by Winding Pathways | Aug 23, 2017 | Travel/Columns
Even though clouds and rain dominated the central Midwest on Monday, August 21st, we took in and enjoyed our Eclipse Trip 2017. We drove major roads to SW Iowa and cut over to smaller state and county roads where the views were more intimate and traffic less. Rolling hills of the Iowa Southern Drift added variety for the eye and pastures and unmowed roadsides softened the landscape, providing habitat for pollinators and birds. This is a very low population area of Iowa. Only about 7000 people live in the entire county and Bedford, IA, has been losing population since the 1930’s. You can buy a house there for $25,000.
Our campsite at Lake of Three Fires near Bedford, IA was surrounded by other eclipse seekers. Set on fingers of ridges, the campground would normally have been empty on a Sunday night, but on the solar eclipse eve, campers kept streaming in. All quiet. All intent on finding a good location to view the upcoming eclipse. Met many folks from Minnesota had braved I-35 and I-80 traffic and a terrifically scary and strong lightning storm that blasted through southern Iowa and lit the sky all night. One fellow pulled in at 4:00 a.m. The night brought a chorus of coyotes, a lone owl hooting and an amazing lightning show to the north.
Then, the rain. But, that did not deter any of us. We scattered across NW Missouri and doggedly drove toward clearing skies, finding a small window in Maysville, MO. The rain stopped, clouds thinned and we set our chairs up on the lawn of the county courthouse along with a bunch of other folks. Eclipse watchers clustered about along gravel roads, in farms, and in small towns.
We were able to see the sun on and off through thin clouds. While we had only glimpses of the sun itself as the moon “took bites out of it”, the experience and the surrounding activities were fascinating. The day gradually darkened and then just at totality it went black! Street lights came on. Nighthawks appeared in the sky and chimney swifts circled chimneys. Pigeons roosted on the roofs. Bats briefly fluttered about. People donned their glasses, chatted, and “oohed” and “awed” exclaiming loudly, “I can’t believe this!” “How cool is this?!” And, finally, one woman joked, “Why are we all so surprised?”
After a couple of minutes it got lighter rather quickly and we hopped in to car for the 270 mile drive back home.
It was one fun trip and a lovely diversion from the regular fare of “news” that we are subjected to daily.
More anon. Enjoy this short Splice video of our trip.
by Winding Pathways | Aug 17, 2017 | Nature
A creative family on 29th St. Drive SE decorated an old Stump over a period of months. The stump even survived the first round of construction and then, had to go. It’s kind of sad because the stumps livened up our drives to and from work. So, here is a memory lane and thanks to the creative person who was so dedicated in cheering us up and keeping us up to date on the seasons and cultural activities we all love so much.
by Winding Pathways | Aug 10, 2017 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Chickens
Rhubarb thrives in almost any soil.
About seven years ago we moved from a small house near downtown to Winding Pathways. We looked forward to our new home but didn’t want to leave some plants we’d cared for in the former yard. One was rhubarb. Fortunately, our move happened in early spring, so we were able to dig up dormant roots and plant them in our new yard. Now, they are thriving.
Rhubarb grows wild in parts of China but was domesticated centuries ago. It has been a valued garden and yard plant in temperate climates ever since. It is vigorous, attractive, and makes delicious food. Because it’s a perennial, it never needs replanting and pops out of the ground like magic each spring.
The plant thrives in rich soil and full sun but isn’t fussy. As long as it gets some daily sunshine and moisture, rhubarb grows well nearly everywhere. Few pests bother it, although deer eat the leaves in late summer or fall. Deer somehow resist toxins in rhubarb leaves that can sicken people. Fortunately, the stalks are delicious and nonpoisonous to humans.
Rhubarb is useful in landscaping and delicious in recipes.
We planted ours along a fence where it softens the straight line while giving us many pickings for the kitchen. We’ve never had rhubarb spread to places where we don’t want it. It is well behaved. Plant it where you want it and it likely will stay there.
When summer warmth arrives clumps of rhubarb often sent up a flower stalk. We pull out the flowering stalk, but other than that, the plants need little work. We are careful not to overharvest the stalks and give them plenty of time to regrow. Occasionally we do lightly harvest in summers of abundant rain and heat and enjoy recipes that include our own cherries and eggs from our chickens.
We prepare rhubarb one of several ways. The easy way is by pulling out a dozen, or so, stalks, adding the chopped off leaves to the compost bin, rinsing the stalks and cutting them into 1” chunks. We add sugar or honey to a pot full of stalk chunks and boil for about ten minutes with an occasional stirring. The resulting sauce is delicious on ice cream or pancakes or with plain yogurt. It’s good when added to oatmeal or just eaten as is. Rhubarb is tart and meshes well with ultra-sweet mulberries that ripen in late spring or nearly any other sweet fruit.
