Frustration and The Ides of March

 How to explain what's going on? Caesar, beware the Ides of March! Wait...wasn't that a pop group back in the late 1960s or early 1970s? Yes, it was. Look 'em up. They had, as far as I know, one hit entitled Vehicle. It's on my playlist. 

This time of year feels like a dead zone. I can't get outside because it's too windy which makes it too chilly. It's driving me crazy, too. I have things to do to ready my little garden space, things I WANT to do. And one can only do so much housework and laundry. Then there's the fact that since I can't get outside, I can't make a video. It's very frustrating. 

Even Deuce is feeling it. The dog is clearly bored. It's too cold for an old dog to go for a long walk because he wants to wade in the creek. NO. I can't allow that. His arthritis would flare up. So we nap. We are well caught up on our sleep. 

But I live in hope. March is half over. It's time to start seeds. May first is six weeks out - the time young plants can be put in pots, buckets, and planters for the season. And here I sit - blogging. I really am in a funk I do not want to be in. 

I think time is the only cure. Once this next batch of cold weather is over, I think I can get going with everything. 

Trust me. I can barely contain my excitement. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manon/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, weather, spring, gardening, frustration, country lifestyle, rural living, seedlings, black Lab Retriever, a writer's life

Is this year off to a good start? Not really...

What have I accomplished so far in this new year? Not much. It's been too freakin' cold to do more than take the dog outside a few times a day and feed the woodstove. I've worked on a manuscript and I've made a few videos. I'm not sure that's enough, but then again, I did say that I would REST during the month of January. 

It's harder than I thought. 

Today, finally, we were gifted with honest-to-goodness sunshine! Around two o'clock, Deuce and I walked down to the lower stone fence to get a good look at a widow maker. That's slang for when the top of a tree snaps off and then hangs up there instead of falling. There is no way we can safely get that to the ground. All we can do is stay alert when in the vicinity and wait for it to fall. Once it's on the ground, we can harvest the tree trunk. 

Thanks to the cold weather, my computer is living in my living room. I'm not too fond of this arrangement. I miss my sunroom office, but it's just too cold out there this year. It did help me decide to order a new laptop, though. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow unless I screwed up the acceptance thingee on the stupid app I did not want to sign up for. As soon as it arrives, I'm dumping that crap and everything associated with it. 

I know we're only three weeks into the new year, but I'm not impressed. I don't know what I'd hoped for, but I know it's not this dull, boring stretch of days. I have just one question: Is it spring yet?

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, winter weather, new year, laptops, widow maker, videos, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life

New Year's Day 2026

Another New Year's Day. I hate to sound old and grouchy, but it used to mean a lot more to me, and not just because it was a paid holiday. It was a day to be at home, with Ron, and chill. Well, I'm home and I'm chilling, but it's me and dog. Deuce is good company. 

My 2026 is starting off on a sour note. My HVAC system is throwing what I hope is a minor fit. Oh, it runs fine. It just doesn't accept the command from the thermostat to shut off when the temperature is reached. Yeah. I go to the panel box and flip the breaker to shut it down. Not a big deal, but very annoying. It means I can't let the system on overnight. Again, not a big deal since I have a woodstove. The outside temp dropped to 22F last night and the house dropped to 68F at six o'clock this morning, so I'm not suffering at all. I repeat - it's annoying. My brother-in-law knows about such things and he's coming to take a look at it. 

We had a violent snow squall come through here last night. I stayed up to watch the ball drop in Times Square. My streak continues! Then around four, the sudden wind woke me. I looked out the window and it was a white-out. It came and went within fifteen minutes, but it's cold enough today that some snow remains on the ground. 

It may be a new year, but laundry respects nothing and no one. I did a load this morning to kick-off the new year in an old way. 

I think what really has me gnashing my teeth this new year's morning is that Microsoft is discontinuing Publisher in 2026. They make it sound like even those of us who BOUGHT A PROGRAM DISC will lose access to it. Damn them! I keep a backup document of every blog entry here, at Between the Keys, and Deuce's Day just in case. And of course, I used Publisher to do that for the ease of inserting photos and moving them around. Now I'm reduced to using Word. Yee haw. I can do it, but I don't want to!!! This blog entry will begin the new year and a new way of recording Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway.

