Category: RV Living

RV Commander at Work

Le Chat – the Feline in Command

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, in my last post, 50th – The Celebration, I said: “In conjunction with our innate cognitive superiority, our instincts have enabled us to interpret human behavior and fashion it to our personal designs. If there is any doubt that my statements are not correct, I offer you my total and uncontested control over Blondie, Ol’ Fuzz Face, and the entire Serendipity Farmhouse establishment as supporting evidence.” (Emphasis added) – – As you will see later in this post, I sometimes employ my power of ‘control’ with humorous results.

But before I engage in lighthearted tales, I must first give you a quick description of how I so flawlessly carried out my duties as Chief of Security during our most recent trip in El Camino Del Monte (ECDM) – RV Trip 2022-02.

The primary purpose of this trip was to determine if Fuzzy and Blondie could endure the joy and shear excitement of spending three whole nights with me in ECDM. To do so they would have to modify their sleeping and waking times to my schedule. They would also have to reconcile themselves to the reality that if I wanted to be fed at 2:18 AM, then they would have to depart their restful dreamlands and join me, pet me, speak with me, and play with me as I take part in my early morning snack. – – Mostly because of my lovable demeanor and appreciative purring, my two ‘big cats’ outdid themselves and met all my outrageous demands. In that respect, RV Trip 2022-02 was a resounding success.

Mr. Monte – Ever Alert

As you can see in this picture, I am ever on the alert. In this particular case, I pointed out to Blondie that there was a pair of cardinals nearby. She was quite happy that I called them to her attention because she could view them more closely than we do at Serendipity Farmhouse. I humbly accepted her praise. – – After all, it’s just part of the job.

Jacques-rabbit

Over the course of our three-day trip, I spent the majority of my time checking out what might best be called a ‘claim jumper’ or a ‘squatter’. Our camp site was clearly marked with our name and the dates for our stay were posted. This guy, whom I later named ‘Jacques’ as in ‘Jacques-rabbit’, however, paid no attention to our rightful residence. For three days, this guy just hung around. I tried getting his attention through the screen door, but he seldom even looked my way.

I must admit that he was a somewhat cute, though he would not have been allowed to roam freely near our vast gardens on the SFH estate. Yes, I’ll give him cute, but I don’t think I’ll concede that he was very smart. How smart could any creature be if they don’t respond to my calling and immediately tremble in terror. – – So, it remains to be seen whether I will include Jacques on my list of friends or on my list of recipes.

Now, Blondie and Fuzzy have some mystifying behaviors. For example, they often play cards, Rummy to be precise. After years of watching them, it has become abundantly clear that Blondie is the superior player by far. Fuzzy is slow and dull and quite capable of making moves that are extraordinarily foolish. On the first full day of our trip, Blondie once again exhibited her prowess and crushed Fuzzy four hands to one. – – It was brutal!

As I mentioned earlier, I exercise total control over all that happens within the SFH family. All it takes from me is a turning of the ears, a flip of the tail, or a purring sound. Having seen the humbled mess of a man that was all that remained of Fuzzy after his loss to Blondie, I decided that it was time to have some fun.

The next day, I put my plan into action. In an earlier picture, you can see how easy it is for me to sit behind Blondie. That is where she normally sits in the dinette when playing cards. So, there it was that I sat during the Rummy rematch on the second full day. From there, I could see Blondie’s hand. From there, Fuzzy could see me. From there, I ‘the feline in command’ could change the outcome of the game. – – No, Fuzzy didn’t consciously cheat. He wasn’t even aware of what was happening. When he looked at me, he could see me twist my ears. He could see me flip my tail. Subconsciously, he was being controlled by my entirely innocent looking movements.

Only I knew what the result would be. – – On this day, it was Blondie who was crushed four hands to one. I allowed her one win to spare her pride. – – There it was. Blondie won the first day and Fuzzy won the second day. The score was even and – absolutely no card games – were played on the third day. My two big cats remain happy and loving with each other.

And with that righteous good work concluded, I deserve a long nap.

