Over the Mountains and through the woods…

I believe I’ve mentioned that many trips – the dentist, doctor, shopping, or meetings – require a beautiful jaunt “over the mountains and through the woods” to get to the town of Sonora. It’s becoming the area superstore mecca boasting a Lowes, Walmart, Kohls, JoAnn, Orchard, Ross, TJMaxx, Staples and more.  Murphys’ family owned stores (shop local!) provide the majority of what we need, but for things like specific HP Printer ink or one inch binder clips – a trek to Staples is called for. About 20 miles and 40 or so minutes of curvy roads and stunning scenery comprise the trip. I finally remembered to drag my camera along when bounding out to make my dentist appointment.

The Parrot’s Ferry Bridge takes me across the upper reaches of New Melones Resevoir (a~ 20 square mile manmade lake built by the U.S. Bureau of Water Reclamation with the installation of the New Melones Dam; extensive hiking paths, camping and recreational activities available).

Growing up on an ocean, I’d call these watermarks tide lines.

This shot and the opening shot were both taken from the same spot, same time – amazing how looking into clouds and the sun given a whole different feel to the day. (All shots were the same return trip, didn’t touch up the opening shot at all, added some saturation to the one above as it was a bit washed out from the sun).

 

As impressive as the trip is, I’m always so happy to relax back at home with a view of sunset from the back deck. (Above shot is also “straight from the camera” – completely nature’s colors).

This post is participating in Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City.

Wet & Windy

 

For Sundays in My City, a short post. Storming here, with winds on the hillside as strong as I’ve ever seen it.  I’m not the industrious sort to set up an alcove or suffer getting drenched for a photograph – just snapped a few quick shots then hustled back in to my warm dry home. The news crews are having a field day running about shooting fallen trees and street flooding with full river flooding in areas of Northern California possible this afternoon. For me, the main concern is power (it has flickered a few times, not a good sign).

 

 Hoping Sunday sees my friends warm and dry.

Harvest Party Tour

This weekend was the Friends of the Angels Camp Library Harvest Party Tour.

Crafts at various stops included beautiful painted gourds (above by Connie Bowser), small purses made from men’s ties, cute little knit wine bottle scarves and caps, wine bottle carriers, handmade jewelry and handmade birdhouses with a portion of the crafters proceeds donated to the Friends of the Library.

My friend and I decided to start the tour with a scrumptious lunch at Greenhorn Creek Restaurant, which overlooks Greenhorn Creek Golf Course, in the – you guessed it – Greenhorn Creek Development. Mark Twain (the famous Missouri author sculpted so beautifully in the opening shot) spent just a few months in this area one winter when travelling from Nevada to San Francisco. He was enamored of a tale of a jumping frog contest and wrote “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”, a short story that has made him “cause célèbre” in these parts. He is so visible in town and tourist shops, some leave with the mistaken impression he’s a local author  – although we were just a necessary short stop before his destination of San Francisco, where, after trying his hand at other ventures, he became a writer. Of course, those familiar with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer know ol’ Samuel Clemens wrote a great deal about the area he grew up in. But, I digress.

Truly massive homes in this community surround the golf course; you feel Lilliputian going through the giant sized front doors of most. Three generous homeowners opened their stunning, harvest theme decorated homes for this tour. The tour also included Milfiori House (blogged about in August) and free wine tasting at Irish Vineyards.

I’ve mentioned I’m in one of the Gold Rush town areas in California. A beautiful old stone building at the front of the Milfiori property once housed the safe (bank) on the collection route of the Wells Fargo gold shipment. One gent was always stationed on the outside of this room with a rifle poking through this rifle port, aimed at the safe. If some unauthorized bub approached the safe, boom! Old West law keeping.

Irish Vineyards has the most spectacular Apricot wine, and I’m also a fan of their Viogner. My friend simply had to get their “Duck Tape Wine” to share with her sisters at their next get together.

Yep, that’s the label.

Although, they do have wines with more artistic labels for you label fans. Irish participates in many of the local fundraising events and is also a host for the Santa’s Express Fundraiser.

In addition to delectable wines, they have shelves of Irish themed gifts, and of course vineyard themed sweats, for sale. It was a truly enjoyable day – the only change we’d make for next year is to have a lighter lunch (but still at Greenhorn) as all stops offered wine tasting and yummy hors d’oeuvres or desserts.

The owner at the first home was a bit nervous about allowing public shots (which I TOTALLY understand), so no views of the spectacular homes, table settings, man caves, decorations and so much more. If you’re local, definitely add this tour to your calendar next year – our only problem was that we ran out of time. It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon.

This post is participating in UnknownMami’s Sundays in My City.

Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire

The Independence Hall Quilters held their 35th Annual Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire at Ironstone Vineyards  (above is the scholarship raffle quilt).  With many booths outdoors, our exquisite fall weather made this the perfect weekend outing.

