Memorial Day 2010

~*~

"Greater love hath no man than this,

that a man lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

The Butter Churn

Joining Cindy @ My Romantic Home for

Show and Tell Friday!

This is part of the continuing saga of

my 'Raw Milk' journey!

Last weekend, Gentleman Farmer and I

visited the Dungeness Valley Creamery

whom I am purchasing my raw milk from.

(two posts down, if you care to read about it)

The next day, we went to visit my MIL and FIL.

We were telling them about the sweet farm and how

I am getting some of their milk and mentioned that

I was hoping to start making my own butter once again.

(I grew up on a small farm, milked cows and made butter.)

Dear MIL said that a neighbor they once had, had given her

an electric butter churn because they were milking a cow

and making butter for their 7 children. She said she didn't have

any use for it now and was going to give it away. Would I like it?

Uh, Yeah!

I collect all sorts of dairy paraphernalia so how could I resist!

She was thinking I could use it to make butter, but I am only

buying 1 gallon a week. About 1/2 quart of that is cream and

this BIG butter churn holds 2 gallons of cream. I won't be making

that much butter!

It is a 1950's 'Farm Master' Electric Churn from Sears Roebuck & Co.

I found one on-line exactly like it

selling for $225.

I won't be using it anytime soon for butter, but what a wonderful

addition to my collection.

Thanks, Lucille!

~*~

"For the churning of milk produces butter"

Proverbs 30:33
~*~

I did make butter with my two little granddaughters

yesterday. You may go over to The Pantry if you would like to

see the results!

Wednesday ~ White and Outdoors?

As I was telling you on my last post, after our visit to the

Dungeness Valley Creamery in Sequim,

I picked up my first gallon of their Raw Whole Jersey Milk this morning!

As soon as the cream rises, I am going to attempt to

make my first batch of homemade butter since I was a child.

Come back on Friday for Show and Tell and I will tell you

about the item behind the jar of milk!

~*~

Joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday...

(to qualify for Outdoor Wednesday, please go to my previous post!)


...and Kathleen for White Wednesday!
Thank you ladies, for hosting these fun memes every Wednesday!
~*~
"...like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
1 Peter 2:2&3

A Visit to the Dungeness Valley Creamery

I am on a quest to get back to a way of life

like I grew up in on my Grandparents Farm.

We had our own milk cows, my Grampa used to

run a small dairy farm. I milked cows and made

butter from the fresh cream risen from the

raw, unprocessed milk.

Since I have been married, we have had beef cattle

but no milk cows. I am hoping to get some goats and/or

sheep and would like to milk them, and perhaps even a little Jersey cow.

Until that dream is realized, I will need to purchase the milk.

I recently discovered that farm fresh, raw unprocessed milk

is delivered to a drop point in our little town from the

Dungeness Valley Creamery in Sequim, Washington.

I will purchase my milk from them until I can get my own.

I hope to make my own yogurt, butter, sour cream and maybe even

try my hand at cheese!

We were invited to an open house at the Dairy and I just couldn't

pass up the opportunity to see just where my milk was coming from.

Come along with the Gentleman Farmer and I on our little visit,

won't you please?

~*~

The view from the farm in the beautiful Dungeness Valley.

We were greeted by sweet little calves on this glorious sunshiny day!

Newborns, only a day or two old, in the barn.

Curious!

'Elementary' age!

Eating up the sweet alfalfa hay.

Below ~ teenagers!

They name all their girls.

This is Edith!

No wonder the milk is so sweet and delicious ~

they can help themselves to a snack of molasses

(to which I believe minerals have been added.)

Heifers

(Young ladies in waiting. A heifer is a young female

cow that has not had a calf. You can only get milk

from a cow that has recently had a calf.)

Lunchtime!

Some of the ladies who deliver the goods!

The milking parlor.

So nice and clean!

Happy, healthy cows produce healthy, delicious milk!

Testimonials ~

So good it makes you smile!

~*~

"I have come down to deliver them...to a good and spacious land,

to a land flowing with milk and honey"

Exodus 3:8

Psalm 97:1

Treasures on my bookshelf...

Reminders of times past.

