Today turned out to be another productive day. Much more productive, in fact, that I had expected since the weather forecast had been calling for rain. It turns out, however, that most of the rain missed us, and it only sprinkled for around 30 minutes just as I was getting off from work.
Before that, however, Andrea had to take Jack to the vet. She noticed a place on the inside of his leg, which was obviously bothering him. As we began to pay more attention we saw that he was limping, and was less active than normal. Fortunately our vet is very flexible and was able to see him today. It turns out this problem was related to the gunshot wound he sustained back in late February. The bullet is still embedded in his leg, and had become infected. They gave us some antibiotics to give him, and scheduled surgery for next week to remove the bullet.
I really hadn't decided ahead of time what I was going to work on this evening. I noticed, though, that the backyard was mostly dried up for a change, which I had been waiting on before trying to clean the ditches. With rain in the forecast for the next three days I thought it was a good time to try to get them cleaned out while I had the opportunity.
I used the tractor with the middle buster to clean the ditches as I had done before. I was able to do a more thorough job this time. However, I've come to realize that it isn't an easy task. This is partially because the terrain is so uneven, since the ditch is along the base of an incline. The other issue is that following an existing ditch that curves is much more difficult than I expected.
The middle buster pushes the dirt out to either side, leaving it piled up along the ditch. Because most of the ditch runs along the base of an incline I do not want dirt piled up on the upper side, as it will prevent water from entering the ditch, and will eventually just be washed into the ditch, filling it back in. Because of this, I had quite a bit of work to do with hand tools after finishing with the tractor.
For part of the ditch all I had to do was use a hoe to pull the dirt from the upper side of the ditch across to the lower side. The result is that the berm along the lower side gets built up, which should prevent the ditch from overflowing as easily. In some places this still needs to be built up, as it is only a few inches above ground level, but in other areas it is close to a foot tall.
Other parts of the ditch were not as easy, however, and required a shovel and mattock to finish up. In these areas the dirt was saturated with water. I know it only makes sense, but I feel that its worth stating, mud is much heavier than dry dirt! Luckily I was able to pile a lot of this dirt/mud along the lower edge of the parts of the ditch that regularly overflow, which I am hoping will help to keep the backyard dry. The ditch itself can't be due any deeper due to rock, so my only options are to build up the berm along the lower edge, or chip out a section of the rock itself. Piling up dirt is certainly the easier option.
Cleaning out ditches is not something I am accustom to, so it tires me out quickly. I ended up not being able to completely finish the job, but did get around 170 of the 215 feet cleaned out, which I'm pleased with. The section that I left unfinished is mostly in a level area, so having dirt on the upperside isn't as big of a concern as the section running along the incline.
While I was working on the ditch Andrea was planting herbs in the herb garden. She was able to get several things planted, and could have done more if not for the fact that we still need to finish up the stepping stones. Hopefully we can get that done soon so she can finish planting.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
05/15/13
Today was a very tiring, yet productive day. We decided to transplant the tomato plants to the garden today, which turned out to be a fairly big job, even though we only did twenty plants. I lunch I loaded the push mower into the RTV and got it ready to take to the garden for one last pass over the rye that was trying to grow back. After work I went over and mowed, which only took a few minutes since I only needed to mow an area about half the size of before, as the other area is now mulched.
It was unseasonably warm yesterday, with temperatures in the upper 80s. The garden was still in full sun when I finished mowing, so I didn't think we should start planting right away, since Andrea can't tolerate being in direct sun for extended periods. I knew that we would need to water the tomatoes after transplanting, so I decided to go ahead and haul some water while it was hot, since I would be in the shade most of the time while doing that. I placed a 30 gallon plastic drum near the garden for storing the water. I then use buckets and jugs to haul water up from the creek to fill the drum. I ended up hauling about 35 gallon of water, which should give us enough to water the plants a couple of times more at least.
