Acorns, Hickory Nuts & Walnuts

Home

Brrrrrrr……. The temperature this morning was 28 degrees and the wind was howling all night. It won’t be long and we will need the wool blankets and hot chocolate! The Autumn Colors are later thas year than normal.

View from our deck

This picture was taken today, Saturday, October 26th from our deck. As you can see not much change in the leaves just yet but I can tell you the leaves have started falling. With the cold nights that are forecast the leaves will be at peak in about two weeks. I am hoping for the beautiful rich colors of autumn, shades of yellow, red, and orange.

Red Oak Tree Acorns

Acorns, hickory nuts and walnuts are falling, the squirrels and turkey are feasting on all the acorns and hickory nuts.

Hickory Tree Nuts

Looks like the squirrels have been eating the hickory nuts, the green one has squirrel teeth marks.

Black Walnuts

The Black Walnuts are starting to fall and the hulls are turning black. It’s almost time to start gathering up the walnuts!

My Work

Advertisement

Red Velvet Cake

 

Red Velvet Cake is one of my favorites but I have alot of favorites! I have a Cream Cheese Icing recipe that is to die for, it is soooo good! So last night I decided to make a Red Velvet Cake.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing!

The Cream Cheese Icing makes this cake pretty special. I added some red velvet cake crumbs to the top for decoration.

Awh…Mmmm! it is so good!

 

 

Cream Cheese Icing

Good Cream Cheese Icing is to die for!!! If you like cream cheese icing you will want to try this recipe,  it is that good!

The recipe makes 4 cups, prep time is about 10 minutes.

2 – 8 oz cream cheese, softened ( do not use low fat )
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 -16 oz box of powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffly; gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Stir in vanilla. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use.

This icing is create for almost any cake or cup cakes. It is really good on a carrot cake!

What’s your favorite cake? And do you like icing?

  

Beautiful Color

Home

Photograph of the native American Beautyberry berries

Along with all of the other native plants on the mountain comes the American Beautyberry. It can be found in the open areas along the tree line. This time of year the clusters of purple berries are at peak color and nearly ready for the birds and deer to start eating them. The berries can be eaten raw, they are sweet and suitable for human consumption but I  sure wouldn’t eat many of them as they are astringent. The chemical substance that will shrink or contrict boby tissue.

The purple color is so brilliant and beautiful!

My Work

Previous Post

 

Small Waterfalls

Home

 

I have read many articles about a cave on our mountain that was used during the revolutionary war and a revolutionary war grave site. I have made many hikes across the mountain in my attempt to find both of these. This time I decided to hike across the Southside of the mountain about one-third down from the top. Since there are no trails I had to use my compass to stay on track. My hike was about 2 miles round trip in some really rough terrain and dense trees.

After hiking for about 35 minutes I found myself in a huge ravine that impossible to get across so I followed it down the mountain hoping to find a away across. Then I found a large spring, water was bubbling out of the ground everywhere. As I continued to walk down the ravine there were numerous springs that had formed a good size creek. I continued to follow the creek and before I knew it I could hear water falling. It got louder as I got closer and finally I could see there were two waterfalls.

It appeared many, many years ago someone had built a wall with a 10 foot long channel that pooled the water that then lead to the first fall. The water from a creek like this was often used many years ago to make moonshine. This water is very cold and crystal clear. I climbed down to see the waterfall and below the fall was another small pool of water with another small waterfall.

The waterfalls are on the South side of the mountain, I checked my compass and the falls are facing exactly 180 degrees south.

My Work

High on Siler Bald

Hilton Head Large Birds

Home

Blue Heron

We love to vacation at Hilton Head every summer. During our vacation I am always looking for the large blue herons, egrets and anhinga. There are alot of fresh water ponds near our condo and the heron and anhinga are always hunting for food in these ponds. I will often see a few Alligators’ in the ponds along with large turtles.

Anhinga

This Anhinga dove into the pond before I could get a picture but I got this picture as he was swimming across the pond. Once the Anhinga dive into the water for fish, they will sit in the sun to dry their wings and will not dive back into the pond for more fish until their wings are dry.

Anhinga

Our family has been visiting Hilton Head Island at least once or twice a year for over 35 years. There is a lot to do for the entire family!

Please check out our handcrafted woodwork, charcuterie boards, cutting boards, wine boards, serving trays, wine stoppers, unique ice cream scoops, honey sticks and more. 

