Life in the Middle

First Fire of the Year

2009-11-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

It's just getting cold here in Alabama, so I lit a fire the first chance I got! Fisher (the new kitten) was totally enthralled by it, but Buddy just continued sleeping as usual.

2009-10-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Obie Andrew Langley, 1919-2009

Obie & Fisher

2009-09-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is the wee kitten we're fostering from the Randolph County Animal Shelter in Wedowee.

Mmmm . . . the last taste of summer!

2009-09-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

2009-09-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

While building the new chicken run, Vince and I saw a mantis, who I'm hoping is one of the babies we hatched.

The new chicken run

2009-09-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Mr.s Vincent Pagniucci and R. Alex Ubeda helped construct a new fence for the old chicken run. Drenched in sweat, we worked hard for three days, pulling up the rusty wire and rotting wood from many years of patchwork fencing, digging holes and hammering nails. Luckily, there was cold beer at hand, warm meals a la Sarah, and the swimming wool shimmering in the fading evening light. The coop now contains a peacock, a peahen, a full-grown chicken (and our only egg-layer so far), six white broiler chicks who we've raised from babies (including Peep-Peep, aka Cheep-Cheep, and Busted Head), and two retarded hens who are recovering from life in a commercial chickenhouse, crammed in cages and pumped full of chemicals . . . they can hardly walk and are terribly pathetic. We've also found a tortoise in there who appears once in a while.

Scardy-Cat Chicken

2009-09-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

We recently got a couple of chickens that had lived in a feed house for their whole lives. They are sweet, but scared of everything! One night I was trying to get all of the chickens into the coop from the yard and this one just hid its head and pretended it was invisible.

Swimmin' Weather!

2009-09-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

All three boys (Obie, Kenny, and Buddy) have been enjoying the pool this summer! Obie has recently acquired a "pool noodle" to float around on and throw at people. He thinks he's very funny :)

Congratulations, Rivers!

2009-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Attempting to patch up the porch roof.

2009-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

(. . . and failing. It still leaks miserably.)

Our new batch of chickens

2009-07-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Crossing off the days . . .

2009-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Grillin' on the 4th of July

2009-07-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

A Saturday morning's bounty.

2009-07-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

New carpets!

2009-07-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

keeping birds away from tomatoes

2009-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Theoretically, if you put up red Christmas ornaments prior to harvest time, the birds will come, peck around, and leave disappointed (since there's nothing good to eat) and hopefully keep away when the real tomatoes ripen. Or just plant way more than you need and share!

Obie's swimming again!

2009-06-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Baby mantis!!!

2009-06-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is a wee hatchling from one of three egg cases (thanks Laura!) Kenny got for his birthday. They are TINY (about one and a half centimeters long) and very good at hiding. Let's hope they grow quickly, stick around, and eat everything we don't like.

Obie's weekly beard trim (he likes it!)

2009-06-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Our new worm farm/composter (thanks Mom!)

2009-06-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's got several layers, which the worms move up, starting with a coconut coir bed and working their way through organic matter (which you put in, covered by wet newspaper), until they're at the top. Then you pull out the bottom layer, spread it over your crops/potted plants, and move it to the top. Meanwhile, it's got a reservoir at the bottom to catch any liquid and a tap to dispense it as compost 'tea'. Yay!

Our new ladybugs (ladybirds?) enjoying their new home

2009-06-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Praying Mantis Egg Sac!

2009-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

This is a birthday present from Laura . . . mantis eggs to unleash in the garden as pest control! I'm still vigilantly waiting for them to hatch . . .

Kenny's Birthday Tart!

2009-06-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

This was handmade beautifully by Sarah (strawberry tart is one of Kenny's favorites)

yay bumblebees!

2009-05-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

Let's hear it for the bumblebees, making sure our blueberry crop comes in.

Baby figs!

2009-04-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Baby blueberries!

2009-04-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Baby pears!

2009-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Baby peaches!

2009-04-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Baby pea!

2009-04-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Baby asparagus!

2009-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Baby strawberries!

2009-04-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Baby mesclun!

