Evening in the Barn

 I was Milking Matilda and I turned my head and  something about the way my new couple bales of hay looked caught my eye...I hollered to Mary who was playing with her chick and asked her if she'd get me the camera. I took the picture using a lot of different settings. I think they came out nicely but they are dark (it was late in the evening as I was milking).

 I did some with flashes because of how dark the others were but I really don't like the look the flash gives to pictures

 The babies were watching me through their stall door (you can see one of them in the middle dark one) and wanted attention so I messed around with my camera some more and took some pictures of them through the wire.

Tuck Everlasing

We watched the movie Tuck Everlasting the day before I took this picture on the Kancamagus highway.  Mom said it reminds her of one of Tucks lines...

What we Tucks have, you can't call it livin', we just are. 

We're like rocks stuck on the side of a stream... 

Of course you have to hear it with the accent...He does such a good job with that line! 

If you haven's seen the movie you should watch it, it's very good.





Would you have drank from the spring? 

Carnivorous Bumble

 LOOK AT THAT! I painted my milking stand bright green-yellow and insects and bugs like it because of the color, This bumble bee alighted on it while Larissa and I were at the Farmer's museum. It was holding a dead beetle with what looked like a thorn coming out of it's mouth area. I'd never seen any thing like it. The bee kept flying away and coming back all the time holding this beetle, I for one had no idea that bees ate beetles! I held the bumble bee many time (I do that a lot with my fuzzy friends and they usually fly right off) and he didn't seem to care, he would just stand on me not seeming to notice that he was in my hand. He was the weirdest bumble bee I've ever seen. I think I got pretty good pictures of it too.

I was at a friends house and we found this salamander by her pool. I took him (Henry) home to put him by the pond that's out back. When I put him down he immediately swam away. He will have a good life!

(Sorry the pictures so small, It was taken on my phone)

I took these last night around 7;30pm

The flash here made these flowers look to much like it was day time, or early evening, I'm not happy with it.
Though I do really like the apple tree below.

Johanna

A bit of a change

I'm going to start using this blog as just a place to put my pictures.

I have started a new blog - Still Waters Farm - to replace this blog and Critters N Crafts, I wanted to combine them so I did! Now that I want a place to put pictures I have it!

Johanna

Christmas Party

We had a party to celebrate the birth of Jesus. we had 30 people over to sing, eat, and chat.
These were just so pretty sitting in the table I had to take the picture. And seeing that I'm giving you the picture I might as well share the recopies too.

Molasses Crisps
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
sliced almonds

1. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy.
2. Beat in egg and molasses.
3. Add salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, flour, and baking soda.
4. Roll into small balls and flatten on cookie sheetwith bottom of dampened glass dipped in sugar.
5. place a sliced almond in the center of each cookie
6. Bake 375F for 5-8 min.






Raspberry Schnitten
1/2 cup butter-softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup crushed almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1. beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with mixer on high speed until fluffy. Beat in egg, reduce speed to low and gradually add flour until blended. Divide dough in half; wrap ion plastic wrap. chill 1 hour, or until firm enough to roll out.
2. Heat oven to 350 F. have two un-greased baking sheets ready.
3. place each portion of dough on a Baking sheet. Roll each into a 15inch by 4 inch rectangle.
4. Fold long sides of dough inward 1/2 and inch, keeping borders even. Pat the edges to keep the sides strait and seal any cracks. Carefully spread half the jam onto each rectangle up to the turned edges, Sprinkle jam with nuts.
5. Bake 15 to 20 min. until edges are light golden. Cool on pan 5 min.. While still warm Cut each rectangle into 16 slices. Remove from pan and cool completely.
6. TO DECORATE: Melt chocolate in a small bowl in microwave as package directs. Dip ends of cookies in melted chocolate. Store in cool place so chocolate can set.




Finska Kakor
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

1. mix butter and sugar thoroughly, work in flour with your hands.
2. Chill dough and heat oven to 350F
3. Roll dough to 1/4 inch on floured surface. Cut into strips 2 1/4 inch by 3/4 inch
4. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg white.
5. Sprinkle tops of cookies with mixture of 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/3 cup Finely chopped almonds.
6. bake on un-greased baking sheet for 17-20 min. of till delicate brown