Greeting a new year is always a mixed bag. I can look back and say I made it through 2025 despite the challenges along the way. My plan for 2026 is to maintain the status quo as much as possible. I don't want to work as hard in 2026 as I did in 2025. It's time for me to simply enjoy my little manor home, and that's my only plan. I hope you'll come with me. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, New Year's 2026, rural living, country lifestyle, laundry, sundry things, planning, surviving, loss of spouse, end of MSPublisher

A few thoughts on Christmas 2025

I've been pondering what, if anything, needs to be recorded about Christmas 2025. Many things have been laid on my heart this season, and I hardly know where to begin. There is a wisdom that says look to the big things first, and the small things will fill in around them. I think that is true.

This was my second Christmas without Ron. I could argue it was really my third because in 2023, he was sicker than I knew, and he wasn't talking. He was here, but he slept most of the time. I worried, but without his cooperation, there wasn't a lot I could do. 

So, Christmas alone. Yes. Ron's sister had me up to her house twice, but Christmas Day was spent alone. On Christmas Eve, my cousin and I walked the dogs in the morning, and that was the only person I talked to all day. Christmas morning brought a flurry of texts, but I spoke to no one. There is a peace, and a reckoning, to silence and solitude. I sat with my thoughts and they were good company. 

I thought about making a Christmas Day video, but shelved the idea. I'll get around to making one shortly, after dinner at the cousin's house. Today is when all the grandkids can come. Their respective father's get them on Christmas Day, and we don't make a fuss about it and make the kids feel guilty. Their grandparents are smarter than that. In a few short years, the grandkids will be able to decide for themselves where they want to be for Christmas. We shall see. 

I stopped decorating for Christmas a decade ago, when adding a tree to our smaller space would have gotten in the way of Ron's wheelchair. This year, I almost missed having one. I debated getting one until I saw the price tags. Nooooooooo. The little ceramic tree that came from my grandmother will suffice. I did, however, do a small craft project to hang some of my fancier balls in the front window. It was enough to satisfy the urge to decorate. The bow window has four glass panels, and I didn't realize my project would look like a cross once hung. I think I'll modify it next year. 

Ron was a great gift-giver. Over the years, he gave me three sets of pearls. The first set was a choker with stud earrings. I loved it - a lot. But this year, I gave the set to his daughter. She cried. I felt a few pangs parting with the pearls, but she needed something of value from her father, and that was the best I had to give her. It's not like she needs a set of Snap-On wrenches, so it was the pearls. 

The only close female cousin I grew up with called me yesterday to tell me she's going to be a grandmother again. Totally unexpected, unplanned, but everyone is happy about it. I'm given to understand her son is going for the snip-snip early in 2026. At least they know how it happened! 

It may have been Christmas Day, but gardening fever is beginning. I measured the outside dimensions of my garden space and trolled the Internet for the type of fencing I want for my corner. I checked out websites for seeds, and I suspect the good stuff won't come online until after the Christmas sales. I looked at elevated beds and decided I don't need something off the A-list. How many more years will I be gardening? I don't know, so a product that will last eight to ten years is sufficient. This year coming, 2026, needs to be the year I go ahead and purchase everything I want so I will have a few years to enjoy having my garden space "perfect for me."

Deuce officially turns ten in January 2026. I've resisted visiting Labrador websites. Do I really want to get a puppy in 2026? Do I want to get another dog at all? I always thought Deuce would be my last dog and Ron and I would have more freedom to be away from home for longer periods of time. That certainly did not work out as planned. As I get older, I worry who will care for Deuce if something happens to me. It'll be worse with the next dog. It's sobering to consider. 

This Christmas has driven home just how many ways my life has changed. It's not better, it's not much worse, but it is different. Change comes to us all, and it is often an uncomfortable bedfellow. Not even hope, peace, love, and joy can alter the progression of time. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Christmas 2025, black Labrador Retriever, family, aging, life changes, holiday recollections, rural living, country lifestyle, 

Holly Tree Manor turns six

Holly Tree Manor turns six years old today. Never did I think I'd travel some of the roads I've traversed. There have been a lot of changes in my life since that fateful day in 2019 when I started the Holly Tree Manor blog. 