A fitting end to another hard day at work

Retiree Revery

It’s official! As of this day, I am on casual part-time status. That means I only have to work a minimum of 20 hours per year – that means I am virtually retired – that means Blondie is now my full-time boss. As I ponder the merits and advantages of my new status, let me review other recent happenings here at Serendipity Farmhouse. – – Oh, by the way, the picture of those beautiful orchids will be part of a future post and revery.

My Birthday: Recently, I celebrated the anniversary of my birth. In honor of the occasion, wonderful and creative Daughter #2 once again outdid herself and prepared a surprise meal for me. Departing from her display of expertise in French cuisine (see French Cuisine & GRITS), this time she went around the globe to Korea. She knew I had spent some time there and guessed quite correctly that I would find the experience enjoyable. – She was spot on!

The meal consisted of Korean-style miso soup, bulgogi, cucumber kimchee, sticky rice. One crowning achievement was steamed Korean-style chicken dumplings. Failing to find any authentic dumpling wrappers in local grocery stores, Daughter #2 and Son-in-law #2 did it themselves. Perfect!

As a final caring gesture, Daughter #2 prepared homemade ice cream served with a chocolate brownie made by my most loving Spouse.

– – Typical Korean beers such as OB or Crown weren’t available, so Kirin Ichiban served as a satisfactory substitute.

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El Camino Del Monte: Our faithful Class-C RV, El Camino Del Monte (ECDM), is showing some signs of age. The most noticeable sign was a rapidly deteriorating awning. Replacement awning fabric was ordered, and our local RV service center switched out the old fabric and installed the new awning. The photos below show the old awning (left) and the replacement (right). Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t show just how tattered the old fabric was. Nevertheless, the replacement is done and ECDM looks much the better for it.

Daring Dairy: As you know, we make our own goat milk cheese. (See Goat milk cheese? – Yes, now!) This last week, I tried a simple new recipe. It worked fairly well, but I want to experiment with it some more before I present it to you. In the meantime, consider the possibilities. This new recipe created a light, tasty cheese that makes a perfect topping for Greek Sloppy Joes. Take a look!

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Waking Up: Right before our eyes, the vast SFH estate is waking up. Some years the appearance of the various spring flowers is staggered, but this year almost everything is coming into bloom at the same time. In addition to the sheer beauty emerging around us, we are reminded that we must start now with preparations for planting. This year, I surprised Blondie with a small, portable greenhouse. When there is more time, I’ll provide details on how my clever Wife is using it to start seeds and protect young plants.

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Pray, Prepare, Preserve: When one is retired, one has a bit more time to consider what is important and what is not. The secular news tends to focus on sensational events, most of them disheartening and disquieting. Some truly historic and monumental events are often shunted to the last page of the paper, or never reported at all. – – Yes, there is a war in Europe. However, that war is merely a symptom of a much greater problem. – On March 25th, Pope Francis did something of great merit to solve that problem. If you are interested in what happened, you can start your research at these two links: Pope Francis consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Daylight Raving Time

Le Chat – the Feline in Command

To my 23,416 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, life is hard these days. I dearly grieve my departed Miss Fleur. All around me seems to be a deep, unlit void. I conduct my daily security duties without enthusiasm. I would rather just sleep – sleep until a better time. But, without Miss Fleur, how can there ever be a better time? (See A Valentine’s Day Reality)

Then, in the midst of my sorrow, in the moment of my greatest need for the solace and comfort of sleep, there comes that annual insane intrusion on feline sensibility, that modern monument to the ignorance of humankind – Daylight Saving Time!

The invention of this most unnecessary and unjustifiable perversion of the natural order is unquestionably the most convincing proof that humankind is on a path bound for self-destruction. We felines, however, have done our best to remind our humans that natural body rhythms, perfectly in accord with the universe around us, are the only sure way to attain balance and stability in daily life. – If one is drowsy, it’s time to sleep. If one is cheerful, it’s time to play. If one is angry, it’s time to growl. And, most importantly, if one is hungry, it’s time to eat. But, somehow, humans just don’t seem to get it.

