Peeper

Backyard Poultry

Self-Made Boss

This is Peeper the Barred Plymouth Rock (it was also in my last post). Pecking seemed to be its favorite pastime—most of all at other chickens. It was also one of Puzzle’s favorite hens, which probably accounts for the bossiness. I think this is a pretty good picture, even though Peeper looks like it’s trying to ignore us. You know, it’s very difficult to take a well-posed picture of a chicken, mostly because chickens don’t pose and are constantly on the move! On top of that, almost all the pictures are through chicken wire, since we kept the hens in runs all the time.

Meet the Hens

Backyard Poultry

Acorn and Peeper

Are these two chickens actually posing for a picture?? Or maybe they’re both making the same complaint about that overturned treat container. Anyway, this starts my series of “chicken profiles,” with not-so-perfect shots of my first flock of hens. I’ll go over the difficulties of poultry photography later! For now, this is Peeper (on the right) and Acorn, the Araucana all grown up after its chickie picture, Cute Baby. It looked quite different from the other hens, but got along pretty well with them. It sure has beautiful feathers!

Finished Sofa

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Picture-Perfect

And may I present . . . the completed, totally refashioned sofa! What do you think—quite a transformation, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe this is still the very same piece of furniture! It shows what a little creativity, and a lot of work, can do. It inspires us to keep going with our redecorating on that difficult living room!

Sofa Back

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

A Back Cushion

We are not quite done with that sofa yet! We realized that the problem was how deep the seat cushion is. So we improvised a new back frame from a simple upright board attached to the seat. And for the pillow, we used...yes...none other than our old couch’s cushions! (We decided the couch had to go; it just wouldn’t fit into the setup—see it here.) We sewed another looong slipcover pillow case into which we stuffed three of the couch cushions. The fabric is a neutral upholstery print, which goes okay with all the pillows. Well, I guess that about completes our new sofa!

Sofa Progress

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Decked out with Pillows

Doesn’t that pretty sofa look all dressed up? Quite a difference from that old blue futon we started with. I was really pleased with how it came out, and we kept it this way for a while. But it was still a problem to sit on. Even with all those lovely pillows, you still either slumped or had lumps pressing into your back. It also just very slightly resembled a bed, with no back cushion and that ruffled skirt. But I’d say we’ve done some nice work on it.

Sofa Pillows

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Throw Pillows

Drawing on the colors of the sofa cover, I created an array of pillows to use as the back rest. First I recovered the old sofa throw pillows in the same blue as the skirt. I also made two smaller red pillows as accents. Then I sewed a pair in a tan upholstered print with homemade blue cording. You’d never guess what I put inside that cording—jump rope! It came out...um...pretty well for my first time!

Sewing Button on Pillow

Finally, I made two extra-big pillows measuring almost 24” across. These were covered in a gold and red combo, with extravagant ruffles around the edges (may I never have to do that again) and fabric-covered buttons in their middles. This was quite some colony of pillows, and made for a very interesting sofa!

Sofa Skirt

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Sofa Cover & Cushion

Here’s a look at the bottom of the sofa cushion cover—I cleverly used scrap fabric sewn to the cover material to make a complete slip-on pillow case. Then all I had to do was sew the ends shut. It’s proved quite durable.

Next to introduce is the sofa skirt, which accents that bright blue in the cover. For you sewing fans out there, the blue fabric is gathered and stitched to the white sheet material, which is stapled to the sofa frame. It was important to have it securely anchored since the mattress slides around easily. I thought the skirt really dressed up the whole sofa.

A Remade Sofa

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

New Sofa Cover

Okay, we must get back to that living room, still waiting to be redecorated! I decided the first obstacle was the futon sofa (see it here), and we started work there. First, we took apart and removed the back frame, leaving a wide bench seat. We also cut the cushion in half lengthwise (I wish I had a picture of this!) so it fit the bench. This got rid of the constant slumping and sliding that was always happening with that cushion. Then I picked out a bright upholstery print to cover the cushion with. That dirty blue plaid was the original, 10+ years old, and an eyesore! This became the color scheme for the living room—maroon red, gold, and dusty blue.

By the River

Ohio History

And now, my friends, it’s time to settle back and enjoy the soothing sensations of the Clifton Gorge river. Watch and listen as it rushes through the foamy rapids, runs gently under the bridge, and gurgles between shallow stones. I even included one of the waterfalls as a special treat—doesn’t it sound like rain as it falls into the lower pool? I apologize for all the bouncing around—you can tell I’m rather new at movie-taking! And many thanks to my brother, who blogs over at J Beachy Photography, for the wonderful video editing and music!

