The Big Trees

We have two glorious old oak trees next to our house.

The one on the left has a circumference of 11'6". The one on the right, 10'4". The are an extremely attractive feature of the property.

But they are old, and that is a concern.

One of the items on our "or else" list, was to remove the branches and limbs that overhang the house. These two old trees are the culprits. We called in a tree service, and you can see the dramatic difference the trimming made.

Before trimming.

And after.

I suppose it doesn't look so bad from the front of the house.

Before trimming.

And after

I have mixed feelings about all of this. One the one hand, it seems a shame not to let these old trees spread their glorious boughs to their fullest, natural extent. On the other hand, there was a horrific storm about a month ago which caused a lot of roof damage in the area. I stood outside that night, watching the wind blow and bend the limbs of these very trees, praying that none of the dead or weak branches would come crashing down on our house.

Well, the deed is done now. It will satisfy our insurance company and give me some peace of mind the next time a bad storm kicks up. I will certainly miss the shade at certain times of the day, but we now have a wonderful supply of hardwood firewood. As Ma Ingalls used to say,

There's no great loss without some small gain.

(From Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.)

The Big Trees copyright August 2009 by 

Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

1st Blueberries, 1st Pie

What better thing to do with a batch of freshly picked blueberries than to bake a pie....


.... and top a generous slice with a little homemade vanilla ice cream.

No Fail Pie Crust

For a 9" pie:
2 & 2/3 cups flour*
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening **(see **, important!)
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water

Cut shortening into flour & salt. Beat egg into water and add to flour mixture. Mix with a fork (not hands) until moist. Divide in half for top & bottom crusts. Roll out, fill, and bake according to directions for fruit pie.

Tip: I roll out my crusts between sheets of vegetable sprayed waxed paper.

* I used 2 cups unbleached white and 2/3 cup white whole wheat

** For the absolutely best tasting pie crust, use Spectrum's Organic All Vegetable Shortening. I'm serious! Fats/oils make a huge flavor difference in everything we eat. Nothing beats Spectrum's for pie crusts and biscuits. Plus it's non-hydrogenated. It's expensive but it's worth it.

Fresh Blueberry Pie Filling

For the 9" crust above:
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425° F. Mix all ingredients except butter, using sugar to taste. Pour into unbaked crust. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust, crimp & flute, and cut slits in top crust. Bake 35 to 45 minutes.

I use a pie crust shield like this one to prevent burning of the edge.

1st Blueberries, 1st Pie copyright August 2009 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

What The Neighbor Told Us

While Dan and I were out calculating the details of planting our hedge, one of the neighbors from across the street ran over and asked us, "Have you found your blueberry?"

Not having a clue as to what he was talking about, we introduced ourselves. He responded with his name and then added, "I was just wondering if you found your blueberry."

"Our blueberry?"

"Yeah. There used to be a bush over there ....... by that sweet gum tree." And he pointed toward a clump of trees in the field where a lot of undergrowth needed to be cut back.

We told him no, we hadn't, and thanked him for letting us know. He also told us where there used to be a row of thornless blackberries along the edge of the field. In talking with him for a little bit, he told us he'd lived there for 40 years and when he was a boy, our house was owned by two retired lady school teachers. He used to go swimming in their swimming pool. Swimming pool? That's right. There used to be an inground swimming pool about where our carport is now.

After we said good bye, we went to hunt out those bushes. I didn't figure any blueberry bush could have survived the years of neglect this place has seen, but when we went to look for it, lo and behold....

Believe it or not, there's a big blueberry bush in there.

After we finished planting the hedge, I set out to liberate that bush from the overgrowth of unwanteds.

I was able to clear out around it to give it better air circulation and sun. There are tons of blueberries on it, just beginning to ripen.

My guess is that these are rabbiteye. This type is common in the southeastern US because they well suited for our acid soils. My bush fits the description too, with the berries having a pink ring on the blossom end, resembling the eye of a rabbit (see little photo at right.) Reminds me of Rudy, the ruby-eyed white angora bunny I used to have. Rabbiteye blueberries are evidently smaller and seedier than other types, and not considered the best quality. Mine aren't the best flavored raw, but they'll be fine for baking.

For my first picking, I was able to get about two quarts.

Some of them weren't ripe enough, but with the robins and mockingbirds fussing at me the entire time I was picking, I kept thinking that if I didn't get them, they would. Even so, there are plenty more so we'll all get a share.

I never did find the thornless blackberries, however. The place our neighbor pointed to was overgrown with a lot of things but no blackberry bushes. I'm not complaining however, because if I had my druthers, it would be for the blueberries hands down.

What The Neighbor Told Us is copyright August 2009 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/