Innehållsförteckning för March 2019 från Country Extra

Our home is in western Washington, amid the deep blue waters of the Puget Sound and rich emerald green pine trees of the Pacific Northwest. The backyard overlooks Colvos Passage, and we can see across to Vashon Island. The waterfront view is why my husband, Don, and I purchased this property in the late 1980s. We moved to Gig Harbor from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1994 when Don retired from his career as a construction/project manager for Proctor & Gamble. (I’d worked as a biomedical engineer and quality control engineer for several companies, then in development for local Catholic schools until I retired in 2010.) Soon we began to build our dream home, with the help of my late father, Emanuel Crisalli, and our children. The four children, Wendy, David, Mark…

The Finger Lakes awaken in spring with a burst of light green buds in the vineyards, a rush of snowmelt over the many waterfalls and wildflowers awakening in the glens. Any season is beautiful here, but spring is our favorite. The region, located in rural western New York, is known for clear lakes, cascading waterfalls, stunning views, fertile farm fields, historic places and small towns full of character and charm. The region owes its unique landscape to the advance and retreat of glaciers, which over some time carved large, elongated holes in the ground that filled with water, forming 11 finger-shaped lakes. Those lakes are Canadice, Canandaigua, Cayuga, Conesus, Hemlock, Honeoye, Keuka, Otisco, Owasco, Seneca and Skaneateles. At just under 4 miles, Canadice is the shortest, while Cayuga, at nearly…

Pawpaw trudged up the path from the cow barn, a galvanized bucket in each hand. One was full of warm, foamy milk, and the other had some water and the cloth used to bathe the cows’ udders before milking. I ran alongside, trying to keep up. He looked at me and slowed his pace. “I’m tired so I think I’ll walk a mite slower,” he said. “I’ll carry the milk if you want me to, Pawpaw,” I offered, but he just smiled and shook his head. Pawpaw placed the milk in the old refrigerator to cool and washed his hands. He entered the living room and sat down with a sigh. I followed, a 4-foot-tall shadow. “Is it time for wrestling yet, Pawpaw?” I asked. “Almost,” he said. “Another 10…

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church has a long, devoted history of receiving and sharing Christ’s gospel and gifts of grace with others. Located in Pocahontas, Missouri, a community of less than 120 people, the church is surrounded by picturesque rolling hills. Farms and homes dot the scenic hillsides in this heartland 10 miles west of the Mississippi River. The founders were immigrants from Austria who settled the area because the wooded hillsides and creek-bottomed valleys reminded them of home. They wanted to have a school to provide a Christian education for their children, but first they needed a church. They found a pastor to conduct services in the homes of Pocahontas residents in 1867 and soon made plans to build a church. A frame building started in 1868 was completed…

From an opening in the hillside, cold spring water cascaded down over rocks and moss, forming a waterfall both scenic and musical. It tumbled to the earth floor below, making a thunderous sound. This was the water needed to sustain our farm life. The waterfall flowed into a large pool, where mossy stepping-stones had been precisely placed for the children to play on as they tried to catch swimming minnows and baby frogs. What we also found there was beauty beyond measure. Upon entering this mystical abode by sliding down a steep incline, you were enveloped in the gurgling sound. It was a place of peace and total tranquility of spirit, where time stopped as we jumped from one rock to another and splashed in the pool on a warm…

1. WAKE UP CALL Our rooster watches over the farm and crows at the crack of dawn to let us know another day has begun. This picture reminds me of an ideal country morning. CRYSTAL BLANK Broomfield, Colorado 2. THREE LITTLE KIDS My sweet children Addy and Ryan adore spending time in the barn with their baby goat, Shadow. MARY LOVEGREN Clatskanie, Oregon 3. MINI MOUSER My sister Becky took this shy guy’s photo on her hobby ranch near Burgessville, Ontario. I think she should name him Spooky. BRENDA HANSEN Clintonville, Wisconsin 4. FEATHERS AND FAITH This unique “bird chapel” hangs among the spring flowers in my sister’s yard. Her name is Robin, and she loves to watch the birds. SALLY WHITE Beaumont, California 5. FARM…