Before I get into sharing, I’ll remind you of Robin William’s imitation of William F. Buckley Jr. while he was the genie in Aladdin – there are a few restrictions and quid pro quo’s:

Etiquette at any craft or quilt show is always to ask each vendor if it’s ok to take pictures – you’ll see some folks get visibly nervous if you’re waving a camera around their creations.

Do get inspiration from others’ work. But remember, most of these folks are small family owned shops investing their heart and soul in their designs, please don’t violate the copyright for their patterns or kits by making an exact copy.

I tend to not take shots of traditional quilts, but limit myself to those with some feature I personally want to recall.

My friend and I started with the vendor booths as she wanted to introduce me to our new neighbor, Elizabeth Schlarb of 27 Blossoms (latebloomerquilts.com). 

In addition to making and selling beautiful items (close ups let you see how cleanly these are made), Elizabeth also has her own fabric line. 

Everything at this show was crafted superbly. I’ve actually seen wobbly lines (meant to be straight) and loopy back tension on things for sale when I’m browsing the web. I always think whoever gets those items would be so disappointed and might never buy online again. Having many craft artist friends, this is more than disappointing. 

Maise Blue, a local yarn, book and gift store was out supporting this event with their fantastic selection.

You can also order from them online.

Bearly Quilting of Sonora was out in force. I didn’t capture kit/pattern names but you can always email them (or any vendor noted) with a link to a pic if you want to track something down.

Inuit art isn’t as common in the stitching world and this one looks to be part of a beautiful collection.

One of the most famous structures in Sonora, Ca is the Red church historic landmark built in 1859. This kit from Anita Goodesign (Country Church Tile Scene), crafted with a red church instead of the white, is an almost perfect rendition of the local landmark.

The ‘Christmas Pine Pillow’ kit fromThe Quilt House comes with those delightful little buttons – love the little cookie cutters.

Bet most of the folks reading this don’t know that in all the stitching blogs folks are now calling themselves “sewists”. I can see where creative folks are not “seamstresses”, but if I were coming up with a name I’d stick with craft artisan, which has been in use for awhile. Anyhoo, raggedy flowers are the current rage with all the sewists. I have a few machine embroidery quick stitch ones I hope to knock out in time for Christmas presents – as pins or barrettes they’re great for stocking stuffers. I do like how The Quilt House had these on quilts in a few different color schemes.

My very favorite shop, the Country Cloth Shop, was well represented, as always.  Ginger and Peggy quilt, sew kits and have a fantastic eye for pattern and color. They’re always happy to help folks match fabrics and have a great selection of classes. I’m so lucky to have this store nearby.

The Independence Hall Quilters is a phenomenal group (they meet during the day and I work, (rats).  The proceeds from the annual Quilt Faire go to The Resource Connection, including the Women’s Crisis Center and Child Protective Services, area youth with catastrophic illness or accidents, Shriners Hospital, area schools, parks, libraries and other community organizations, plus scholarships to Bret Harte High School. 

Guild members craft and donate so many items for the faire’s boutique and the “Scholarship Quilt” raffle. 

They also bake and sell beautifully presented items. I didn’t get a “long shot” to show you how many quilts and handcrafted items they had for sale. I can only say that they are one generous group.

Every year more than 160 Comfort quilts are created and donated to Calaveras County’s Child Protective Services, Shiners’ Hospitals for children undergoing treatment, surgery or therapy;  Ebbetts Pass Fire District for “Post Trauma Kits” and any local child involved in an accident or with a serious illness.

Local professional long arm quilters donate their time to finish each quilt. Anyone needing a quilt finished should contact these women -their work is simply beautiful. The five generous and talented ladies are listed here (along with more pictures).

Even after ‘selecting down’, I have too many photos for one post – so, I’ll add a gallery post with my remaining photos in a few days.

This post is participating in Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City.

A few shots to Share

Just a sharing a few shots this week.

Praying Mantis – the magical aphid eater.

Can you find him?

Camouflage master – this one was hanging out on the dry leaves.

Woo Hoo – we had rain one day. Living on a dusty dirt road, it was so great to have everything get washed off. The rain also brought some lovely clouds.

Love that this town was so determined to have a library that they fundraised and community volunteers built their own in 1994.  Murphys Volunteer Library is now a full service branch of the Calaveras County Library system. Local volunteers assist day-to-day library activities and the non-profit Murphys Volunteer Library  Inc continues to fundraise to expand and improve its available services. It’s a wonderful little library.

I’ve mentioned Mark Twain and the jumping frogs of Calaveras County – the library’s frog.

A well tended memorial garden on the library grounds.

Don’t forget – if you can get out to Murphys (about an hour and 15 minutes from Stockton), our Dia de los Muertos is Nov 3^rd and 4^th – you can like the Facebook page here.

This post is participating in Sundays in My City.

Milfiori Historic Garden Home

Milfiori is a lovely restored farmhouse that was built in 1861. The historic country retreat is now available as a vacation rental and was the site of our luncheon after the Outer Aisle food garden tour.

The gardens surrounding the home are beautifully designed to display a different vista around every corner.