So, yesterday and today, Ol’ Fuzz Face’s alarm clock made its wretched noise one full hour before my ultra-high precision, internal time standard said that it should. To say the least, this was disturbing to my inner peace. I rolled over and went back to sleep. Unfortunately, Fuzzy was already an hour into his daily routine and was nowhere to be seen when I emerged from the bedroom. That meant that he wasn’t there to give me my first feeding or to spar with me in our mandatory morning play session. – There is a price to pay for that negligence on his part. – Tomorrow, he will suffer my wrath!

The First Robin of Spring Contest

The remainder of the animal kingdom has a much better understanding of time than does humankind. For example, each Spring we can count on the robins to return to our area. Humans, with all their so-called science, can never figure out for sure when they are coming, but robins know precisely when they should make their way north. Serendipity Farmhouse extended family members have made a ritual of their collective ignorance concerning nature’s timetable. For example, each Spring, they compete to be the first one to see a robin. Whoever snaps the first picture of a returning robin is awarded a prize, usually a candy bar. Last Monday, Blondie spied a robin and immediately ordered Fuzzy to take a picture. He did. They reported to all that they had won. Blondie rightfully should be awarded a candy bar. Fuzzy might get a piece for his assist – if he’s lucky.

Spring is Here! – Really???

Another example of humankind’s ignorance concerning the world around them is Fuzzy’s last post Spring is Here! (Meteorologically speaking). The old goat was so very clever, he thought, in the way that he had discussed the various definitions of the beginning of Spring. As was usual, his best example for his argument, the uncovering of El Camino Del Monte, was to be the most illustrative proof of his ignorance. The picture that you see here of ECDM shows a snow-covered, ice-laden Class C RV on Saturday morning. – Good job, Fuzzy, do you still think it’s Spring??? Really???

As a suggestion, Fuzzy, why don’t you take your highly prized “Daylight Saving Time” alarm clock out to your springtime RV and sleep out there with the heat off for a few nights while I get some good sleep here in a warm house without any of your useless interruptions?

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Report – Last Three Months

2022- January

2022- February

2022- March

Spring is Here! (Meteorologically speaking)

An SFH Editorial – What a Mess!

Several weeks ago, I started a project in the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. My objective was to make sense of and bring order to the completely shameful and disgusting mess that we called our herb and spice storage. There was no word in English that could capture the awful sight that would confront Blondie and me whenever we had to retrieve a needed spice. However, there was a Russian word that we have used since 1972 to describe messes like this. That word is – ‘безобразие’.

As you well know, while this blog often speaks of God and religion, it never discusses politics, whether local, national, or international. Nevertheless, what is happening in Europe now meets every definition for the word ‘безобразие’. It is truly a shameful situation. The repercussions of these events will be felt for years or even generations. The impact of these events is already being felt here at SFH and by our family. Times such as these explain why the SFH motto is – Pray, Prepare, Preserve

Spring is Here!

Traditionally, Spring begins with the vernal equinox. To be precise, this year in Sperryville, Virginia, USA: Spring will arrive on Sunday, March 20 at 11:33 am EDT. Meteorologically speaking, Spring begins each year on March 1st. Here at SFH we have an entirely different scientific method for determining the official arrival of Spring. For all of us at SFH, Spring began this year at precisely 2022-03-02 12:17PM EST, when the cover came off of our ever-reliable Class C RV, El Camino Del Monte (ECDM).

SFH official Spring began a little early this year because ECDM is going to get a new awning. It may take some time for the new awning to arrive at our local RV service center but be assured ECDM is now ready to go. Her engine started at the first turn of the ignition key and her primary systems are functioning as designed. So, let us share some pictures of El Camino Del Monte as she awakens to SFH official Spring.

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SFH has other measures for determining the arrival of Spring. We can now see that all 33 cloves of garlic planted in late-Autumn have now emerged from their Winter rest. – – There is still some good in this world!