By the time I finished hauling water the sun had gone down enough that the garden was in shade, so we got started with planting. I'll do a separate post on the topic, so won't go into details here. It was dark by the time we finished.
It was unseasonably warm yesterday, with temperatures in the upper 80s. The garden was still in full sun when I finished mowing, so I didn't think we should start planting right away, since Andrea can't tolerate being in direct sun for extended periods. I knew that we would need to water the tomatoes after transplanting, so I decided to go ahead and haul some water while it was hot, since I would be in the shade most of the time while doing that. I placed a 30 gallon plastic drum near the garden for storing the water. I then use buckets and jugs to haul water up from the creek to fill the drum. I ended up hauling about 35 gallon of water, which should give us enough to water the plants a couple of times more at least.
By the time I finished hauling water the sun had gone down enough that the garden was in shade, so we got started with planting. I'll do a separate post on the topic, so won't go into details here. It was dark by the time we finished.
Using the Swisher Trailcutter Mower in the Offset Position
I previously wrote a post about my Swisher Trailcutter mower. I've also mentioned it several times in my daily posts, as it is my primary mower. When I originally wrote about it, I mentioned the offset capability, but indicated that I never used it. I had no intention of offsetting the mower at the time, but have since changed my mind.
There were several reasons that I hadn't considered offsetting the mower a good option for me. The first was that the hitch bar was held into position by bolts, so adjusting its angle required keeping a wrench or ratchet on hand to remove them. If I were going to keep the mower in that position permanently that would not be a big deal, but around here there are just situations where having the mower offset doesn't work. That brings me to my second point, which is maneuvering the mower when it is offset. I do a lot of my mowing with the RTV, which is nearly five feet wide. With the mower in offset position, I need an area at least seven to eight feet through which to pass. There are several areas that I mow where this just isn't possible. This is made worse when it comes to areas in which I have to make tight turns, since the RTV and mower combined are close to twenty feet long. The last reason I had never considered offsetting the mower was that it seemed most useful for those towing the mower behind a riding mower, where the offset would allow them to mow a wider area than either mower could by itself. Obviously that isn't my situation, so offsetting the mower doesn't result in mowing a wider area or completing the job any faster than towing it directly behind the RTV or four-wheeler.
Recently, however, I realized that offsetting the mower when cutting down the rye in the garden would be beneficial. Because the rye was so tall, I knew that my normal mowing method would result in much of it being pressed down by the tires of the RTV so much that it was below the height of the blades, even with the mower at its lowest setting. To make this easier, I replaced the bolts holding the hitch bar in position with a couple of hitch pins, which could be removed and put back in place much more quickly. I found that this worked well for mowing the rye, other than when it came time to back up. The mower isn't easy to back up in the best of situations, but is much more difficult when offset. I ended up just circling the garden after each pass, rather than wasting time trying to back up for the next pass.
Since offsetting the mower to mow the rye worked well I decided to try it for mowing some tall grass across the road that I hoped to later rake for mulch. The same reasoning applied here, regarding the need to avoid pressing down the grass with the tow vehicle before it was mowed. One change, however, is that I used the four-wheeler this time instead of the RTV. I had never mowed with the four-wheeler in that area, but Andrea was using the RTV and I didn't want to ask her to stop what she was doing. I found that the four-wheeler worked even better than the RTV with the offset mower, because it isn't as wide. The result is that it took less time to mow, as I could step over farther with each pass while still keeping the four-wheeler tires in the already mowed area. The narrower four-wheeler also helped to alleviate one of the issues mentioned above.
While I had the mower offset I also used it to mow along the edge of the driveway. There is a fairly narrow strip there that I like to keep mowed, that ranges from maybe two to six feet wide. Normally this is a pain to mow, because of tree branches and briars that overhang and get in the way of the tow vehicle. When the mower is offset, however, it stays below those obstacles, while me and the tow vehicle are off to the side, beyond their reach. With three quick passes I had the area mowed, and it was much simpler than it had ever been before.
