snow/ 20 below Zero temp.

Read them again if you want- slowly…

     What better way to celebrate another snow day than to make bread from scratch- old school-  can’t you just smell it…

Pictorial snapshots of Iowa January 2009

“Have ye leisure, comfort, calm, shelter, food, love’s gentle balm?  Or what is it ye buy so dear with your pain and with your fear?”

Percy Bysshe Shelly

(My wife has this posted on our frig on an index card)

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  January 14th 2009

    We got 8  more inches of the white fluffy stuff last night.    Tonight the temperature is supposed to dip to 20 degrees below zero F not counting windchill.  Brrrrrrrr.  As of yesterday, we’ve already had 10 more inches of snow than we did this time last year.

     This morning I took my Cannon Powershot A560 with me to capture some of my day.   

      The first picture was actually taken 2 days ago when the windbreak to the West  was  covered with frost.

    Second photo- Around noon, one of our neighbors arrived unannounced and uninvited to blow the snow out of our yard and driveway-  This was the 3rd time this month- he doesn’t want anything in payment-  What do you think we should do to thank him? 

    Third photo-  I saw some little red berries on the asparagus plant  this morning and took that photo.

     Finally, for those of you that know Winston, here’s a picture of her just waking up.   I’m betting she will really be burrowed in tomorrow morning. 

 

 

 

      Mostly just wanted to let those of you that know us know we’re  fine.

Iowa Blizzards Make You Tough (or Crazy)

   ( I took this picture Winter 2007-08 just east of our home when the wind quit blowing)

    I just got off the phone with my mom, she said there’s a 35 degree below zero windchill this morning.

    Here is the forecast for today (December 21 2008) for Eastern Iowa:

Northwest winds will roar across eastern Iowa today as an extremely tight
pressure gradient between low pressure to the east and high pressure to
the northwest continues to dominate our weather in the short term . 
Ground blizzard conditions are likely with whiteout conditions in open
areas, making travel extremely dangerous.  A Blizzard Warning and Winter
Storm Warning will stay in effect.  It’s likely that some highways and
county roads in open areas may drift over completely, especially in
northeast Iowa due to the deep snowpack currently on the ground.  In
addition, dangerously low wind chills between -30 and -40 will be
observed as temperatures stay below zero today and tonight, creating
life-threatening conditions if you are caught outdoors for an extended
period of time.  Have a winter survival kit in your car if you must
venture out.  Be safe, and watch for further updates.

______________________________________

 

And finally, on a lighter note, here  is my Winter journal from 2007   (well, sort of) ____________________________________________________

 

December 8
6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!
December 9
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I’ve ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life.
December 12
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we’ll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we’ll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I’ll never want to see snow again. I don’t think that’s possible. Bob is such a nice man, I’m glad he’s our neighbor.
December 14
Snow lovely snow! 8″ last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life!
The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn’t realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I’ll certainly get back in shape this way.
December 15
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4×4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife’s car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer.
The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that’s silly. We aren’t in Alaska, after all.
December 16
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like heck. The wife laughed for one hour, which I think was very cruel.
December 17
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere.
Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should’ve bought a wood stove, but won’t admit it to her. God I hate it when she’s right. I can’t believe I’m freezing to death in my own living room.
December 20
Electricity’s back on, but had another 14″ of the d___ stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Darn snowplow came by twice.
Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they’re too busy playing hockey. I think they’re lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they’re out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they’re lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he’s lying.
December 22
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it’s so cold it probably won’t melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to go to the bathroom. By the time I got undressed, did my thing and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he’s too busy. I think the jerk is lying.
December 23
Only 2″ of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!! Why didn’t she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she’s lying.
December 24
6″. Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the man who drives that snowplow I’ll drag him through the snow by his nose and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I’ve just been!
Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the snowplow.
December 25
Merry -bleeping- Christmas! 20 more inches of the slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s a fricking idiot. If I have to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” one more time, I’m going to stuff her into the microwave.
December 26
Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She’s really getting on my nerves.
December 27
Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze, plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1400 to replace all my pipes.
December 28
Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. THE WITCH is driving me crazy!!!
December 29
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That’s the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?
December 30
Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver he is now suing me for a million dollars not only the beating I gave him but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up where the sun don’t shine. The wife went home to her mother. 9″ predicted.
December 31
I set fire to what’s left of the house. No more shoveling.
January 8
Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

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I personally love the the diversity of the 4 seasons, couldn’t get me to live anywhere else.   One of my pet peeves  is listening to someone whine about the weather. 

Question-  What do you do to pass your time when you’re stuck inside because of the weather?   How about if the electricity goes out?  Then what?