Bringing Order to a Real Mess

As noted in our editorial, herb and spice storage in the SFH Test Kitchen was a disaster. Scattered throughout the kitchen and the pantry we had nearly 100 containers of herbs and spices. There was no logic or order to the way these containers were stored. In some cases, they were just thrown into plastic containers. Many of the items had reached the end of their shelf lives years ago. Something had to be done. So, we developed a three-step plan:

1 – Sort all items and discard unneeded/out-of-date items
2 – Purchase suitable space-saving storage containers
3 – Inventory all items, listing container size & storage location

For the kitchen spice cabinet, we purchased three storage systems called Cabinet Caddy. For the pantry, we purchased two storage systems described as Simple Trending Stackable 2-Tier Spice Rack Kitchen Organizer Cabinet Storage with Sliding Storage Drawer, Chrome. Though no plan is ever perfect, and no product lives up to expectations, Blondie is quite happy with the results of the project. She has hung the inventory list we made on the refrigerator so that, whenever she needs an item, all she has to do is look it up and then go to the listed Cabinet Caddy or the pantry container shelf. Following are some pictures of the project results.

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SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

Official SFH Weather Station Statistics

Likewise, the following links will provide the latest ketchup on what has been recorded by the Serendipity Farmhouse Weather Station – KVAFLETC4 since our last Journal post:

Report – Last Three Months

2022- January

2022- February

2022- March

SFH Journal: 2021-11-01 through 11-21 – Deep Autumn

Hi! Mr. Monte here!

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, observe the pictures above. Everything in them conveys a most important point – this is Le Chat, this is a feline in command. And that is precisely the case – I am the Feline in Command. While conducting my command and control duties on RV trips in El Camino Del Monte, my Command Post is strategically located in the over cab loft. From there I can observer all, monitor each and every activity, and maintain close control of my humans as they conduct all their activities within ECDM. It’s a difficult job ‘herding humans’, but it’s what I do.

The same can be said of my most necessary work at Serendipity Farmhouse. It’s a daily ritual. I get Ol’ Fuzz Face and Blondie up at an appropriately early hour. I make sure that they waste no time doing their required chores, e.g. feeding me, cleaning my pan, making my bed, etc. Blondie’s pretty good at following all my instructions, but I have to confess Fuzz Face is not exactly the ‘sharpest claw on the paw’.

Yep, Fuzzy is a little slow on the intake and downright bad at time management. He was supposed get this post out on Sunday, yet he hasn’t written a single word. The SFH blog has to maintain its five-star reputation, and Fuzz Face really isn’t up to the job. That’s why I have to take matters into my own paws and let you know what’s been happening here at SFH. So, sit back, relax, catch up on your grooming, and be informed by this report on all the SFH local news.

10 -12 NOV – RV Trip 2021-06: This was the last trip of the year. Blondie and Fuzz Face had made some ridiculously bad scheduling errors for some of our mid-season trips. Of course, you remember my post RV Trip 2021-02: I Wanna Go Home!. My big cats couldn’t have picked a worse time to take our rig out camping. – Dang! I hate that air conditioner!

RV Trip 2021-06, however, couldn’t have been any better. The weather was perfect in the mid-60s. The Autumn foliage was at its peak, and I was a happy cat camper. If he ever gets his scat together, Fuzzy will write a post and provide some pictures.

Looking southwest at the Massanutten Mountain Range

11 NOV – Dinner with Julia: Now, I’m not much into people food, but Julia Child and I share a love of butter. You can be sure that when the smell of butter is in the air, you will accompanied by Le Chat Chef Extraordinaire. And so it was on the evening of November 11th. Blondie and Fuzzy, under the close scrutiny and guidance of yours truly, successfully executed Julia’s recipe for Coq au Vin. Once again, if Ol’ Fuzz Face ever gets his scat together, he will write a post and provide some pictures.

Coq au Vin a la El Camino Del Monte

17 NOV – River Cleanup: For several years now, we at SFH have watched as our lovely riverfront was slowly overgrown by small trees, invasive shrubs, and killer vines. The presence of established trees along the river bank is essential to prevent erosion, but many of the recent plant arrivals were hostile creatures, seeking to destroy all useful varieties of vegetation in their path. Enough was enough, Blondie commissioned a work crew to turn back the invasion. Although we know this is not the end of the war, and we will have to remain ever vigilant, the pictures below show that we are now winning.