Now that I have more experience with offsetting the mower, and have simplified the process of adjusting it, I think I'll use it offset more often. In fact, I think that the next time I mow the yard I'll likely try it offset. I suspect that there may be even more advantages of doing so that I haven't yet discovered. There are still plenty of cases where pulling the mower directly behind the tow vehicle will be necessary I'm sure. That is the nice thing about having the offset ability, it provides the flexibility to adjust for different situations.
There were several reasons that I hadn't considered offsetting the mower a good option for me. The first was that the hitch bar was held into position by bolts, so adjusting its angle required keeping a wrench or ratchet on hand to remove them. If I were going to keep the mower in that position permanently that would not be a big deal, but around here there are just situations where having the mower offset doesn't work. That brings me to my second point, which is maneuvering the mower when it is offset. I do a lot of my mowing with the RTV, which is nearly five feet wide. With the mower in offset position, I need an area at least seven to eight feet through which to pass. There are several areas that I mow where this just isn't possible. This is made worse when it comes to areas in which I have to make tight turns, since the RTV and mower combined are close to twenty feet long. The last reason I had never considered offsetting the mower was that it seemed most useful for those towing the mower behind a riding mower, where the offset would allow them to mow a wider area than either mower could by itself. Obviously that isn't my situation, so offsetting the mower doesn't result in mowing a wider area or completing the job any faster than towing it directly behind the RTV or four-wheeler.
Recently, however, I realized that offsetting the mower when cutting down the rye in the garden would be beneficial. Because the rye was so tall, I knew that my normal mowing method would result in much of it being pressed down by the tires of the RTV so much that it was below the height of the blades, even with the mower at its lowest setting. To make this easier, I replaced the bolts holding the hitch bar in position with a couple of hitch pins, which could be removed and put back in place much more quickly. I found that this worked well for mowing the rye, other than when it came time to back up. The mower isn't easy to back up in the best of situations, but is much more difficult when offset. I ended up just circling the garden after each pass, rather than wasting time trying to back up for the next pass.
Since offsetting the mower to mow the rye worked well I decided to try it for mowing some tall grass across the road that I hoped to later rake for mulch. The same reasoning applied here, regarding the need to avoid pressing down the grass with the tow vehicle before it was mowed. One change, however, is that I used the four-wheeler this time instead of the RTV. I had never mowed with the four-wheeler in that area, but Andrea was using the RTV and I didn't want to ask her to stop what she was doing. I found that the four-wheeler worked even better than the RTV with the offset mower, because it isn't as wide. The result is that it took less time to mow, as I could step over farther with each pass while still keeping the four-wheeler tires in the already mowed area. The narrower four-wheeler also helped to alleviate one of the issues mentioned above.
While I had the mower offset I also used it to mow along the edge of the driveway. There is a fairly narrow strip there that I like to keep mowed, that ranges from maybe two to six feet wide. Normally this is a pain to mow, because of tree branches and briars that overhang and get in the way of the tow vehicle. When the mower is offset, however, it stays below those obstacles, while me and the tow vehicle are off to the side, beyond their reach. With three quick passes I had the area mowed, and it was much simpler than it had ever been before.
Now that I have more experience with offsetting the mower, and have simplified the process of adjusting it, I think I'll use it offset more often. In fact, I think that the next time I mow the yard I'll likely try it offset. I suspect that there may be even more advantages of doing so that I haven't yet discovered. There are still plenty of cases where pulling the mower directly behind the tow vehicle will be necessary I'm sure. That is the nice thing about having the offset ability, it provides the flexibility to adjust for different situations.
Monday, May 13, 2013
05/13/13
I still wasn't feeling well when I got up this morning, but by the time I finished with work I was feeling pretty much back to normal. I got out the string trimmer for the first time this evening and trimmed around the trailer, along obstacles in the yard, and along the edge of the yard. Its funny how tiring such a task can be the first time I do it each year. When I was initially clearing the land I'd use the trimmer for several hours a day, every weekend. Today, though, just an hour of use gave me a sore back and arms.
