Spring Sprung,Goat-Herding,Allergies & other Spring Stuff!

Well...Spring Sprung 2015 around N.Central Texas last Friday. Here's a look at the happenings around Aaron's Hilltop Farm...

Fruit Trees in Bloom....Peach,Pear,Nectarine,Plums,Meyer Lemons and Mandarin Orange Tree_the Lemon & Orange Tree winter in the Barn w/ a light.Btw..it's already reached 80 degrees in N.Central Texas!

Anticipating Bluebonnets,Evening Primrose & Wisteria in the front yard & pastures...

...they're not all here yet...but they're coming! And the Grass is growing...so on last Saturday,a cloudy,intermittent rainy day_my Husband decides "NOT" to bring out the regular LAWNMOWER LIKE LAST YEAR....the John Deere Johnny Popper 1939 he restored to "perfection"!

...instead...got the REAL LAWNMOWERS to do the work...as in...

On the other hand..."NOT" anticipating...POLLEN.COM_

...Or BUGS,Worms that swing from invisible strings from the Oak trees,Copperheads,Alien Grasshoppers,Daddy Long-Legs,Texas size Spiders,etc....

The First Day of Spring...(my BFF's Birthday)_We both go on "Official Worm Watch Patrol" until after April 15th...we report to each other sightings to determine if we're going outside for a month! With 200+ trees on this farm....well...you get the picture...or maybe NOT.Let me paint it for you_they SWING from long invisible strings from tree to tree in "great numbers",crawl everywhere_should it rain the whole area is covered in red slime...GOT THAT PICTURE,YET? 

With Spring having Sprung...

I've been up to Baking with an agenda to get better at Baking Bread...this was Delicious during the Snow Days..."Chocolate Galette Des Rois"

Next up_Povitica & Ube Cupcakes and/or Ube Cake_

Saw this on "PBS Great British Baking Show"
 http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2011/10/baking-povitica-croatian-sweet-walnut-chocolate-bread-for-daring-bakers-better-late-than-never.html

                            Ube Cupcakes or Ube Cake?

And...a Downton Abbey Wine & Tea Tasting on the agenda...

Got my order in for Downton Abbey Cab.Sav...& Republic of Tea Lord Grantham Breakfast Blend...organic Assam black tea w/ginger....can't wait! But of course,Scottie Shortbread & DA Tea Towel,Bohemian Wine Glass & my Grandmother's teacup & saucer from the 1920's!

BTW...Let the Planning begin...this year for my May Birthday Partee_

                                "We're going to PERU"! 

                                   Machu Picchu in Peru 

Can't wait to try...Aji de Gallina

            The yellow aji pepper adds  a mild kick to several Peruvian dishes.  

Although,Spring is not my favorite Season_that would be FALL_then Winter_then Spring_ "I DON'T DO TEXAS SUMMERS"!_ it is a beautiful time of the year.Here's to Spring! 

Awaken to Spring

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

 

TEXAS ....Kicked It Up A NOTCH!

"The Sleet Snow & Ice is White and Nice..Clap,Clap,Clap,Clap...Deep In The Heart Of Texas"! 

Just in case,Y'all are not familiar with that rhyme...here you go_

3/6/15_The overnight snowfall is officially the fourth highest snow total for the month of March in Dallas-Fort Worth area, with 3.4 inches recorded at Dallas-Fort Worth International airport as of 3 a.m.Another tenth of an inch was recorded early Thursday morning, putting the official total at 3.5 inches.The most snow recorded in the area came in 1942, when DFW airport saw just over six inches of snow...

Statistics about this snow event

• Official snowfall at DFW Airport was 3.5 inches
• This was our largest snow event since February 2010 (when we had 11.2" on 2/11/10)
• This was our fourth largest snow event on record in March.
• The last time we saw this much snow in March was 68 years ago (1947)
• The highest snowfall amount we've seen is Grapevine with 7.0", Irving appears to be second with 6.2" 

In Case...Y'all don't know where TEXAS is located...

Then there's this...Gorgeous George...(Happiness in Jeans)...

Snapshot of the Day..Texans Don't Drive well in the Snow,Ice & Sleet_HELL,TEXANS Don't Drive Well in Any WEATHER!

 My Farm Photos
Day#1 Sleet & Ice at Aaron's Hilltop Farm  "Skating Rink"...

Day#2 Snow at Aaron's Hilltop Farm "Ski Resort"....

Day#3 "Still Life with Goats" Masterpiece Painting...

& "Still Life with Tommie Hollering for Food outside his Hilltop Farm Townhouse"....

Day#3..."It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"...

"Things I Did on SEVERAL....Snowy/Sleety/Icy Days"...
But of course...Movies,Reading,Quiet Zen Damn Moments, some PBS Shows & Cooking & Baking Time.

Movies :Midsomers Murders:Master Class (# 82 of 94 movies in the Series),Dear White People,The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister,Frankie & Alice,Addicted,The Grand Budapest Hotel,The Tudors Season 2,Two Fat Ladies Season 1 & 2,The Boys From Brazil,Tales from The Royal Bedchambers,A Harlot's Progress.

Reading:Finished "As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust"(Alan Bradley) and "The Best of Everything"(Rona Jaffe)_started on "Ship Of Fools"(Katherine Anne Porter)

Zen Damn Moments... on the Front Porch Swing Bundled up with a mug of Harney & Sons Scottish Breakfast Tea enjoying this "Quiet Snow Storm"...

PBS...Downton Abbey Finale_of which I had already watched because I purchased Season 5_BUT just had to watch again! And,of course,one of my favorite shows of all times Finale_"The Great British Bake-Off"_

Which inspired my Baking of this Beauty_ "A Galette des rois"..

Made my own Almond Flour & added dark, dark cocoa

Delicious!!!

And  from the DVD "Two Fat Ladies"_

Made this dish "Kedgeree" except I used a different Fish_

What a Nice Respite from all of the BS in the World...

But I HEAR TELL THE TEXAS NATIVES ARE RESTLESS....

HAVE A BLESSED & SAFE DAY!!!