2009-04-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Baby kale!

2009-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Baby radish!

2009-04-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

Baby sunflower!

2009-04-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

(subsequently eaten by slugs. Curses!)

Winter's definitely over now . . . right?

2009-04-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

We had ANOTHER unexpected snow flurry, killing some potatoes, asparagus, and tomatoes (sigh) . . . hopefully we're done with that now! So, this is officially the last fire of the season. Show us your stuff, spring!

Spring cleaning!

2009-04-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Obie's latest concoction:

2009-04-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

You guessed it! Honey-roasted peanuts w/duck fat poured over it.
Mmmm . . . (perhaps he thought he was making cereal?) it's better
than a tub of margarine and a spoon, I suppose.

SUSHI

2009-04-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

We're guessing this is the very first time home-made
sushi graced the Langley Bodega dinner table.
(Obie had a hamburger)

Sleepy old men

2009-03-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Buddy & Obie are
on the same nap schedule.

The finer art of eating tomatoes.

2009-03-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

snow on march 1st

2009-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

mmm . . . tasty REAL eggs!

2009-02-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

So far, this is our biggest haul yet: four eggs in one day! We usually get zero, one, or two per day, but this was a surprise and a treat! Obviously, we soon made quiche.

Creepy flock of birds

2009-02-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

This HUGE flock of random birds has been coming around and making a ton of noise lately . . . no clue what they are . . .

Valentine's Day Massacre!

2009-02-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

This is what's left of my very special homemade chocolate-dipped strawberries after Mr. Obie Langley devoured a total of 14 (!!!) while I was in the loo.

our tiny bit of snow . . .

2009-02-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Rini's new hiding spot (one of many)

2009-01-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

parts of the process (oddly in reverse)

2009-01-28T16:47:00.001-08:00

Sarah stretching homemade mozzarella!

2009-01-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

Kenny's Master Plan for Spring Season '09

2009-01-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

beautiful tulips

2009-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Toilet overhaul

2009-01-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

They dug a huge ditch from the garage bathroom all the way to the chicken coop!

ice, ice, baby.

2009-01-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Sarah & Co. are going to Ireland!

2009-01-16T14:36:00.001-08:00

Sarah and her two awesome sisters (Hey Kristen and Robyn!!) are taking their Dad (Hi Dad!) to IRELAND for his 50th birthday!! Tickets were bought yesterday so there's no going back :)

So here's a question for all of my travelin' buddies out there:

What should we do?? Where should we stay? We're a pretty outdoorsy family, so we're open to anything. The only things that are set in stone are that we're arriving in Shannon and leaving from Dublin, so we've got a lot of ground to cover! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!

S

Hiking in Cheaha

2009-01-13T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is the fallen tree over which Buddy insisted on being carried.
(by the way, this wasn't the last leg of our long 8-mile hike . . . this was quite early in the day.)

Hiking in Cheaha

2009-01-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Buddy really liked all the streams providing a consistent "water break" and allowing him the ability to pee on every other tree in the woods.

Buddy and Kenny bonding in the woods

2009-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Buddy "enjoying" his Christmas gifts . . .

2009-01-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

. . . a sweater from grandma and Doggles from the Hollmans.

the south

2009-01-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

ICE!!! (frozen stuff)

2008-12-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

BUDDY!

2008-12-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

Cover crop in the garden

2008-12-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas day

2008-12-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

present #1: calendar (birds)

present #2: new trousers (blue) and a flannel shirt

present #3: bottle of scotch (6-year-old, Canadian)

Buddy finding a place to bury the gourd he found . . . sigh

2008-12-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

FIREWOOD

2008-12-21T17:22:00.000-08:00

wood for the fireplace

LOTS of wood for the fireplace!

wood in need of chopping by unsuspecting visitors (aka Billy Hollman)

Callaway Gardens

2008-12-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

This is the chapel at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA
Also, this is the last picture of Sarah before she became engaged!
(good thing she was happy 'cause she's in for it now)

Buddy-print!