Two of our favorite pie and crunch recipes are Davenport Deluxe Pie by Joan Auterman and Rhubarb-Cherry Crunch from Clara Brown a long-ago friend from New England and Florida, Clara and Leon Brown were surrogate grandparents to a dear friend, Kathy Wentworth Taylor formerly of England. We love these best when all the major ingredients come from our garden, fruit trees and chickens.
Davenport Deluxe Pie
Preheat oven to 425°
1 large pie shell
3 cups chopped rhubarb in large bowl
Topping: ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup oatmeal, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon each of baking powder and soda. ½ cup butter. Cut the butter into the above mixed ingredients. Set aside.
Mix: 2 cups sugar, 5 Tablespoons flour, 3 beaten eggs and stir in rhubarb. Add to pie shell.
Add topping. Bake 25 minutes at 425° and then 30 minutes at 350°
Cool before serving with rich vanilla ice cream.
Clara’s Rhubarb-Cherry Crunch
Preheat oven to 350°
Filling: Combine in a sauce pan and boil to thickness: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Add cherry pie filling. (if using real sour cherries drain well first so the acid does not thin the syrup.) Turn off heat and add 1 teaspoon almond flavor.
Bottom and crust: mix together 1 cup each of oatmeal, brown sugar and flour. Cut in ½ cup butter until pea sized mixture. Lightly grease bottom and sides of pan. Press ½ of this mixture on bottom of a pan.
Add rhubarb on top of the bottom crust. Add the boiled cherry pie filling. Top with remainder of crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with rich vanilla ice cream.
by Winding Pathways | Aug 4, 2017 | Nature, Travel/Columns
A picture perfect day to canoe.
On a splendid late July day we packed up food, loaded the canoe, paddles and life jackets and headed out to explore the Odessa Water Trail. It’s one of Iowa’s several water trails and part of a larger system of water trails in the Midwest. What a blast!
Two hours south of Cedar Rapids the The Odessa Trail in Louisa County offers a way to explore backwaters safely. It winds through two wildlife management areas. The map we picked up at the Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters ensured we would not get lost in the maze of channels that form the meandering floodplain. Tucked in the inner elbow below Iowa’s bulge with the “Father of Waters” this refuge, managed for waterfowl and wildlife, encompasses 6400 acres and sports three tails ranging from an easy three mile paddle to a moderate 4.5 mile cruise to a 6.5 trek that can extend to 17 miles!
The Refuge closes from mid-September to January first to accommodate migratory waterfowl. Other times it is open to boaters, canoeists and kayakers, fishermen, and birders. Hiking and bicycling trails line the main islands, but those adventures could be dicey in high water and just plain buggy in hot weather. A campground is conveniently located near the Odessa Wildlife Unit Headquarters.
This day was just right. High pressure kept winds down, the sun was warm, but the air cool, especially for July. Sunscreen, long sleeved shirts and hats kept the sun’s rays at bay. Mid summer is quiet for bird life after their busy nesting season. Still we heard and saw a variety of songbirds and kept annoying a Great Egret and at least two Great Blue Herons. They would nervously watch us approach then with a loud squawk lift off and wing a few hundred yards down stream. Only to be annoyed again, when we approached. We did watch a heron catch and swallow a fish.
Along the banks frogs of all sizes croaked and leapt into the murky water. Lots of fish were rising up, but Rich decided not to wet his line, and rather studied the trail map carefully as we floated and paddled. Partway down, we pulled in for lunch balancing snacks in the canoe as the day drifted by.
It was great to try out one of Iowa’s many water trails. Check out the link to the National Park’s National Water Trail System. And, enjoy the short videos and photo gallery below. Go Outside and Play!
Great Egret Flies Off Click this link to see.
Great Blue Heron fishes.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 29, 2017 | Chickens, Labyrinths, Wonderment
What fun Winding Pathways and the Wapsi-Ana Garden Club had on July 26th! Charlene George gathered fifteen avid gardeners and close friends who followed “rooster” Rich around like chicks. They chatted about gardens and childhood experiences, explored the yard with a “Treasure Hunt”, learned about solar and rain barrels and took in the Phoenix Harmony Labyrinth. The members used their senses as they listened to various natural and human sounds. They judiciously tasted plants on their “Treasure Hunt”. Many verified that healthy lawns have diverse plants. Great descriptions of the phallic looking “Stinkhorn” fungus. Cicadas and Rattlesnake Master fascinated members. These amateur sleuths would have impressed Sherlock Holmes himself with their collective knowledge and hilarious manners.
Enjoy the photo gallery below of our morning with the Wapsi-Ana Garden Club. Come again!
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While chickens forage Rich shares about our projects.