While I was mowing, Andrea worked in her herb garden. She did some weeding as well as pulling up some rogue mint. The mint from last year had spread beyond is intended area. This past weekend at the Herb & Craft Festival a lady suggested a couple of ways to prevent mint from growing outside of a specific area. I'm not sure if Andrea plans to try one of those suggestions, or just try to keep it under control manually.
Once I finished my mowing I helped Andrea in the herb garden. We worked on placing more stepping stones. Progress went a little quicker today than in the past, and we were able to get four more stones placed.
We could probably have worked for another hour, but I had to be inside for a call for work at 8:30 PM. Rather than work right up to that time we decided to stop at 7:30 so I would have time to take a shower and eat before the call. Otherwise it was going to be 9:30 before I could eat dinner.
The weather forecast is calling for scattered frost tonight, but we're taking a chance and not covering the strawberries. The chances of it frosting here seem much less likely that last night, and I don't think that the uncovered strawberries were actually damaged last night. We did, however, bring in the tomatoes. We have been leaving them outside during the day, to harden them off, and had planned to leave them outside tonight and tomorrow night, then plan them on Wednesday. We didn't want to risk leaving them out if it might frost, however, so will probably end up just leaving them out one night before planting.
While I was mowing, Andrea worked in her herb garden. She did some weeding as well as pulling up some rogue mint. The mint from last year had spread beyond is intended area. This past weekend at the Herb & Craft Festival a lady suggested a couple of ways to prevent mint from growing outside of a specific area. I'm not sure if Andrea plans to try one of those suggestions, or just try to keep it under control manually.
Once I finished my mowing I helped Andrea in the herb garden. We worked on placing more stepping stones. Progress went a little quicker today than in the past, and we were able to get four more stones placed.
We could probably have worked for another hour, but I had to be inside for a call for work at 8:30 PM. Rather than work right up to that time we decided to stop at 7:30 so I would have time to take a shower and eat before the call. Otherwise it was going to be 9:30 before I could eat dinner.
The weather forecast is calling for scattered frost tonight, but we're taking a chance and not covering the strawberries. The chances of it frosting here seem much less likely that last night, and I don't think that the uncovered strawberries were actually damaged last night. We did, however, bring in the tomatoes. We have been leaving them outside during the day, to harden them off, and had planned to leave them outside tonight and tomorrow night, then plan them on Wednesday. We didn't want to risk leaving them out if it might frost, however, so will probably end up just leaving them out one night before planting.
Choosing Between Local Products and Those with Less Packaging
This weekend, while grocery shopping, we were faced with an interesting dilemma. Lately we have been trying to buy all of our chicken from Pike Valley Farm in Lancaster, KY. We have found that they do not often have packaged chicken breast at their farm store, but it is available a the Good Foods Market, so we buy it there. We prefer buying directly from the farm, especially since the price is the same, meaning the farm gets more of the money when we buy direct. However, we like to support Good Foods as well, so have no problem with buying from them, especially when we can't buy directly from the farm.
This past weekend our plan was to stop by Pike Valley Farm before going on into Lexington. We were running ahead of schedule, however, and would have had to kill an hour before the farm store was open. Since we were able to buy ground beef, which we had also planned to get at Pike Valley, at the Marksbury Farm Market we decided to just skip Pike Valley Farm.
Good Foods did have Pike Valley Farm chicken breast, as expected. However, what we did not expect, is that all of the packages were single breast packs. Since we planned to buy approximately fifteen pounds, this was going to result in a lot of packaging material. On the other hand, another brand of chicken was available in packs of two or four.