2008-12-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

This is a buddy-print (after bath)

New Orleans trip (Thanksgiving)

2008-12-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

James, Kenny, Sarah, Galyn (and a baby)

on the rooftop terrace whisking away a New Orleans sunset

being all cute 'n stuff at a bar on Bourbon Street

CHRISTMAS TREE!

2008-12-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

YAY!!!

WE'RE ENGAGED!!

2008-12-02T19:24:00.001-08:00

To all of those who didn't know already, Kenny and I are getting married! He popped the question two weeks ago and I'm still a little tingly from it :)

We're expecting a wedding in Spring 2010, better see you guys there!!! (Sorry for the delay, ROBYN!)

Cooper Update!

2008-12-02T18:58:00.000-08:00

As some of you may remember, about a month ago Kenny and I found a poor starving puppy (Cooper) and decided to rescue him. Well, after a week at the shelter Kenny and I decided that we couldn't let the poor pup stay homeless, so we went back to get him. Well it just so happened that my sister Kristen was in need of an amazing dog! So lo and behold, I now have my first nephew and now he's HUGE! Here's a Cooper now and he's a giant! But a cute giant :)

Thanksgiving in NOLA

2008-12-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

We're home! Kenny and I went to New Orleans to spend Thanksgiving with my friend Galyn and her family. Galyn is now married with two amazing boys, so we had a lot of fun relaxing, eating, trying to stop babies from crying, and exploring the city. It rained a lot while we were there, but it was still a great trip!

Kenny and I stayed in a hotel just off of Canal St. on St. Charles Ave (which is right downtown). Galyn and her family, plus her parents, aunt, uncle, cousins, nephew, sister, and grandmother rented an old victorian house in the Garden District, so K and I trollied around and got some good exploring in.

A great trip, but it's nice to be home :) I have finals starting tomorrow (eek!) and Kenny has crops to tend to. I'm going to be back in Florida on Thursday to see my family, do some Christmas shopping, and celebrate with my family!

Sorry Billy for the infrequent updates!!!! Also, can't wait to see you guys at New Years! You can participate in our annual tradition which consists of cooking and eating as much as possible. Woohoo!

Buddy goes for a car ride! (his favorite)

2008-10-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is the babies when they were first born

2008-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

little baby chicken

2008-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

We rescued it from a tub of water (to small to get out), dried it off, and gave it back to mama hen.

Kristen & Vic's cat Pearl

2008-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Don't touch this cat: it will bite your extremities off!

Sarah planting herbs on the porch

2008-10-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Plowing up our spring garden

2008-10-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

This is our friend Billy Murphy (who owns the cows). The veggie garden was all overgrown with weeds, so he is helping clean it up for us so we can plant good things in spring.

Charleston, SC

2008-10-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Kenny and I went to Charleston this past weekend to visit my sister Kristen and her husband Vic (and their new kitten Pearl!) in Charleston, SC. What a beautiful town! We didn't do much aside from enjoying being away from Alabama, but we did manage to go downtown on the rainiest day ever to walk around. It wasn't a bust though, because we ate at Andolini's which served amazing calzone/pizza. All of you in the Gainesville area: it was like the Burrito Bros. of pizza. Thanks Vic!

Ooh, also, we ate at this AMAZING restaurant in downtown called FIG (stands for Food Is Good). It's all local food and the menu changes everyday and it was probably the best meal I've ever had. Kaminski's afterward didn't hurt either (yum, cake and alcohol!) If you're ever in Charleston, I highly recommend it.

Below is a stock pic of FIG since K and I were too lazy to take pictures...

OMG! Puppy!

2008-10-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is a little puppy we rescued, bathed, and fed (and got rid of its fleas). It is at the Roanoke Animal Shelter now if you'd like a great little friend . . .

1st Annual Founder's Day!

2008-09-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Buddy playing with cardboad

2008-09-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Georgia Aquarium

2008-09-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

(where Obie thought it best to try and catch the stingrays . . . presumably so we could take them home for dinner)

Pouting Pup

2008-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time since we moved here, Buddy bit himself again. Now he has is cone on and is laying in his bed pouting. Ah, poor Buddy!