I retired on wonderful terms from my employer in May 2022. Ron passed in March of 2024. My stepfather passed. My mother is in a home with Alzheimer's Disease. Family I was unsure of have embraced me after years of very little contact. I'm reminded of the words of a song, "what a long, strange trip it's been." 

I look back at all the changes in my life, and I'm sure of only one thing. There is no where else on earth I would rather be than right here on my little manor. No where.

The trip continues. Come along with me. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, anniversary, country lifestyle, rural living, a writer's life, heaven on earth, seasons, life changes, family, friends

Fire Cider

If this witch's brew doesn't kill me, maybe it will live up to the hype. 

Fire Cider. I saw videos about it on YouTube and decided since I had most of the ingredients on hand, I'd give it a try. 

The brew, excuse me, concoction tonic, is supposed to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and immune system boosting properties. It ought to have something...

Disclaimer: I'm not a health expert, This is all anecdotal, so make this at your own risk. 

To make this brew you need onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, citrus (I used one orange and one lemon), jalapeno pepper, black peppercorns, horseradish, rosemary, and apple cider vinegar with the mother. I also added a handful of fresh cranberries since I had some on hand to make cranberry sauce for the holidays. I've seen where some people have added elderberries, but we don't seem to have any bushes around any longer. 

Layer the ingredients in a large glass container that has a lid. Pour in the ACV to cover and put the lid on the jar. Keep it in a cool spot away from direct sunlight and be sure to shake the jar every day. Once it's "finished," strain off the liquid and put it in an amber colored bottle. I'm going to store mine in the fridge. 

My brew will be ready around the first week of December. I've sniffed it and it actually smells like I'll be able to drink the suggested one tablespoon, or one ounce, a day. I have a shot glass and that's what I plan to use. 

Will it's supposedly magical properties change my life? I guess I'll find out.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Fire Cider, witch's brew, health, rural living, country lifestyle, gardening, herbal remedy, science experiment, shot glasses

And then this happened...

Just when you're cruising along...

So I was on the way home from an evening out with one of my friends, minding my own business, when a doe bolted out of the woods and ran into the Charger. 

Yes, she hit me. I did not hit her. 

I am not pleased. 

I almost managed to swerve away from her, but I hit those damn rumble strips along the side of the road and that scared me more than the deer did. It all happened in a flash.

The only damage to my Charger is the crack in the nosepiece which I will have repaired after the first of the year. Until then, there's Duct tape to stabilize it. Why wait so long? It's a scheduling thing. 

I took the Charger to my mechanic and he put it up on the lift and went over it. No mechanical damage. The car runs fine - no vibration, no strange noises. I was very lucky. 

The amusing thing happened the next morning when Deuce discovered that little tuft of deer fur stuck to the car. That's as close to sniffing a deer as my boy will ever get. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, white-tailed deer, Dodge Charger, Duck tape, rural living, country lifestyle, gratitude, Labrador Retriever, auto accident, 

 

Firewood, firewood, and more firewood!

This time of year is all about firewood. Heck, this entire year has been about firewood! It seems like all I've really accomplished this year is trimming trees, setting the logs aside for firewood, and burning the resulting brush. 

It started in May with a maple tree uprooting along the south stone fence. I got that cleaned up just in time for me and the cousin to rent a lift and top a few maples that were close to the house. Yeah, that happened in July and it was hot, hot, hot work. But we got it done. 

After all that, it was time to call in the professionals to take down a huge oak that was ninety-percent dead. I made a video on that. Actually, I made a lot of videos this past summer. You can check them out on YouTube on the Holly Tree Manor channel. 

I haven't had a lot of time left over to blog about anything, even the writing. I'd like to say I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but not yet. There is still a large pile of maple logs to cut into round, and even more oak logs. The cousin and I will have firewood for the next several years with just what is already on the ground. The thing is, it's doubtful Mother Nature will let the winter pass without gifting us more. 

I get tired just thinking about it.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, firewood, log splitter, John Deere 1023, rural living, country lifestyle, KC Kendricks, romance fiction, Between the Keys, Deuce's Day

Suffice it to say, we've been busy

It seems like "forever" since I had time to sit down and pen a blog entry. I've been busy with a project practically every day. Just this rainy, dreary morning, I finished burning the brush from when the tree trimmers were here to cut down the top of a dead oak tree. And I confess I've been busy with my new hobby - making videos of what's going on here on the manor. You can go to Youtube.com and search up Holly Tree Manor with KC Kendricks. 