The only real benefit to buying the Pike Valley chicken was it being local. We use to eat the other brand, before discovering Pike Valley, so knew that it met all of our other criteria. It was also quite a bit cheaper, which would likely be enough for many people to make the decision. We prioritize buying local, however, when we can, so price in itself isn't enough to influence our choice. The amount of packaging, however, was the one real sticking point.
In the end we decided that the additional packaging was just too much to justify the purchase of the Pike Valley product. As much as we wanted to buy local, we just couldn't bring ourselves to do so when there was a perfectly good non-local alternative that would result in much less waste going to the landfill. It is worth noting that the farm is in no way responsible for the amount of packaging. They sell whole chickens to Good Foods, where they are broken down and packaged. For whatever reason, the store had decided to package their Pike Valley breasts in single packs. I think that before our next visit we may try contacting the store and request some packages of Pike Valley breasts be prepared in larger packs. They may not be able to fulfil our request, but it is worth asking.
What I've learned from this experience is that even when we think we know the best products to buy, there are sometimes additional variables which, once considered, cause us to change our minds. This doesn't just apply to buying food, and doesn't just apply in cases of buying local or trying to minimize packaging. There are countless variables to influence our purchasing decisions, and the prioritization of those different variables vary from one person to the next.
This past weekend our plan was to stop by Pike Valley Farm before going on into Lexington. We were running ahead of schedule, however, and would have had to kill an hour before the farm store was open. Since we were able to buy ground beef, which we had also planned to get at Pike Valley, at the Marksbury Farm Market we decided to just skip Pike Valley Farm.
Good Foods did have Pike Valley Farm chicken breast, as expected. However, what we did not expect, is that all of the packages were single breast packs. Since we planned to buy approximately fifteen pounds, this was going to result in a lot of packaging material. On the other hand, another brand of chicken was available in packs of two or four.
The only real benefit to buying the Pike Valley chicken was it being local. We use to eat the other brand, before discovering Pike Valley, so knew that it met all of our other criteria. It was also quite a bit cheaper, which would likely be enough for many people to make the decision. We prioritize buying local, however, when we can, so price in itself isn't enough to influence our choice. The amount of packaging, however, was the one real sticking point.
In the end we decided that the additional packaging was just too much to justify the purchase of the Pike Valley product. As much as we wanted to buy local, we just couldn't bring ourselves to do so when there was a perfectly good non-local alternative that would result in much less waste going to the landfill. It is worth noting that the farm is in no way responsible for the amount of packaging. They sell whole chickens to Good Foods, where they are broken down and packaged. For whatever reason, the store had decided to package their Pike Valley breasts in single packs. I think that before our next visit we may try contacting the store and request some packages of Pike Valley breasts be prepared in larger packs. They may not be able to fulfil our request, but it is worth asking.
What I've learned from this experience is that even when we think we know the best products to buy, there are sometimes additional variables which, once considered, cause us to change our minds. This doesn't just apply to buying food, and doesn't just apply in cases of buying local or trying to minimize packaging. There are countless variables to influence our purchasing decisions, and the prioritization of those different variables vary from one person to the next.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
05/12/13
I had plans to get a lot done today, but things didn't quite work out as I hoped. I spent the morning installing new blades on the mower. That wasn't a difficult task, but was time consuming because I had a lot of trouble getting the bolts out that held the blades in place. Replacing the blades gave me an opportunity to try out the new set of ramps I had bought. They worked great for the mower, and made working under it much easier than trying to lift it with a chain, which is what I had done in the past.
Once the new blades were installed I hooked to the mower and mowed the front yard. I had thought that the sound I was hearing before was caused by the blades being loose, but it is still happening, so it must be something different. The noise wasn't too bad at first, but by the time I finished it had gotten much worse than before. I also experienced a new problem, with the blades not engaging when I first put the lever into the engaged position. The very last time I tried engaging them, they would not engage at all. I'm thinking that the problem is that the belt is slipping, which could be caused by a bad bearing, that might also explain the noise. I need to do some research into that possibility.