SNAPPER

2008-09-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Obie's brand new lawnmower!

something emerges . . .

2008-09-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

(whew! It's just Buddy)

Food (as usual)

2008-09-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

I have a new favorite recipe! Every time we go to Scotland, the first thing K and I want to eat is Indian food. For some reason we have a hard time finding good Indian in the States, and now that we're in the middle of nowhere, we have zero chance of finding anything other than BBQ and burgers. I decided that I would find a recipe for Chicken Korma (my favorite) and I found an awesome one! Thought I'd share it:

Chicken Korma

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon julienned ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound chicken, cooked
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala, or to taste (a spice blend found in any store, even the Alabama WalMart! McCormick makes a good one.)
1/4 pint heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro

Note: I added a little (1/4 cup) coconut milk just at the end. I could swear that the ones I've had used coconut.

Heat oil in a large deep frying pan adding chopped onions and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on a medium heat until the onions are slightly brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 1 or 2 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric and ground cumin.

Turn up the heat and further cook for another 1 minute then add the chicken. It is very crucial that spices are mixed within the pan at this point and stirred to ensure that the chicken cooks with texture and flavor. Add water after stirring the chicken into the spices. Turn down the heat slightly and stir in the garam masala and cream cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Yum yum! Tonight I'm going to try making naan too!

Life is tough!

2008-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hard at work on the farm.

We are growing things!

2008-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

I'm growing Basil, Dill, Chives, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Spaghetti Squash (that's the one growing like crazy!), and Lavender. And they're not dead yet! -S

COWS UNITE!

2008-08-17T14:02:00.001-07:00

As many if you know, we have a group of about 30 cows pasturing on our land. Well, out of all of these cows #11 has always been the biggest jerk of the group. Starting a couple of days ago, #11 began jumping over the barbed wire and getting into the yard, eating all of the apples off of the tree and being a general pain in the butt. Each time we'd have to corral her back into the pasture, sometimes causing her to break fences and arbors in the process. Well, we woke up Saturday morning to find that #11 had led a COW REVOLUTION and led all of the cows into the yard! After a few hours work and scary incidents of the bull charging when you're only equipped with a broom, all of the cows were back where they belong. I'll leave you with this: #11 better watch her back....

EGG!

2008-08-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

(we've been getting 1-3 eggs a day from the hens, but Obie decided to let them live truly free-range, and now they roost high up in a maple tree and we don't know if they'll ever come down to the coop to lay eggs again or if we'll be able to find them wherever else they may lay them . . . )

Curious Cows

2008-07-30T19:48:00.001-07:00

These calves are very curious about Buddy. They want to figure out what he is and what he's doing, but every time he gets too close to them they freak out run away. Then they come back. Repeat 10 times.

R.I.P. Chicken

2008-07-29T10:11:00.001-07:00

One of our chickens was eaten by a snake last night and now she's off to that big chicken coop in the sky. So long, chicken!

Sarah made a pie!!

2008-07-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Strawberry rhubarb, mmmm...

apples!

2008-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Picked fresh from the tree.

Grillin' (the steaks came later)

2008-07-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Oh my god, A RESTAURANT!

2008-07-19T18:23:00.001-07:00

This is Butler's Mill Southern Cooking. Andrea (Kenny's mom) knew about this hidden little gem which was only about 10 minutes away but hidden in the middle of nowhere. Literally everything on their menu is deep fried (I think the only exception was the creamed corn) and it was delicious! Billy and ESandra, we are so taking you here when you visit! And Jeab, all the fries you can eat! After eating every meal at home for the past month, anything not cooked in your own kitchen is amazing. Yum, yum, yum...

There were tiny kittens all around and a baby horse, too. It was a big night!

Goodbye Butler's Mill! We'll see you again soon...

Chickens.

2008-07-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

A bucket full of what?

2008-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is, as you may have guessed, a bucket full of cow manure, with which, compounded with vegetable waste, leaf litter, water, and a little time, we make a nice, warm compost for posterity.