Lovely old colonial styled artwork by Terone, brought from

my Grandmother's home along with a pair of figurines and a 'lady pincushion' top,

her musical jewelry box, some of her hand crocheted and tatted handkerchiefs,

and dainty white gloves. It doesn't seem so long ago, but I have had them for

at least two decades!

The beautiful painted vase was given to me by my dear Mother-in-law.

It was from her mother-in-law!

The two (tarnished) silver tussy-mussy holders were a gift from

my oldest daughter and the clothes brush is a vintage find.

The glass hurricane lamp was my husband's grandfather's,
the vintage mug with 'swizzle sticks' was my grandmother's.
The little vintage opera glasses/bird glasses were a garage sale bargain
and the 1961 Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds
was a gift from a friend.
(Dried Lamb's Ears from my garden.)


My Grandmother's old mantle clock with Roseville
Pottery atop.

A wee bell jar covering an ages old rosebud.

The cloth covering the bookshelf is an old Mantle Cloth

that was my Grandmother's.

~*~

I am joining Cindy @ My Romantic Home

for Show & Tell Friday.

Please go over and see what others have to share.

~*~

"for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Matthew 6:21

30 years ago today....

Mt. St. Helens ....

(click for more info)

...blew!

~*~

"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Isaiah 40:4&5

Psalm 121

~*~

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day, nor by night.

The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever."
Psalm 121

Come....

...to the garden!

~*~*~*~*~

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden

of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

Genesis 2:15

I am a non conformist!

Joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday...

and Faded Charm for White Wednesday!

****************************

Before we go any further, let me just say,

I have never lacked for *compliments* using these terms;

strange, bizarre, eccentric, unusual, unique, odd, peculiar, curious!

I'm sure you will be using at least one of these by the end of this post!
~*~

Can you guess what these are?

AND

Which one doesn't belong?
~*~

These are all (but one) vintage 'irrigators'!

There are a couple of 'different' uses that I will

let you discover on your own!

(just google 'vintage irrigator' and see what you find)

Now, like I said, my mind doesn't run down the usual track.

I like to think 'outside of the box'!
When I saw my first irrigator, I didn't say "ooh yuck,"

I thought, "What a cool planter!"

Just look at these babies! Perfect for planting trailing plants

and hanging on fence posts! They come ready with a 'drainage tube',

have a flat back for hanging on a post,



and already have a hole for the nail!
Some even have convenient handles on the front!




These colored ones are a bit more rare and have wonderful
patterns such as spatter, chicken wire and Snow on the Mountain.
These are usually European and much more expensive.

I found my first two vintage irrigators at a garage sale, still in their original
boxes ~ for 99 cents each! How can you beat that for a vintage enamelware
planter! That began my search for them on Ebay. I kinda got carried away
with how many I purchased, but I have a lot of fence posts to 'embellish'!
The price has gone up considerably, so I'm thinkin' I'm not the only
'unusual' person out there!


This is the 'one that doesn't belong'.
This is not an irrigator, but after some research, I found out
that it is a vintage 'water conditioner' (didn't come with the lid).
This is about a 3 gallon size and comes with a handy hanger
for hanging on a wooden fence board. This is actually where
they were used!
*****
Well, I have them all planted up, now, with Convolvulus and Morning Glory.
I will have to show them to you when they are all blooming and beautiful!
Then, just maybe, you will not think I am quite so odd after all!
:~P

~*~*~*~*~

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Romans 12:2

Start Saving ...

Here in the Pacific Northwest, all the

flowers and trees are coming to life and

gracing us with their beauty and fragrance.

The vegetable gardens are being sown in hopes

of their delicious bounty for our summer meals

and for "putting up".

One fun idea is to share seeds with fellow gardeners here on the web.

I have a place all set aside for anyone who would like to

share their vegetable, flower and herb seeds with others,

or to perhaps find that one type of seed you have been looking for.

Please come over to Lady Farmers Seed Swap

and share YOUR bounty!

(Most of us don't have seeds ready yet, but start thinking about what

seeds you would like to share!) I have some

links to making your own seed packets and

one to a post on how to save seeds.

~*~

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth: it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Isaiah 55:10&11

For Mother's

Blessings To You, all!

"Her children rise up and bless her"

Psalm 31:28