Even with the problems I did manage to mow the front yard, along the driveway, and a section across the road. When mowing along the driveway I positioned the mower so it was offset to the right, which worked very well. I used it in the same position across the road, and it also worked well there. I am considering switching to using offset for all mowing, since it seems to work so much better.
I was considering getting the tractor out, after I finished mowing, and trying to rake the clippings across the road. Just before finishing with my mowing, however, I started to feel sick. I ended up going into the house, and napping. I didn't feel much better when I woke up, so just went back out for long enough to put away the mower and tools, check on the garden, and help Andrea cover the strawberries with sheets, due to the frost warning in tonight's weather forecast.
Andrea spent several hours working on her herb garden today. She has almost completed the border along the front edge of it, which makes it look much better than before. We still have a lot of work to do on the stepping stones, but I'm hopeful that we can get it finished before time to get everything planted. If we don't manage to finish, at least the front edge will be done.
Once the new blades were installed I hooked to the mower and mowed the front yard. I had thought that the sound I was hearing before was caused by the blades being loose, but it is still happening, so it must be something different. The noise wasn't too bad at first, but by the time I finished it had gotten much worse than before. I also experienced a new problem, with the blades not engaging when I first put the lever into the engaged position. The very last time I tried engaging them, they would not engage at all. I'm thinking that the problem is that the belt is slipping, which could be caused by a bad bearing, that might also explain the noise. I need to do some research into that possibility.
Even with the problems I did manage to mow the front yard, along the driveway, and a section across the road. When mowing along the driveway I positioned the mower so it was offset to the right, which worked very well. I used it in the same position across the road, and it also worked well there. I am considering switching to using offset for all mowing, since it seems to work so much better.
I was considering getting the tractor out, after I finished mowing, and trying to rake the clippings across the road. Just before finishing with my mowing, however, I started to feel sick. I ended up going into the house, and napping. I didn't feel much better when I woke up, so just went back out for long enough to put away the mower and tools, check on the garden, and help Andrea cover the strawberries with sheets, due to the frost warning in tonight's weather forecast.
Andrea spent several hours working on her herb garden today. She has almost completed the border along the front edge of it, which makes it look much better than before. We still have a lot of work to do on the stepping stones, but I'm hopeful that we can get it finished before time to get everything planted. If we don't manage to finish, at least the front edge will be done.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
05/11/13
We had a busy day today away from the property. There was an event in Lancaster that Andrea wanted to join, which fortunately coincided with the Spring Owner Discount Days at the Good Foods Market.
The event Andrea wanted to attend in Lancaster was the annual Herb & Craft Festival. It was a small event, with maybe ten vendors setup, selling various items. We actually knew two of the vendors, and stopped to chat with them. Maria, from Wonder of Life Farm was there, and she gave us an update on some of the things happening at their place. Deborah, from Halcomb's Knob, who is the organizer of the Field to Fork Festival, was also there. We chatted with her about the upcoming F2F festival, and tried a couple of the cinnamon rolls she was selling. The only other item that we bought was a eucalyptus plant.
After leaving the festival we headed to the Marksbury Farm market. Our original plan was to go to Pike Valley Farm after leaving there, but we were running so early we would have had to kill nearly an hour before their farm store was open. Instead we decided to buy ground beef from Marksbury Farm, and hope that Good Foods had Pike Valley chicken breast in stock.
Since we were running early, and skipped Pike Valley Farm completely, we made it to Lexington much earlier than expected. This allowed us to add an unplanned stop, at Fayette Seed Company. We picked up a bag of bone meal there, although later found that we could have just waited and bought it at Good Foods. I also went into the tractor dealership next door and looked at a pto driven wood chipper, which is similar to a used one I'm considering calling about sometime.
Our next stop was the Good Foods Market, where we did some serious grocery shopping. We really didn't have that many items on the shopping list, but much of what we did buy were items that we like to stock up on while there. Andrea also picked up a few items for us to try, including couscous, quinoa, and some celtic sea salt.