Gorge Wonders

Ohio History

Steamboat Rock

Enjoy some more unusual sights along the Clifton Gorge trail. The moss-covered rock above looks like an old steamboat chugging up the river (hence the name). Yes, those are trees up there growing on the top ledge! There seemed to be undergrowth on every horizontal surface there. The rocks seemed a good bit harder to hike over than to grow on! It’s a wonder that this the only rock along the river that's been named!

Waterfall

There were two magnificent waterfalls cascading from the top rim down to the river. This one had a miniature set of falls at the bottom over some beautiful rock steps. It was really pretty! The excess rain made all this possible, since the channels are usually all dried up.

Clifton Gorge

Ohio History

Miami River Rapids

Clifton Gorge park is a place of stark contrasts. It’s set in the rock clefts of the Miami River valley in western Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati. The narrow trails that lead along the rocky rim and far below along the rough river bank afford some awesome views. The river, usually calm as a creek, was rushing with recent rainfalls on our visit this winter. Here are the fastest rapids, where the current splits in two around some rocks.

Rock Sculptures

There are some amazing stone formations carved from the steep canyon walls too. As my sister put it, these look like some giant building blocks dropped from the sky! And they’re huge—this whole sculpture is probably four times the height of a person.

Mud Valley Reflection

Artist's Gallery

Mud Valley Watercolor

Can you believe I did another painting from this road? It is watercolor this time, and one of the same fishponds as in "Forest Fire." It’s an earlier painting than my last two, and has less detail. It’s got quite a bit of vibrancy and movement for a watercolor, with not so much focus on realism. On top of that, I think it was done on plain paper, which gets really soggy, wrinkled, and can even dissolve! I guess there’s a reason I haven’t used watercolor for a long time! This makes a nice addition to my Mud Valley collection, though.

See the original picture at J Beachy Photography—its color and detail are quite different from my painting. It's sort of a study in mood and tone.

Walk in Mud Valley 3

Artist's Gallery

Coming to Life

And here is the real heart of Amish country: horse in the pasture, buggy clackety-clacking down the road, pedestrians enjoying a beautiful day. But it’s the fence I get compliments on when people look at the picture! I think it’s the sharp detail combined with a vibrant dark & light contrast. You think of a fence being only one color, but it’s really a whole range of blues. I’m more impressed with the gate myself; you can feel the light dancing on the worn, crooked bars. I had to sketch the buggy several times before I got it the right size, but it came out perfectly. I'm very pleased with the painting; I'd say at this point it's the second-best of all I've done!
Thanks to J Beachy Photography, you can see the original for this painting as well by clicking on the link. See what you think!

New! You can now purchase this painting as a greeting card here at my Countrygirl Art shop on Etsy.com!

Walk in Mud Valley 2

Artists' Gallery

Developing Shadows

I’ve done a lot of work on the pasture shadows now. The lemony highlights on the sun-filled grass make a great contrast with the dark areas. You may notice two extra shadows cast by something outside the picture. The one in the pasture is a tree, the other on the road is a barn (it’s actually in the background of “The Way Home.” This gives the picture an openness that widens your view of the scene. I’ve done a little more work on the trees (notice how it looks like you could walk under that dark, shady canopy?) and their shadows. The worn pavement marks have created a country road, well-traveled by passenger vans, turkey trucks, and buggies.

Walk in Mud Valley

Artist's Gallery

Laying the Groundwork

This painting is from the same road as my last one, in the middle of the area known as Mud Valley. It’s actually looking toward the same hill as “The Way Home,” except from the opposite direction. I started with a base layer over the 8½x11 cardstock. Then I used the scrubby brush to put in different shades of maroon, brown, goldenrod, and green on the tree area, interspersed by sepia shadows. Next, I started trying to shape the contour of the land with dark shading, especially on the ditch. I love painting hills and shadows like this, especially at evening. Can anybody spot the shadows of the future pasture fence?

Buggy Card

Artist's Gallery

"The Way Home" Card

Here I used the same scene as “The Way Home” but this one is on a greeting card. You can see the detail is not as good because it’s a smaller painting. The trees look quite a bit different because I used a brighter yellow, and a scrubby brush instead of a fan brush to paint them. A scrubby brush, by the way, is a well-used flat or pointed brush that’s caked up with paint and won’t come to a point anymore. Never throw a brush away, it’s always good for something! I’ve done this scene more than once on a card. Which of the two paintings do you like better?

