One of the many joys of blueberries is that they don't have to be picked the instant they are ripe. We've been picking since early this month, but there was something of a hiatus during the days of the Heath Fair, and immediately after. It takes us a while to recover from the Fair, but since we are regaining our energy my husband joined me at the blueberry patch yesterday where the berries hang thickly, all big and…
I’m celebrating International Kitchen Garden Day, August 24, by picking beans in my garden and then eating them. The celebration would be even more festive if I had a ripe tomato but up here in the higher elevations there is no such thing. Yet.It is a sad comment on our times that there has to be an organization to encourage people to plant a little kitchen garden so they can enjoy many days of harvesting food, grown with…
Pam Porter (R), co-president of the Heath Agricultural Society, arranged for Annie Cheatam (L) to come to the Heath Fair and talk about local agriculture. As the former owner of a garden center, and most recently retired after 9 years as the Director of Community Involved in Sustainable Agriculture (CISA) Annie knows a lot about local farms, local gardens, local gardeners and farmers and what they, we, and our communities are doing and what we need. CISA developed…
The Exhibit Hall with its displays of sewing, knitting, canning, baking, quilting, flowers, vegetables, fruits and assorted collections is a center of activity all through Heath Fair days. These exhibits are one of the ways that we celebrate life in our town, the skills of the residents, the creativity and purposfulness of our children, the fertility and beauty of our landscape, and our devotion to the town and its institutions and organizations. The grandsons and I won lots…
It's all very well to say that you can grow tons of vegetables in a 10 x 10 foot garden. The question is will you be able to harvest those vegetables without wrecking half the garden in the process. My husband will tell you I like to think big and that this is not always efficient. I agree on both counts so, forced by a wet garden site several years ago and a bad hip that would soon…
A perfect end to a perfect week with grandson Tynan Matthews. Even the heavens put on a farewell show his last night in Heath. The weather has been tropical with storms almost every day. Will we ever be able to mow the lawn again? Happily it doesn't take good weather to have a good time. We went to Mass MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) and saw lots of Badlands exhibits about the depredations of Man and Nature of…
Tynan Matthews arrived for his turn at End of the Road Farm. Anthony and Drew took him out into the field to show him the tree fort. Tynan made himself right at home.Of course, Tynan wanted to do everything the other boys did. He made chocolate chip cookies. Why is it that boys always want to bake chocolate chip cookies. Ty made one that was six inches across. We ate it so fast we didn't even get a…
What is a shed? Well, our tax bill defines our 15 x 15 foot Cottage Ornee as a shed. Some people call it a summer house, a screened porch, or a gazebo. To us it is pure delight, and I was happy to share our pleasure in it with the ladies at Garden Rant and Debra Prinzing. Debra's book Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways is a beautiful tome, and a reminder of how many ways there are for…
Sawyer Hall is not the oldest building in Heath's newly designated National Historic District, but it is the building I am most familiar with. Originally built as a town library, and named after the man who put up the money, it has been added on to and functions have been added. The whole east side of the downstairs is the Heath free Public Library founded in 1894. Across the hall is the Post Office, and an office for…
There is a reason and a use for lawns. Croquet! Although I can't say that our turf is finely maintained. A cultural foray. Off to North Adams and Mass MoCa, the Museum of Contemporary Art which is housed in the renovated old Sprague Electrical Factory. The museum of part of the revitalization of this old mill town and it is just about 45 minutes from our house, across the historic scenic highway, The Mohawk Trail. We stopped to…