I suppose I'm a bit old-fashioned in that I keep a desk calendar. It's a Day Designer, and I use it as a diary to keep track of what I did when. Looking back, it's no wonder I'm TIRED!!!!

• Today, October 13, 2025 - burned the last of the brush, ran a backup, paid my mother's bills
• October 12 - Sunday, domestic chores
• October 11 - worked in the wood yard; videoed it
• October 10 - laundry, worked in the wood yard
• October 9 - grocery run; canned carrots, baked muffins, brought in tender plants
• October 8 - burned 40% of remaining brush, set up new budget sheet, HVAC guy installed new fan motor
• October 7 - worked in the wood yard, the Internet was out, went to Trivia night
• October 6 - cousin fixed toilet, updated laptop, ordered HVAC parts, gave Deuce a bath
• October 5 - mowed grass, HVAC system fan crapped out, called HVAC tech, cousin brought topsoil
• October 4 - weed whacked, spread stone on parking area and lane
• October 3 - spread stone with the John Deere 1023, dismantled bench at shed and burned
• October 2 - weed whacked, load of stone delivered, got diesel fuel
• October 1 - made grocery run; removed shade cloth at sunroom, steam clean LR area rugs

I have no idea why I'd be tired. And that's not all of it, just the major items. But maybe it does explain why I've not been blogging, or writing, these past few weeks. 

I'm grateful I'm able and active enough to handle all the day to day here at Holly Tree Manor. With winter closing in fast, there is still much to do. It's now wood splitting season, and the cousin has mentioned it a few times. We're both set with firewood for this year, but we need to split for next year so the firewood can season for a year. That's the way it works. 

So forgive me for not blogging much. I really have been busy!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, canning, gardening, John Deere 1023, rural living, country lifestyle, firewood, splitting firewood, shade cloth, black Labs

Little bit of this, little bit of that

Some days, most days, life is full of little moments. You do a bit of this and then a bit of that, and before you know it, the morning has slid into the afternoon. My life is really like that. 

A few days ago the morning was full of little things. I made a cup of coffee and sat down to go through the canning books to select a few soup recipes to make for this winter. I had a batch of yogurt in the Instant Pot that needed to be finished, and a pack of bacon to fry. In the garden, I wanted to make a last harvest of the basil and get it on the dehydrator. And I needed to vacuum the rug because Deuce - well, Deuce was being Deuce. 

I took video clips of the morning, which is more time consuming than you'd think. I spent the afternoon putting the clips together and getting the video posted.

When I was finished, evening had arrived and another day was gone. And isn't that just life? A little bit of this and a little bit of that which forms to make a whole day. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, canning, Instant Pot, bacon, basil herbs, gardening, rural living, YouTube, video, daily life, black Labrador Retriever

How busy is too busy?

 

To say that's it's been a busy stretch would be an understatement. It's that time of year when you look around and see a few things that need done before the really cold weather creeps up on you. So I got busy, did the work, and I videoed a lot of it. 

There was cleaning up the wood yard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOMDflULKhs&t=8s 

I harvested the basil and made pesto. It's not really a cooking vid, just the way I do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k922IppD3FE&t=17s

One day, I took some time to do the little bit of fall decorating I do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC2V-dpXLVU

But the really BIG THING that happened was the tree trimmers finally arrived to take down the mostly dead oak tree. I've been sorting and organizing the logs so that when the wood dries out enough to split, it will be an easier job. That video isn't out yet, but it's coming soon. 

On top of all that at the home front, I've been out to dinner with friends, dined with family, and enjoyed the weekly Trivia Nite at a local "tavern" with a cousin. The game takes place in the ballroom so you know it's not a real tavern. I canned a batch of green peppers, chicken breast, and white bean and sausage soup.

This week, I put on my author hat and started to add my backlist to Audible. You can read about that over at Between the Keys. If you already have some of my titles, you can add the audiobook for $1.99. It's going to cost me a small fortune to get the audiobooks into my personal library, but it'll be worth it. 

It seems like I have something to do every day, and by the end of the day, I'm bushed. Heck, I went to bed with the chickens last night and slept for nine hours! 