A wrap-around porch is chock full of comfy seating.

Recycled  art sculpture provides a focal point in the garden.

Fresh water in the handcrafted birdbath assures a steady stream of avian visitors.

Some of the art is hidden way in the back of the property.

The old barn is truly picturesque.

My favorite thing about this garden is that weathered Adirondacks seating is popped into a shady spot every which way you turn. In the shade of the beautiful tree,

under a grape arbor,

in the shade of another majestic tree,

or, an alternative of the garden swing with a magnificent view back into the property. Perfect for curling up with a good book, making progress with a knitting project or browsing on your iPad.

This arbor must be a knockout when the wisteria is blooming in spring. There’s so much to do here between town and the mountains – Milfiori offers the perfect place for a vacation stay.

My Garden Update – harvest time is on a roll:

Heirloom tomatoes, Anaheim peppers, Raveena eggplant, Japanese cucumber.

Tromboncino Rampicante on a 20 inch napkin.

Summer squash, Sunburst scallop, Tromboncino Rampicante and Zapallo Italian pattypan.

This post is participating in UnknownMami’s Sundays in My City. 

Outer Aisle Foods Tour & Garden Update

Don’t you hate it when you feel guilty for not buying something – but you really don’t need, can’t use whatever that is?  Outer Aisle Foods was kind enough to open their organic farm for an informative tour, followed by a spectacular lunch of fresh foods at historic Milfiori and shopping at their store. I so love what they’re doing (they also support the grade school’s garden), but am completely buried in fresh veggies at the moment as my own garden is cranking out an abundance of yummies (above is my all time favorite tomato, Eva Purple Ball, grown by yours truly). I will be back to the shop (they carry wonderful items other than fruit and veggies) but skulked away at the end of the day, skipping the store stop.

Outer Aisle Foods & Goods

The Calaveras County Garden Club tour was not for the faint of heart. Reports were 106/107F degree temperatures – my car registered 110 by the end of the tour!  But, gardeners can be a crazy bunch, and quite a few of us donned sunscreen, hats and comfy shoes to go check this out. I’m glad I did as Eric has been growing for 25 years and had so many good tips to share – he’s quite the advocate of sustainable farming, pointing out his consistent use and choices of cover crops. Diligently following the rallying cry of organic gardeners everywhere  - “grow the soil” – he’s created a beautiful Eden in the midst of our critters, bugs and scorching summers.

With our heat, it does take a lot of water and shade cloth. That’s potatoes with the white flowers in the foreground; they plant a cornucopia of various varieties.

Outer Aisle Foods is also a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – where locals sign up for weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of fresh produce, fruit and more;  a “Farmer’s Market in a Bag”. CSA is a popular concept across the country – support local small farms by committing to share in the abundance of their efforts as well as share in the risks farmers face.

He shades his peppers (I’d meant to add shade cloth to my beds, even got the shade cloth out of the garage – but then it got soooo hot and, well, you know how that goes).

So that’s what you do with excess summer squash you let get too big – anchor the shade cloth    (101 uses of summer squash – we’ll have to start a comment thread on the topic.

   

And there certainly is a lot of shade cloth to anchor.

Basil is protected from the relentless sun with row covers, and the covers extend their cool season growing. For an easy how to on hooping home vegetable beds, see my instructions , more info and a good photo here.  Eric was happy to share his information on rodent trapping (note open space surrounding the farm), but with the heat – we left the trap inspection for another day.

Pinterest  fans have seen many variations of the angled vegetable trellis – including those made from cattle panels and pallets (check my “likes” for trellises). The lemon cucumbers are easily harvested by walking down the row and collecting the fruit. No digging around amidst scratchy leaves required.

Showy pollinator attracting flowers like tithonia and sunflower border the vegetable plantings.

Garden Update

Cook, bake, eat, freeze and share with the neighbors – the garden is hitting full swing.

 

To do list includes freezing up Sunburst squash and about 7 portions each of kale and chard.

Happy chard nestled in the shade of tomato plants.

Young Italian Trombocino Zucchetta Rampicante (note that rampant is part of the name) provides an afternoon napping place for a paper wasp (they eat bad bugs, so keep em happy).

Love small sugar pie pumpkins and the first ones are almost ripe. This is my absolute favorite winter squash.

I didn’t get all the tomatoes staked (that’s what the remaining roll of fencing is for) and a few plants are languishing, but I am loving my garden. Renee’s Garden Portuguese Garden Kale gets stars for it’s heat resilience, productivity and tasty sweetness. Note these photos were taken on a 106 degree day – the garden is much hardier than the gardener (I just let it wilt and do some extra watering at night).

I’ll share more on Milfiori Historic Country Retreat in my next post.

This post is participating in Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City and the Gallery of Favorites hosted
by April at The21st Century Housewife and Alea of Premeditated Leftovers.

Clouds and Light

Playing with clouds, light, sepia and saturation this week. Lovely formations, but alas, not a drop.

This post is participating in UnknownMami’s Sundays in My City.