Since we were in the area, we stopped by the nearby fabric store so Andrea could look for fabric for an upcoming project. We then went in search of food, since it was getting late and we hadn't eaten anything since the cinnamon rolls this morning. Andrea was in the mood for a burger, and I wanted somewhere we could sit and relax, so we ended up at Ted's Montana Grill. I normally don't talk about specific restaurants on the blog, but I thought Ted's was worth a mention. While their food is expensive, it is very high quality. I really like the fact that they offer bison, which I get, in addition to ground beef. I also appreciate the fact that Ted's uses environmentally friendly products such as paper straws and efficient lighting. There aren't many restaurants whose website has a link labeled Sustainability right next to Menu and Locations. Even if I didn't love the food, I'd still want to support a place like this, in hopes that other restaurants would follow their lead.
After eating we went in search of some wine which, as I've mentioned before, we have started cooking with. I had thought that we'd have to visit a local winery to find Kentucky made wine, but we found a store with a wide selection from Kentucky wineries, so was able to pick up a couple of bottles from different ones to try.
After a couple of other small stops we headed home. It was getting late by the time we made it, so after carrying in the groceries we spent the remainder of the day relaxing.
The event Andrea wanted to attend in Lancaster was the annual Herb & Craft Festival. It was a small event, with maybe ten vendors setup, selling various items. We actually knew two of the vendors, and stopped to chat with them. Maria, from Wonder of Life Farm was there, and she gave us an update on some of the things happening at their place. Deborah, from Halcomb's Knob, who is the organizer of the Field to Fork Festival, was also there. We chatted with her about the upcoming F2F festival, and tried a couple of the cinnamon rolls she was selling. The only other item that we bought was a eucalyptus plant.
After leaving the festival we headed to the Marksbury Farm market. Our original plan was to go to Pike Valley Farm after leaving there, but we were running so early we would have had to kill nearly an hour before their farm store was open. Instead we decided to buy ground beef from Marksbury Farm, and hope that Good Foods had Pike Valley chicken breast in stock.
Since we were running early, and skipped Pike Valley Farm completely, we made it to Lexington much earlier than expected. This allowed us to add an unplanned stop, at Fayette Seed Company. We picked up a bag of bone meal there, although later found that we could have just waited and bought it at Good Foods. I also went into the tractor dealership next door and looked at a pto driven wood chipper, which is similar to a used one I'm considering calling about sometime.
Our next stop was the Good Foods Market, where we did some serious grocery shopping. We really didn't have that many items on the shopping list, but much of what we did buy were items that we like to stock up on while there. Andrea also picked up a few items for us to try, including couscous, quinoa, and some celtic sea salt.
Since we were in the area, we stopped by the nearby fabric store so Andrea could look for fabric for an upcoming project. We then went in search of food, since it was getting late and we hadn't eaten anything since the cinnamon rolls this morning. Andrea was in the mood for a burger, and I wanted somewhere we could sit and relax, so we ended up at Ted's Montana Grill. I normally don't talk about specific restaurants on the blog, but I thought Ted's was worth a mention. While their food is expensive, it is very high quality. I really like the fact that they offer bison, which I get, in addition to ground beef. I also appreciate the fact that Ted's uses environmentally friendly products such as paper straws and efficient lighting. There aren't many restaurants whose website has a link labeled Sustainability right next to Menu and Locations. Even if I didn't love the food, I'd still want to support a place like this, in hopes that other restaurants would follow their lead.
After eating we went in search of some wine which, as I've mentioned before, we have started cooking with. I had thought that we'd have to visit a local winery to find Kentucky made wine, but we found a store with a wide selection from Kentucky wineries, so was able to pick up a couple of bottles from different ones to try.
After a couple of other small stops we headed home. It was getting late by the time we made it, so after carrying in the groceries we spent the remainder of the day relaxing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)