blog
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Summer’s verdant flush
Share Summer at the Bench Ranch is like one of those time lapse movies showing a flower opening out of its bud and in short order, after a profuse display of color and scent, the bloom begins to fade and its overblown petals fall to the ground. All of a sudden it is over. The store room cupboard is proof though that summer really happened. The shelves are stacked with armies of shining mason jars full of colorful canned produce, pickles, jellies and preserves, all of which keep us fed and satisfied through the long Montana winter. This year the apple crop was outstanding and since the ranch has its own…
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Planting and Foraging In the Rain
ShareLast night we went to blissful sleep listening to the sound of soft rain pattering on the roof of our cabin. We had just finished planting out the seedlings, seeds and young plants into the ranch’s huge vegetable garden, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce, cilantro, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, kale, chard, bok choi, cabbage, peas, nasturtiums, sweet peas and sunflowers. Everything is mulched to protect the ground from the strong sun. The raspberry canes and rhubarb are leafing out, the strawberries are flowering and the apple, plum and lilac trees are all in full bloom, giving the air an exotic perfume. We are lucky that one…
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May Day Social
ShareA brisk spring snow storm passed through last night bringing four of inches of wet snow but with the increasing height of the sun it had all melted by lunch time and the air was like fine crystal. As I stood outside the main house refilling a watering can to quench the leggy seedlings in the green house, I heard some insane chattering overhead. I peered up at the great pine tree that shades the ranch house in summer and breaks the fierce winter gales. At the top of the tree I counted fourteen robins and an assortment of chickadees all socializing in the welcome morning sun. They perched decoratively…
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Snow Falling on Cinders
Share In Montana, April is a very good month to get to the burn pile. Last years accumulation of trimmed branches, dug up roots and broken fencing have dried in their stack through the summer heat, blustery dry fall and has just emerged from a glacial winter. We have had the gamut thrown at us this week of April. Three inches of snow followed by brilliant sunshine and mid sixties, during which Richard sustained his first sunburn of the year, thunderstorms, hail, wind, rain with sun, frost, and now it is snowing again. Large fluffy flakes fizzle into the red hot charcoal; all that is left of today’s bonfire. Bluebells,…
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Are We There Yet?
ShareIt may be hasty to use the present tense, but indications that spring has arrived in our part of south central Montana are building as the days pass. Calving and lambing came first while below freezing nights and snowy, wind blown days held us in winter’s grip. The new life was the sole herald of hope in the bleakness. After the babies gained in strength they could be seen running full tilt with one another or racing the ranch tractor, while their mothers socialized or waited with patience for the little terrors to return hungry to the milk bar. The next arrivals were the bluebirds and robins flashing their exotic…