For more information please click SHOP NOW

Deodar Cedar

Home 

I purchased two Deodar Cedar trees in 3 gallon containers at the end of the season last year. Both trees were slightly taller than 2 feet tall and in good condition with a caliper of about 1 inch. After getting them planted and mulched I just kept them watered. This Spring, I mulched them again and started fertilizing them once a month using organic fertilizer. Each time I would give them a 5 gallon bucket of 1/2 strength of fish emulsion they would grow nearly 2 inches.

The Deodar cedar is an ornamental evergreen tree that can reach 70 feet and up to 20 to 40 feet wide. They do well here in upstate South Carolina. Our hottest months are July and August and the deodar cedar does tolerate drought and will take full sun as long as they get water regularly.

As you can see, they are fairly fast growing and have branches that are sweeping toward the ground. It has a dense canopy, the needles are pointed and are 1-2 inches in length green or silver blue-green in appearance. When we have snow the Deodar Cedar tree really stands out!

Previous post:  Fall Blooms 

My Work

Fall Blooms

Home

As I walked in the garden this morning I couldn’t help but notice a few late fall flowers blooming. Since we are now having cool mornings with temperatures in the 50’s I didn’t expect to see any flowers. This hydrangea is on the south side of our home and has done well there. It has grow nearly 4 foot high and 4 foot wide.  This was the only flower!

My wife grows daisies, they have bloomed all summer….. again this was the only daisy flower on this plant.

We have 8 of these plants in the garden and in the Spring they are full of flower, love the fushia color.

I am not sure what the name of this plant it, it is a volunteer, some sort of wild flower.

This purple wild flower is a volunteer as well, another native wild flower.

Our roses have done well this year!

My Work

Millers Falls Hand Drills

Home

Over the years I have picked up a few old and antique tools at garage sales. I really like hand drills made by Millers Falls and Goodall Pratt hand drills, these are the best hand drills ever made. I do have a few made by other manufacturers like Red Head, Craftsman, etc. but they are not the same quality. Goodall Pratt and Millers Falls hand drills are the best hand drill that were ever made and collectors love to find them, especially if they are in good shape.

Goodall Pratt Hand Drill

All of the hand drills I have are all in working order and I occasionally use them on projects. Most of them have a little rust but like I said they all work fine so I have not bothered to remove the rust, it does add character. Many of the Millers Falls wooden handles have a hidden compartment for storing the drill bits in the handle.

Millers Falls 5A Hand Drill

The 5A was introduced in 1957.

Millers Falls No 77A Hand Drill

The no 77A was introduced in 1948.

Millers Falls No 980 Hand Drill

The No 980 is a two-speed hand drill that was introduced in 1913.

If you are interested in reading more about Millers Falls hand drills, here are a few resources.

http://oldtoolheaven.com/hand_drills/drill1.htm

http://www.georgesbasement.com/mfno2typestudy/mfno2types.html

http://www.georgesbasement.com/gearwprs/oldno104.htm

http://oldtoolheaven.com/related/goodell-pratt-hand-drills.htm

From time to time I will have a few Millers Falls hand drills for sale. Email me if you are interested.

Please check out my work, view more images or to order, click the SHOP NOW button below

Occasionally I will have hand drills available for sale. Check with me if you are interested, click the CONTACT US button below.

Netted Chain Ferns

Home

We have a lot of the Netted Chain Ferns growing around our property here on the mountain. They really grow well in moist to wet soil and stand about 1 to 2 feet tall.

The fronds are 5 to 8 inches wide and are deeply lobed sterile fronds. The y round veins above and below the leaf form a netted chain like pattern which is where the name comes from. The Netted Chain Fern colonizes by shallow slender rhizomes. And they can be transplanted easily. Be sure that you plant them in wet soil with very little to no sun as they love the shade and grow best in full shade, especially in South Carolina.

Bracken Ferns and Ostrich Ferns

My Work

 

I Wish I could….

I Wish I Could Sell One Cutting Board a Day!!

Home

Please tell me what you think about these cutting boards. Do you like them? Would you change anything? Do you like the three or four different woods that add different color? These are 12 inches in diameter, should I make them in 15 inch diameter? Find out more about the Round Cutting Board with Handle.

I really want to try to get a few local shops selling these.

Both of these boards are 12 inches round and 3/4 inch thick. I have added these to my Cutting Board pages this evening along with a few others I added last week. More about the Round Cutting Board with Hole.

 

Cutting Board with Handle

 

My Work