 

Wild Thang

     Tuesday morning as I was walking out the door I spotted this eagle sitting in the pine tree just North of our house.  I only got one picture - the batteries in the camera went dead - In this shot, it looks like he is landing, he’s actually taking off.

     If you like the picture, feel free to save it, down load it, share it- just mention where you got it-  Thanks.

Coyote track

     That same morning  out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a coyote trotting down our gravel road.  He was gone before I could get his picture, but   I was able to find his prints in the freshly fallen snow.   The night before, my wife and I had watched Barnyard- an animated movie for kids…with coyote’s in it no less.

       That morning I felt like I was living in the middle of a National Geographic story.

And finally….here’s another creature I spotted Tuesday morning:

     WINSTON!    the pig .  She’s doing well by the way.  I read that pigs can actually take the cold better than too much heat.

    

 Tell me about where you live…what sort of wild thangs  do you get to see…even if it’s just once in a while ?

I Am Home

I’m home

6 days

81.8 miles

172,763 steps later.

Here are 5 photos of my last 6 days walking in the footsteps of Lyman Dillon and Old Military Road from Iowa City to Dubuque….

Sunrise North of Solon on day 2

Picture of my footsteps looking back near Langworthy

Looking back at our house as I leave for Cascade.

\

Walking in the drizzle on day 6

Mrs DM and I at the end of the road

Here are just a few highlights of the trip.

While I am on my feet all day at work, I am not a “walker”, and yet, I did not get any blisters, my feet never hurt,  only  felt  stiff at the end of day 3 as I was coming down a long hill into Anamosa.

I woke up refreshed every morning , 4 of the nights I stayed  in homes of people I didn’t (or barely) knew.

It rained 2 of the 6 days, which only added to my sense of being on an  adventure.

A couple of  you mused there  would be a spiritual component to this adventure and there definitely was.  I’ll probably write more about that later.

My next goal (after writing thank you’s) is to contact the people I met in each town and work on my book “On The Trail Of Lyman Dillon“

When I’ve mentioned writing a book,  I’ve  encountered a few  “Oh sure you are” looks.    What the nay sayers don’t know is I already have 2 books in print.  I realize I probably sound a little testy  as I write this, but I have very little time for negative, pessimistic, people.

Here’s  a quote by Theodore Roosevelt which  comes to mind when I meet a nay sayer :

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how  strong man

stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them  better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

______________________________________________________________________

I know some of you were praying , thinking of me , and sending happy thoughts my way  this week while I was on the road.   Thank you thank you!!!!

Questions,  comments,   thoughts?

Iowa – The Beautiful Land

         ”When the Vikings found Iceland and decided it was so beautiful they wanted to stay.  However, they really didn’t want anyone to bother them, invade them, or join them…. so, they named it “Iceland.”  They named the landmass to the northwest of them “Greenland” simultaneously.  Iceland is green, and Greenland is nothing but ice.  They hoped people would go to Greenland first, find it to be impossible, and determine that Iceland must be a floating iceberg in comparison .”  

                                                                  from a recent e-mail

     What do Iowa and Iceland have in common?  - both are hidden treasures

________________________________________________________________________

       

        This is a photo of Iowa  was taken by  my friend Emily.  It could have been taken in the area where we live.  I’m using the photo today with her permission.  (I’m learning Eva   ;-) )

          I can’t tell you the number of times when we lived in New Jersey I felt someone look down their nose at me when they found out I was from “Iowa.”  (They’d give me  this “duuu” look.) or ask “Do you guys have the Internet or Cable TV in Iowa?, )    (Iowa, Ohio, Idaho),  (Some of) my Eastern friends didn’t know one state  from the other.   

      The native Americans called  Iowa “The Beautiful Land” (or “Place of Peace”)

     Iowa has a reputation for being “backwards”,  behind the times in the national media…and that’s just fine with me.   I like it that way.  Keeps too many people from wanting to move here.    We live on 4 and 1/2 acres.   When we moved here in 1995 there were 2 barns, 7 out buildings and a 2 story 1800 sq ft house all for under $70,000.  Today, it would list at around $180,000.00 and I wouldn’t sell it to you if you offered me $750,000.00. (Honest)       

        At a recent Buy Fresh Buy Local Workshop, I learned that Iowa’s topsoil is some of the richest in the world- the other site is  in Russia. 

      Today’s post is my humble way of celebrating Iowa.    If I could live anywhere in the world…it would be right here.  

      What words come to mind when you think of Iowa?  If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?  Do you have any questions about Iowa you would like me to answer?  How about a “title” for that picture Emily took – does any come to mind?