In reality, I think it's good to be busy. Having nothing to do would make life pretty boring. Those days are just around the corner. Winter will arrive and my days will shrink to the computer, the TV, and the woodstove. 

Until then, I'll count my busy blessings.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, YouTube, autumn, gardening, woodstove, firewood, tree trimming, cooking, basil, Black Labrador Retriever, family, trivia, winter, audio books

Quick Garden Tour, Cleanup, and a New Greenstalk

The 2025 gardening season is winding down. Was it a huge success? Not really. The extreme heat took a toll on a lot of things, but the Bell peppers thrived. The Roma tomatoes did okay, too, even flowering after ninety-degree days. I even avoided the blossom end rot this year. 

I've harvested basil to make and freeze Pesto, canned tomatoes, and made two batches of stevia. I've dehydrated lemon balm and echinacea, and even dried some patchouli. And I've added another Greenstalk for strawberries. 

Along the way this summer, I've been making videos! I love having a video record of what's been going on here at Holly Tree Manor. 

So check out my YouTube channel, Holly Tree Manor with KC Kendricks to SEE what's been going on. And if you would, please like and subscribe to help the channel grow. I want to be an old, old woman with a bunch of videos to prove to old, old men that yes, I did indeed know how to operate a John Deere tractor. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor

Holly Tree Manor, KC Kendricks, YouTube, gardening, John Deere 1023, Greenstalk, container gardening, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, woven weed cloth

I had to do it - stewed tomatoes

Based on the performance of the tomatoes in my garden over the last several years, I did not expect to have a big harvest this year. And that was fine with me. My late husband was a big fan of seasonal bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches if the tomatoes were fresh from the garden. Enough was produced to keep him happily munching on BLTs and not much beyond that. This year is different.

First off, I only planted five plants. At this point, I'm saying thank God! Those five Roma plants are really outdoing themselves. Based on the last several seasons, I figured I'd get enough for the table but not enough to process. 

Wrong. This morning I processed eight three-quarter-pints of stewed tomatoes, and I expect I'll have enough to do another batch before the season ends. 

I do love those three-quarter-pint jars. I wish they were more readily available. I think each jar will be just enough for me to get two servings. That's perfect. I may even try a few half-pint jars since I have a lot of those empty at the moment. 

I'm wondering if the addition of potash to the raised bed I planted the tomatoes in has made the difference. There has not been even one instance of blossom end rot this year, and that is my tomato nemesis. 

The heat this summer has been brutal, and it has effected the garden. But I will persist and be happy for all that I did get. It's also time to plant for late fall harvest, something I've rarely done. Maybe I'll have success with that in 2025. We plant in hope. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, gardening, home food preservation, tomatoes, blossom end rot, rural living, a writer's life, fall planting

Seeing is believing!

Have you ever started something and then wondered why you did? I'm sort of at that point with the recent spate of videos I've posted at https://youtube.com/kckendricks. I'm having fun (sort of) learning to edit a cohesive video so that's a good thing. I've joked I'm going to be ninety years old in the nursing home and pulling up these vids to prove to the old codgers I really did operate a John Deere tractor and I really did use a chainsaw. Ha ha. 

But seriously, a conversation with some friends got me to thinking. Myself and another member of our "dinner group" live alone, and we are not afraid to cut down a tree and chop firewood for ourselves. Several other group members have no clue about how to garden, how to can food, how to take their car in for service. They just don't know where to start. I want these videos to show women in my age group that they can do it. 

So what have I been recording?

Using the Brush Crusher on the John Deere tractor to remove fallen tree limbs, brush, to aid cutting firewood, and using the backhoe attachment to dig out stumps and a clothesline post among other things. I'm going to run out of ambition to keep making videos long before I run out of projects. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUYFmD6rG3c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZLTCa_x19g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVIhb51F6hE

Of course, I manage to get video-bombed by Deuce at least once per video. 

I try hard to not allow myself to get annoyed by women who think they can't do for themselves. So many times it's conditioning from their parents. You can take care of yourself. I'm walking proof of that. I had good examples of strong, self-sufficient women to guide me. I had a husband who believed it was part of his duty as a husband to teach me all that he could. His life was my biggest blessing. 

