MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL - LITERALLY!

 Yesterday I walked past my front steps on the way across the street to my neighbours house.  As always my eyes sought out my flower beds that flank each side of the stone steps leading to my front door. 

My eyes were checking out my fall daisy plants which are just about ready to burst out in beautiful little purple - blue blossoms, and then I noticed a pile of dirt, which I couldn't remember being there before.

I stopped walking and really took a good look and there was not one mound of dirt, but 6 mounds in formation that loosely resembled a question mark.  it took me a minute to realize that I was looking at a series of mole hills appearing like a mini-city in my flower beds and front lawn.

It's not the first time we have had moles on our property.  The last time was about 4 years ago, when mounds started appearing in our large garden in the back yard.  It was early spring, and I had not yet planted my garden, but it took no time at all until the yard was covered with hills.  

I had seen mole hills many times at my Uncle's farm, I knew about them, but never was much concerned whether they were there or not.  Mole hills in my own yard - well that was a horse of a different colour.

I immediately set about trying to find someone in town to "deal" with my problem.  I remember asking several people what I should do.  One suggestion was stick some Juicy-Fruit gum in the hole for them to eat - and then they would blow up!  Yuk.  

Another suggestion was to put a hose down the hole and drown them out - Yuk, Yuk!

We went to the hardware store looking for a trap and honestly there were no traps at all!

In the end a kind old fellow came to my aide, and with a trap that looked like a guillotine turned supreme torture chamber -  he trapped and disposed of the critter without my even seeing it. Yeah!

So here we are - four years later and they have decided to take up residence in my yard again.  Once again I am asking for help from my neighbours - mostly retired farmers.  You'd think they have traps?

Apparently not - they left them on the farm -  have never needed them in town! 

Really?  Never?  I'm from the city, and now I have needed them twice!

Again I get the advice on how to trap them.  Find the hole, put the trap in, don't cover the hole, some say... cover the hole tightly, say others!

I'm told they have claws like a badger... are the size of a large rat.... are ugly beyond description.... 

Do I want to do this?  Do I want to see this mole?  NO and NO!

And then I look outside and overnight they have added another house to their town!

Now I am told that each mound of dirt is a room.  You know - one to store food - a birthing room - I guess they have a living room and a bathroom?  No Sunroom tho - they don't like light.

Hubby has warned I am on my own with this -and I just want to stay up in my studio and keep writing!

Am I making a Mountain out of several Molehills?

You bet I am!  I'm procrastinating too!

I don't even have a trap yet!

OH could someone please come over and deal with this for me!!

I can't call the old guy who helped me before - he was killed in a tragic accident just months after he got my mole.  I'm so sorry Mr. Blake - we all miss you so much!

I think I am being tested.  Buck up, city girl - you're in the country now - get some grit!

I need to take a deep breath, get off this desk chair and get to the hardware store!  Do I really have to do this?  Really?

Pray for me... or pray for the mole... I don't know.  Maybe pray for us both!

Wish me luck?

I'm getting off the chair now....

THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN FALL - EXCEPT MAYBE THIS "OVEN APPLE PANCAKE!"

 I'm not sure there is anything better than the season, of Autumn /Fall.  Mother nature pulls out all the stops on this the last true season of the year, and even if for some of us the season is rather short - it still is as beautiful and glorious as they come!

It happens to be my favourite season.  I was born in this season, so that might explain why I love it so much, but I think it's the way that fall prepares us for a different pace that I love the best.

The colours are spectacular, but then the leaves are shed and cover the ground... Mother Nature is saying "Gather your blankets, harvest the food that I have grown for you, rest now, gather your strength - I'll turn down the light and make your days shorter."

I try to allow Fall's influence into my life, by doing some of the things that the season suggests.

I gather my harvest and store it for the winter.  I pick up my knitting needles that have been sitting in a bag most of the summer forgotten, and I get back to making those socks, and blankets, mittens and shawls. 

 I go to bed earlier,  I sleep much better;  I make more hot satisfying meals, and I take more time enjoying those meals.

Fall is the only time we get to pick apples from the tree and this year the apples are plentiful in our community.  On my walks around town I have been watching trees load themselves with plump apples for the past couple of months.  And now they are ready to pick.

Everyone is giving apples away here, it's been an incredible harvest this year.

My neighbour picked 500 lbs of apples from one little tree and very kindly shared a garden-wagon full of them with me.

So yesterday I spent my day peeling coring and freezing apples to use this winter.  

One of my favourite things to make with apples is   OVEN APPLE PANCAKE.  I thought I had shared the recipe here before, but I can't locate it so, I am going to share it again.  

It's perfect for Brunch, or a special breakfast, or even an evening meal.  We have ours for our supper  along with some sausages or ham.  It is a recipe that you will make over and over again - I can promise you that!

So here is the recipe.

Note:  I make my pancake in a quiche dish, or a very deep pie plate because the batter really expands and will go over a regular sized pie plate.

OVEN APPLE PANCAKE:

1/4 cup butter 

1/3 cup brown sugar

Ground Cinnamon, light sprinkle

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

2-4 apples ( enough to cover the bottom of your pan) peeled, cored and sliced

Set oven to 425F

Melt butter in your pie plate or quiche pan. Stir brown sugar into melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon.  Place apples over sugar mixture, enough to cover the bottom of your dish and cook in oven for 10 minutes.

Beat eggs, add milk, salt and flour.  Stir to moisten.  Pour over apples, return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve inverted so the apples and syrup are on the top.

Enjoy! 

SEVEN MONTHS OF CHANGE!

 It's been seven months since my last blog post.  Looking back at the last few posts I had written I realize that the world is a much different place than it was even seven months ago!

Hello Everyone!  Welcome back to Erndalesnmore!

It has been much too long since I sat down at my computer and wrote anything, quite frankly.  I'm not even sure why that is - but it is a fact!

The Pandemic is here, it hadn't quite reached us here in Canada in February, but unbeknown to us, it was very close indeed!

We have gone through the first wave, and now if the authorities are correct, we are about to hit the second wave.  We have all faced challenges, some who have lost loved ones have faced unbearable heartache.

Personally I believe we should all have learned something very valuable through this experience, however the human race being what it is, I don't think that has necessarily happened.

So Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 have come and gone.  We will never see this time again. 

I hope you kept well and I hoped you kept busy doing the things you love, as much as possible.

Long before the Pandemic I had decided to completely revamp my gardens in our back yard.  I had been planning and drawing out plans for months by the time that spring hit, so when it did I went into action and made that project my reason to get up and outside each and every morning!

I can tell you I worked like a dog!  ( where did that saying come from anyway?)  But I did.  I moved structures, I dug, I planted, I made new structures, I weeded, I trimmed, I chopped, I carried, I hauled, and occasionally I sat and observed and changed my plan.

My Year 1 overhaul plan worked.  My garden plan was everything I'd hoped it would be - and then some.  

I took video of my progress from April to the September, and those video's are all on my Youtube channel "Whatever the weather may be".  If you are interested pour yourself a coffee and check them out.

Here is a brief  view of my progress...

I can't wait for Year 2 of my garden plan to come to fruition.  But until then, it will be more planning, more drawing and more dreaming!