S'more Please!

What do you do with more freshly cut applewood than you can shake a few hundred sticks at? First, you dream of building a smoker and buying 1/2 a cow from an organic farmer that feeds strickly grass and does not 'finish' feed on grain (specifically corn). Second, you realize (with a sniffle) that indeed it is not the time to buy 1/2 a cow or build a smoker. Oooooo that would have been some amazing brisket! And then, you think fertilizer. What? Yep, that's right, fertilizer. Wood ash is great for the soil and we have plenty of wood so ... we have been having a little fun with fire around here.

Last night we got the brilliant idea to roast marshmallows, oh what a treat. The fire was too hot, so yours truly dug a shallow hole and moved some hot ash away from the mammoth fire to make a little roasting roost for my little ones. I showed Sam, who was busily cutting wood, and he said, "Oh great idea! This was mine.", while holding a 10 foot long branch out like a marshmallow roasting stick. That would have been good fun. "Mom, Mom! The stick is on fire!" I am sure I would have heard that a few times before we got a marshmallow on a cracker with chocolate.

We had a picnic dinner; chili mac with cheese and yogurt toppings. And a great desert; s'mores! After a few handfuls of cheese, we got Bobby his bowl an he dined with us. He was off by the time s'mores rolled around so we can't say anything about what happens when a cat eats ooey gooey marshmallow.

He got the first s'more because he was the most diligent

branch gatherer. Didn't complain and just kept on hauling!

In fact, he even went for more loads after Daddy told him he could be

done. What a guy!

I think he had 5! See buddy there are advantages to getting older.

When you can out roast, you can out s'more. Watch out though,

your siblings are watching you, closely! They'll catch up before you know it.

How long do I have until I need two bags of marshmallows?

The roasting roost

The flash of white that looks like a marshmallow Addie is roasting is not.

It's reflective decorations on her coat. Why am I clarifying?

She refused to haul branches so she did not get any s'more.

Again, why clarify? Because she is hilarious when she gets

disciplined. "Can I smell it Jake?" "Yeah, I didn't get wood like

daddy ask." "I am ready to get wood daddy!" "Great Addie, go ahead."

(followed by sitting and talking, and absolutely not getting wood.)

"That looks yummy Ellie" "I didn't obey daddy." "I got wood! I am ready

for chloclate and masmello!" (holding up an ity bity stick she picked up

from the ground while sitting comfortably by the fire lounging in a chair)

And much more, but I'll stop now, she's a piece of work that one.

This one knows how to savor her sugar ;)

Daddy's girls

"Do you mind?" Haa Ha HA!

Full tummies equal happy faces. Mmmm good!

"Anybody want some food?!"

Dinner delivery

Fire Master's apprentice :)

2nd fire, in the large garden plot. See all that wood in the foreground

waiting nicely in one of the smaller garden boxes?

That's not even half of what is still left after the first fire.

Is there anything better than a good fire and chatting with your brother?

(1st fire)

The 1st fire and underbrush burning, in the fort area.

Kudos to Sam for pruning the orchard all by himself. That's quite an accomplishment with 20 trees (we lost a few to fungus infection) that have gone unchecked for at least 10 years. And kudos to all his little helpers that have been dragging branches diligently for weeks now :) He left three trees to do late fall/early winter, I think he deserves a break!

And we still have wood to burn.

To be continued ... but not for too long. Sam wants to plant next weekend before he takes off for the next couple of months to perform inspections. Anyone close enough is welcome to come; BYOCCM (that's bring your own chocolate, crackers, and marshmallows for those of you illiterate in s'more acronyms)