Living in central Utah, my husband, Tim Edwards, and I are within half a day’s drive to some of the country’s most spectacular national parks. During a spring trip to Zion, Utah’s first national park, we stopped at the Court of the Patriarchs. As the free shuttle disappeared down the road, we realized to our delight that we were alone as we walked a short distance toward the Virgin River. We stood together in silence beneath some cottonwood trees, their spring green leaves glowing in the afternoon sun. Then we heard a noise off to our right. Coming down the trail was a cowboy on horseback leading a string of horses and one mule. The day’s work done, they moved easily down the familiar trail, perhaps with thoughts of home,…

When I travel to visit my family in rural Pennsylvania, I drive 100 miles through three counties. Sometimes the trip takes me twice as long as it should because I feel compelled to stop so frequently. I am given to pulling over just to enjoy a view, watch some animals, tour historical sites, and of course, take lots of photos, like this one of a farm with lovely red barns in the small town of Woodbury. The beauty of digital photography is that I can immediately share my trips with my 86-year-old father, Robert, who doesn’t get to travel as much as he used to. Sometimes I take photos of things just because I know they will interest him. And in a way, sharing my pictures makes me feel like…

PARMESAN ZUCCHINI BREAD Chris Wilson Sellersville, Pennsylvania PREP: 10 min.• BAKE: 1 hour + cooling• MAKES: 1 loaf ( 16 slices 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup butter, melted 1 cup shredded peeled zucchini 1 Tbsp. grated onion 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, sugar and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and onion. 2. Pour into a greased and floured 9x5-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for…

1 Taughannock Falls Near Trumansburg, this state park’s namesake waterfall is one of the highest east of the Rockies. The mighty waterfall plunges 215 feet through a 400-foot gorge. It can be viewed from above at a roadside overlook, from two rim trails, or via a pleasant path to the base of the falls. parks.ny.gov 2 Watkins Glen State Park This is our favorite and the most famous of the Finger Lakes state parks. An impressive gorge trail in this spectacular geographic wonder winds over, under and beside 19 waterfalls, past 200-foot cliffs, up stone stairs, over bridges and through tunnels. There are also rim trails that overlook the gorge. parks.ny.gov 3 Women’s Rights National Historical Park The park, which celebrates the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls…

“Do you own a pig?” Sixty miles away from home, on the way back from an appointment with my husband’s cancer specialist, my heart sank when I heard the neighbor’s question over the phone. “Yes, why?” I asked, dreading the answer I knew was coming. “It’s in our yard,”she said. Not really surprised, as the electric fence around his pen had been on the fritz, I mumbled an apology and assured her we’d be there as soon as we could. With an hour to drive, visions of the damage my 650-pound boar, Wilbur, could do in that amount of time burned themselves into my brain. He wasn’t mean. He was just big and not that great at skirting objects in front of him, such as flower beds, decorative lawn ornaments…

Growing up I always had a dog. My father had beagles, and I loved to go to the woods with him to run the dogs. Now I have Otis, a light yellow Lab with big dark eyes, and Lee Roy, a black Lab with an unforgettable face. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, being with my dogs gave me a peaceful feeling. I was thankful I had them by my side. Walking with Otis and Lee Roy was (and still is) a great stress reducer and mood booster. Sure, there were days when I did not feel like walking, but after I got outside with them I was always glad I did. A few days after I was diagnosed in October 2011, my favorite bird, a red-tailed hawk, flew…

Give my mom, Linda Ashberry, something old and worthless and she will find a way to turn it into something beautiful with a new purpose. She has a knack for restoration. Mom collects agateware, a marbled pottery from the 18th century. When she finds rust-ravaged pieces like those in the photo above, she revitalizes them with some tender, loving care and a lot of elbow grease. Where does she look? Old houses and junk piles in the woods all over our little county. She’s used a rusted-out washtub as the centerpiece in a flowerbed, and even has old iron Singer sewing machines on stumps in the woods with green vines growing all around. In her yard, wagon wheels lean against trees with flowers growing beneath. A wreath hangs from a…