The Way Home

Artist's Gallery

Acrylic Painting

Here is a peaceful painting I did from the road where we used to live. It's called “The Way Home” since this buggy will soon be passing our farmhouse about half a mile down the road. I like how the background farm came out, with the long shadows of the evening sun. I did the trees solely with a fan brush, which has an interesting effect. The buggy was a challenge, and I think it and the well-worn pavement came out nicely too.
On J Beachy Photography,  you can see the original photo I used for this painting. What a beautiful picture! The barn in the background belongs to a family cattle farm. The same family also ran the fishponds in my painting “Forest Fire.” I can just imagine walking down that road again!

New! You can now purchase this painting as a greeting card here at my Countrygirl Art shop on Etsy.com!

Spinning Treats

Backyard Poultry

Watch Hens Jump for the Cabbage!

This video shows my flock from this year enjoying a treat. I always hang the cabbage from strings now to make the hens work for it a little bit! I think they enjoy jumping, too. The cabbage quarters are hung from rafters inside the greenhouse we built for the flock this winter. More on that later!

Pet Chickie

Backyard Poultry

One Happy Chick

I received this adorable little chicken as a Christmas gift from my penfriend who lives in Italy. Many of my penpals in Europe send very nice little gifts for Christmas. This cute bird makes me smile every time I see it. Thanks to my dear friend in Italy for thinking of my love of chickens!

Chicken Menu

Backyard Poultry

Banana Snack

I wonder what Midnight thinks of this squishy banana? I can tell you, our hens love all kinds of fruit and vegetable scraps (except for citrus fruits). Chickens will also eat small animals and meat scraps if they can. In fact, I looked out the window the other day, and there was one of my hens with a dead mouse hanging out of its beak! It had been thrown in the field from one of our mouse traps and Pepper picked it up. Yuck!! Chickens will attempt to eat practically anything; they love styrofoam and more than once have eaten holes through pieces of insulation they got their little nosy beaks into!

Garden Treats

Backyard Poultry

Corn Tassles

Next to sample are the tassels from the corn I grew. I will say, they weren’t quite as popular as the cabbage! The chickens enjoyed a variety of extra garden produce that summer—Swiss chard, endives, lettuce, marigolds, and even old bean plants. I also raked up grass clippings from mowing and they had fun climbing around in that “green sand pile.” People don’t typically think of chickens as grazers, but they actually prefer greenery over pellet foods. All but scratch, anyway!

Hens + Cabbage

Backyard Poultry

Crunchy Munchies

Speaking of food, chickens love trying out new treats too! Here are those new layers from last year chomping down a head of cabbage. I actually grew this cabbage in my garden (that’s why it’s full of holes), and, for good reason, it’s the last one I grew! Chickens can eat surprisingly fast—it’s hard to imagine without watching it yourself! I also like to hang the cabbage by a string so the hens have to jump for it. It gives them good distraction when I have to keep them penned in for a while.

Strawberry Icing

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Strawberries Deluxe

It’s very easy to make a wonderful icing out of the Strawberry Sauce. Take an 8-oz bar of cream cheese and beat in about a cup of strawberry sauce. You can adjust the amount to your taste. I also like to throw in the strawberry pulp from making the sauce—it’s a real strawberry whopper! You could also make the sauce/icing from blueberries, cherries, raspberries, or other frozen or fresh fruit.

Strawberry Sauce

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Straining Sauce

This delicious sauce has a marvelous flavor and color. It’s relatively easy to make and lasts for a week or two in the fridge. I’ve had great results with both fresh and frozen strawberries.

Heat in a small saucepan and simmer, covered, 10 minutes:

2 c. fresh strawberries, washed & hulled,  OR  2 c. frozen strawberries

1 c. water                                       1/4 c. honey

1 t. cinnamon                                  1 t. lemon juice

Uncover and simmer 30 minutes, til very soft.

Then pour through a fine strainer to separate the pulp. Put the juice back into a clean pan and add water to equal about 1 1/2 c. Heat gently. Meanwhile, combine and let stand 5 minutes to dissolve:

1/4 c. water                            1 1/2 t. gelatin

Ready to Eat

Stir into the juice mixture and remove from heat. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally, until it’s like jelly. Drizzle it over the cheesecake for a cool fruit flavor, or use it for strawberry icing—I’ll show that tomorrow!

Cheesecake Icing

Gluten-Free Gourmet

Iced Cheesecake

Here is a standard icing recipe I love since it uses no sugar or butter. You can use it not only on the cheesecake, but also on all kinds of cakes and cookies. You can substitute any flavoring or extract for the vanilla and adjust the honey accordingly.

Combine and beat with a hand mixer:

1 8-oz. bar cream cheese                                  3 T. honey

1 t. vanilla                                                        4 T. water

Spoon over cheesecake slices and spread it down over the sides. Garnish with a few cherries or fresh berries on top.