Sooooo, if you'd like to see me in action, visit the YouTube channel. If nothing else, you'll get a laugh or three as I blunder my way through projects here at Holly Tree Manor.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, John Deere 1023, strong women, self-sufficient, tractors, chainsaws, gardening, cooking, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, greenhouse, YouTube channel

Tree topping in Triple H weather - not advised

I've been a bit MIA lately, and that's because I've been working with the cousin in Triple H weather. That's hazy, hot, and humid in case you don't live in the Mid-Atlantic region and don't know. I can only work for a couple of hours at a time when I'm on my own. If I get heat stroke, I'll lie there and be dead before someone misses me. We don't want that to happen! 

My property is a three-acre lot and two of those acres are wooded. That's fine. I like trees. The only thing that beats shade in the summer is central air in the house. But I digress...

Back in 1981 the trees were not this big. They grew, and some of them became uncomfortable neighbors. Cousin Dave and I rented a "cherry picker" lift and topped out six of them. I'm in the midst of cleaning up the brush so we can cut firewood rounds. It's going to take many, many, many days to get it all finished, but in the end, our firewood rounds stockpile will be in good shape. 

Deuce has a bit to say about the lift we rented. He was not impressed. https://deucesday.blogspot.com/2025/07/whats-this-thing.html

Years ago, I began to post short videos so my husband could see what was happening around the manor in places he could no longer physically get to. There were also dog vids, and vids of walks and such, all posted in the hope he'd feel included. 

After he passed, I pondered whether or not to start a more intense video project, and to that end I've been recording my activities on the manor. My YouTube channel is called The Hideaway Between the Keys, and as with all things, Google knows where to find me. I think YouTube has changed up some things and it's now youtube.com/@KCKendricks. I think. I'm still figuring a lot of "stuff" out. 

I'll have upcoming videos of the tree trimming and cleanup, as well as some general gardening and general manor activity vids. It really is my life unscripted. 

But back to the Triple H weather, I'm pretty much done for the day with outside work. I grabbed the chainsaw around 7:15 AM and worked clearing the brush from the top of one of the downed maples until the sunshine stole the shade from me. I'll go at it again tomorrow morning. Once I have the smaller, lighter brush removed, the cousin will return with his big saw and finish the heavier work. Sooner of later, it'll all get done and I'm fine with that. My plan is to get to the end goal without giving myself a heat stroke. 

Good plan!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, KC Kendricks, YouTube, country lifestyle, rural living, tree trimming, firewood, weather, heat stroke, Milwaukee chainsaw, John Deere 1023

The 10-day forecast is ugly

It's like living in a tomb. 

It's not unusual for the weather in June to turn hot after the summer solstice. Of course, it's not usually THIS hot, but old Sol is doing some crazy things at the moment. Solar cycle 25 and all that. And it's not crap - it's science. 

Deuce and I walked down the creek earlier this morning. It was already 85F at nine o'clock, but I worry about my best boy so I wanted to help him cool down. The creek is spring-fed and the water is cold, and he enjoys getting his paws wet. He's getting older and that little excursion apparently required him to come home and take a nap. 

There's a short video of him walking in the creek below. 

Why do I say it's like living in a tomb? Over the course of the last several years I upgraded all the curtains/drapes to blackouts. I got them from Amazon and they not only keep out the light, but they really help keep the interior of the house cooler (and warmer on cold winter nights). I've been outside with Deuce after dark and if the curtains are closed, no light shows at the windows. They work.

My cousin and I had planned to work outside this week, but that's off the table. With age comes smarts and we're smart enough to know to avoid the heat when possible. It's indoor pursuits for both of us for at least the next ten days. 

Our grandmother had a saying: "This, too, shall pass."  And so it shall.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, KC Kendricks, rural living, heat wave, tree trimming, country lifestyle, black Labrador Retriever

A good muffin recipe is a good buttermilk muffin recipe!

I have a basic muffin recipe I got from... I have no clue where I got. It's been too long ago.  It's the kind of recipe where once you have the batter made you can add whatever you want to it. I like to add one of the following:

• cranberries
• cranberries and white chocolate chips
• almonds
• blueberries
• chocolate chips
• mint chocolate chips
• butterscotch chips

These are easy to make, too. 