1 NICHOLAS CONSERVATORY Rockford, Illinois  nicholasconservatory.com The low-key, relaxed atmosphere at this 7-year-old facility makes it a favorite for families with young children. At 11,000 square feet, the Nicholas Conservatory is one large tropical garden with a variety of fruit trees and flowers and a pond with koi fish. “Just feeling the humidity and smelling a little dirt and interacting with something green in winter does wonders for the soul,” says Lyndi Toohill, the conservatory’s operations manager of education and programming. The conservatory was built green—it has solar panels, a geothermal heating/cooling system and a green roof garden. 2 LAURITZEN GARDENS Omaha, Nebraska  lauritzengardens.org Designed to mimic the seasonal temperatures in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, this conservatory makes a visit feel like a vacation. It’s divided into three…

While I was out walking my dominicker chickens, one of them started “killing” something. Since it was a cold day, I knew no sane bug would be traipsing about, so I went to investigate. I glimpsed a rubber band in Myrtle’s beak, and then the chase was on! Wanda, Mini and LilBit (especially LilBit) were all after Myrtle to get the prize, and I was after them. As each chicken dropped the prize, the next one picked it up and ran with it. With this middle-aged woman bringing up the rear, it was quite a race to behold. Finally, Mini dropped the rubber band and I pounced on it before Wanda could. So why, you ask, am I walking chickens at all? Well, my husband kindly built me a chicken…

SPRING SPLENDOR California’s Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is often one of the earliest arid habitats in America to put on a majestic seasonal display. Visitors flock here to see and smell flowers such as sand verbena, desert sunflower and desert lily. AS GOOD AS GOLD Lost Dutchman State Park gets its name from a gold miner who explored the Superstition Mountains in search of treasure. Nowadays, gold seekers of a different kind convene in these Arizona meadows to admire the glinting hues of chamisa, poppy and desert dandelion. WORTH THE WAIT Arches National Park in Utah is known for red sandstone marvels, but nature can unexpectedly adorn the landscape with blooms as far as the eye can see. Flower seeds, like these globemallow, may lie dormant for years before springing…

Roxy, my Australian shepherd, has taught me twice as much as I’ve taught her—lessons in love, forgiveness and loyalty. One of the biggest lessons is to not underestimate any creature. When my husband, Robert, and I welcomed our first child, I was afraid Roxy wouldn’t adjust well. But happily she proved me wrong, and then some. Her kind heart expanded to embrace our new additions. Roxy has always been the best barn pal with our daughter, Trinity, and son, Tate. I think it’s safe to say our family and farm would be lost without our hardworking, fun-loving pup. She is the greatest dog I’ve ever had. When helping round up cattle she knows when to be aggressive and when to back off, and she is forever watching over us. In…

Growing up, my sisters and I always longed to live in the country. So when my parents chose to move to a small rural community north of the White Mountains of Arizona, we were thrilled. By then we were all in our late teens and early 20s, but we eagerly jumped at the opportunity to help our parents create a haven away from the city. Wanting to experience true rural life, my parents purchased 40 acres of land about an hour from any town. The property had been dubbed “Horsefeathers Ranch” by previous owners and we kept it. The house hadn’t been lived in for 10 years. Undaunted by a decade’s worth of mouse excrement and dead bugs, we all pitched in cleaning and sweeping. For the first several weeks,…

At a wedding I told my granddaughter Makenzi, “Look at those cute little flower girls.” She pointed to the bride and said, “There’s the flower mother!” VALERIE VASSAR Coyle, Oklahoma A Fish Fly A few years ago I took a trip to Florida with my parents and Gilbert, my 3½-year-old son. He saw some flying fish during a boat ride. Weeks later we went to my parents’ home in Ohio and stopped at a Howard Johnson’s for supper. Gilbert ordered fish and chips for his meal. When the food arrived he asked me what kind of fish it was. I told him I thought it was an ocean fish and not the kind that Grandpa caught in the lake. Gilbert announced, “Mom, it is flying…