3.27.2012

Planting More Citrus Trees

This week we planted a few more citrus trees in our garden.  A lemon to replace the one that froze a few years ago and an orange and a grapefruit tree. If we can keep them alive through the next 3-5 years, they should begin producing a good  amount of citrus to share with friends and family.
Their blossoms smell like heaven and the honey that the bees produce from their blossoms is light and very tasty compared with the buckwheat honey in the later summer season.

A golden Cordovan on a Louisiana Sweet Blossom-
clearly one of Dolce's field bees!
 from our bee blog    http://loveblessedlight.blogspot.com

12.16.2011

Hummingbird Hill Hearty Buckwheat Bread


Wonderful toasted
Great with Pumpkin Soup
perfect with local honey


Second Rise
Measured and Cut

Kneaded 
Leave alone to rise
Add Active Yeast
Adding Spices - Cinnamon and Peppers
Blending Buckwheat into the Bread Flours
Here is my 
Hummingbird Hill Hearty Buckwheat Bread recipe:
1c buckwheat flour
2c bread flour
1c warm water
active yeast
1/4 c honey or sugar
 2 tbs oil
Cinnamon and peppers to taste
 Mix, knead, let rise, 
Punch down, knead, place in pans, let rise
bake at 350-375'F until done.
©2011- all rights reserved

Rex and His Gaggle

Rex

Isis,  Zulu and Cadeaux de Paix 

Our Morning Gaggle

Frosty Morning Garden


frozen birdbath

frosty dollarplant and blackberry leaves
Frosty Tarragon Blossom
Frosty Sage Leaves 
Frosty Debutante Camellia Blossom

Dawn's Early Winter Light


Citrus For Christmas


Our trees did alright this year despite the drought

9.30.2011

Autumn Skys Filled with Rain


The Beautiful Complexity of Gulf Coast Clouds!

Rain curtain closing the sky at dusk

Rough lake waters churn a muddy brown against the blue skies heavy with rain

Simple Sunset

9.21.2011

Dangerous Dead Copperhead Snake

On the road near the house...!!!

I am sorry it got run over, but it is a very poisonous snake!
Take a look down this web page to see what a bite on your finger, can do to your arm
http://www.squidoo.com/poisonoussnakeidentification#module11766077




8.28.2011

New Blog Links

While we will still be maintaining DasBlauHaus,
we wanted to tell you that we have started a new Blog for the farm at:
http://hummingbirdhillfarmandstudiosllc.blogspot.com/

 and for the bees at:
http://loveblessedlight.blogspot.com/

 check 'em out!
and stay cool in the heat- don't forget to drink lots of water!

7.11.2011

Fresh Figs

Delicious!-Just starting to come in...

Our Blueberries





Despite the drought 
and the wild birds  and animals who, 
in their hunger have demolished 
much of our crops this year- 
We did get some blueberries. 
They were delicious!

7.02.2011

Lunchtime Adventures

Storm Clouds on Lake Pontchartrain
Oak Trees Reflected in  the Waves on the Mandeville Lakefront

My favorite Ditch Full of Lush Cat-tails in Covington

Bull and Calve Studies for New Paintings

My favorite Bull
Very Powerful Bull

Heart- headed Calf
 I am working on new paintings of  Bulls, Cows and Calves. We went to an event and saw some really beautiful ones. These are a few images from the studies I took. I am glad that there was a very high strong fence between me and the Bulls!



Early Morning Stars




I woke up at 4:30am and went out to take a few pictures of the stars.

6.28.2011

Hercules


Bored with his day,  Hercules Springs into Action!
He begins with the" Toss and Tag" with Copycat!
 He pauses...
and then counters with the "Flip and Flop!"


Lakeview is confused.

4.30.2011

Turtle / Tortoise Time

A lovely turtle/ tortoise
( he was not the usual green sliders that I see that I know are turtles-I'm not sure what he was truly- are you?)
was sunning himself in the road the other day. We didn't want anyone to run over him as dusk was approaching- so we tried to encourage him off the road. He insistently ran the other way. He moved really, really quickly I might add.a The little reascal stopped just inside the drivers side tire under our car! With some careful and persistent encouragement- we got him out and on his way in to the cool grass and off the busy road.

Our Clematis HENRY I bloomed today


Clematis Henry I Hybridized by Isaac Anderson-Henry of Edinburgh, Scotland,
Year of Registration / Introduction: 1870
Bred from C. lanuginosa as the female or seed-bearer and C. 'Fortunei' as the male parent.