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or plain milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon baking POWDER
• 2 cups flour
• your choice of goodies

Get the batter into the muffin tins, bake at 425F for 7 minutes, then turn the heat back to 350F and bake for another 13 - 15 minutes. You know your oven. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR until the time is up. Cool, eat, or freeze. 

I like to make two batches and freeze them, and they freeze perfectly. A muffin is a good breakfast or late night snack (sometimes). 

There you have it. It's time to get the second batch out of the oven. Enjoy!

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, rural living, baking, muffins, country lifestyle, convenience food, recipes, a writer's life, chocolate chips

Sometimes you have to make a purchase

I love to home process (can) foods. Can it be a bit of work? Yes, but to my way of thinking nothing beats being able to go to the pantry and grab a jar of food when you want it. 

This is the year I wanted to can cherries. I'd love to have a cherry tree that produces fruit, but the cherry trees I have are wild and don't fruit. I started calling around to the various orchards in my area and what a shock! If they had cherries available, it was at an astronomical price - $5.00 for a PINT. You'd need four pints to make one cherry pie!  I hated to do it, but I went to a grocery and got frozen cherries for my project - Spirited Cherries. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. My preference was for local produce, but it was time to be financially responsible to my budget. 

Spirited Cherries is a recipe found in the big Ball Book. It's very simply a tablespoon and a half of "spirits" (alcoholic beverage) per half-pint jar. And while I was in the frozen section, I got a big bag of blueberries and made Spirited Blueberries. 

The finished product cost about $1.00 per jar. That's a little high, but it shakes out to $.50 a serving. I'll be putting the fruit over ice cream or even yogurt if I have that in the evening instead of ice cream. That's thirty-six times I won't have to prepare anything. Open a jar, or the fridge, and enjoy. 

I think it's well worth the three hours it took to can both fruits. And considering the cost differential to local fresh, I don't even feel bad about that. I may even get more and make a second batch. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, home canning, cherries, blueberries, rural living, country lifestyle, budgeting, buy local, Ball Book

A most unusual visitor

Living on the side of a mountain means I share my space with a host of critters. There are deer, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, possums, turkey, numerous birds including hawks and owls, the occasional coyote, snakes, turtles, frogs, toads, and salamanders. And yes, there are fish and such in the creek. But this morning there was a first - a SNAPPING turtle in the yard. Box turtles are the norm.

Being that there is a creek nearby, seeing the occasional snapper isn't too rare. Seeing one strolling (?) through my yard is something else. 

It came across the front yard, through the west forty (where the wood yard is) and down over the hill. I think it was lost. The creek is in the exact opposite direction. 

Speaking of directions, I tried to tell it to turn around and go back, but it didn't listen to me. It must be a male. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, snapping turtles, rural living, country lifestyle, a writer's life, wildlife, KC Kendricks, unusual sightings, reptiles

Another one bites the dust

For no apparent reason, one of the trees along the lower stone fence uprooted and fell behind the leaning cherry tree. It's safe to say the fun never ends! 

It's a bit of a mess, but just like every "project," if I take it one step at a time, it's manageable. It also means more firewood.

My cousin and I already had the leaning cherry on the agenda to harvest. The tree is leaning, sure, but it's not a threat to my house so there's no hurry. Now that this other tree is behind it and applying pressure, it may come down on its own. It's okay if it does. 

Hopefully, before that happens, we'll be able to cut the uprooted tree in such a way to relieve the pressure. I certainly wouldn't want the cherry coming down on top of me while I'm mowing the front yard. 

The downside is we're both well-stocked with 

firewood for the 2025-26 season. My cousin has a space problem.  I don't. I can store a lot more split wood than he can. I'm pretty sure we'll cut the rounds now and split later.  And if we need to store all the rounds here on the manor, that's fine. He'll know where it is when the time comes. 

While I have enough trees to keep us both in firewood for as long as we both live, I do worry about the condition of the trees. I don't think our forests are as healthy as they used to be. We have several non-native insects causing damage and there is no way for me to protect the trees on my property. A homeowner can't spray an oak that is one-hundred feet tall. 

But that's a worry for another time and another person. I'll do the best I can do for the years left to me. That's all any of us can do. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, forests, trees, firewood, property management, insect damage, oak tree, cherry tree, rural living, country lifestyle