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16-19 NOV – ECDM Winter Storage: Even for those of us who are somewhat reluctant to admit that RV life can be fun, it is always a sad time of the year when El Camino Del Monte has to be serviced, cleaned, and wrapped up in its protective cocoon for the winter.

As usual, Fuzzy provided examples of his all too frequent buffoonery. He stated to all of us here at SFH that gas prices were only going to go up. So, he rushed off to the nearby service station and pumped $102.92 worth of gasoline into ECDM at $3.29/gallon. Of course, the very next day, the gas price dropped by 10¢/gallon. — Fuzzy next showed off his ability to make simple jobs look hard, while at the same time taking foolish risks with his aging life and limb. I suspect Blondie was willing to take the pictures of him up atop ECDM so that it would support her claims for a maximum payoff from Fuzzy’s life insurance.

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20 NOV – First Woodstove Fire: So, we here at SFH have made the turn into the midst of what we call ‘Deep Autumn’. Finally, we’ve reached the time of year when the trusty old woodstove is used as our main source of heat. And for me, now that this post is complete, it’s time to curl up and take a long deserved nap, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

SFH Gardens – By the Numbers

  The following links will catch you up with what has been planted, harvested, and preserved since our last Journal post:

SFH 2021 Plantings

SFH 2021 Harvest

SFH 2021 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-01 through 11-07

SFH WX 2021-11-08 through 11-14

SFH WX 2021-11-15 through 11-21

SFH WX Station Report – Monthly: 

SFH WX 2021-11-01 through 11-30

The Guy’s Guide to Glamping: Guys’ Night & Guys’ Day

(Note: See The Guy’s Guide to Glamping – Section 1, Chapter 1 for Part 1 of this amazing adventure.)

Section 1, Chapter 1: RV Trip 2021-05 – Serendipity River Park – Part 2:

Guys’ Night & Guys’ Day

The Code of Guy is a complex and fortunately not well known set of unwritten rules used to guide the behavior and guard the reputation of guys. For example, if you were to ask if the guys in our camping group took showers while on our camping adventure, the Code of Guy would demand each of us to avoid comment on the question – after all, we have a right to privacy.

Likewise, should one inquire regarding the nature or topics of our nighttime, round-table discussions, one would be answered only with a smile that loudly proclaimed that one was quite foolhardy to pry into the secret inner sanctum of ‘guy’. So, I will relate the happenings of Guys’ Night and Guys’ Day at Serendipity River park in full adherence to the Code of Guy.

Guys’ Night

In Part 1 you were introduced to guy camping conducted on a lavish scale. Yes, Grandson #3 and Son-in-Law #1 dined on an exquisitely prepared dinner of hot dogs and other healthful and nutritious foods as listed in our guy camping menu. Now it’s important to note that the beverages offered with the meal were not listed – that was due to certain privacy concerns. Serendipity River Park is located quite close to several breweries, and a fine distillery is within easy walking distance. With this in mind, GS#3, SIL#1, and I were confronted with an array of beverage options. It was only after a long and meaningful discussion that we finally settled upon the manly beverage that would accompany our meal. That’s right, you guessed it – Chocolate Milk!

Guys’ Night would not have been complete without our astounding store of snacks to accompany our three-movie marathon. M&Ms were measured out by the pound. There were bags and bags of trail mix, containing all possible ingredients to satisfy the varied tastes of our guy ensemble. Chex Mix was the favored treat for GS#3. And the list goes on and on. There is no way whatsoever to wonder why our movie watching consisted of equally high decibel levels of laughter, discussion, and snack munching and crunching. – The local wildlife would have no rest on this night.

Then, in the wee still hours of the early morning, three guys decided to call it quits. We said our bedtime prayers and climbed into our assigned berthing areas. I went to the queen sized bed, SIL#1 curled up in the dinette sleeping area, and GS#3 climbed up into the loft over the cab. Thus ended Day 1 of our two-day trip.

Guys’ Day

Breakfast the next morning was notable for the way we all pitched in to prepare this glorious first meal of the day. Fried bacon was in abundant supply. Eggs enough for seconds all around were prepared outside on the cook stove. SIL#1 prepared toast and other sides in the commodious RV kitchen. And, of course, there was coffee and orange juice. Yes, a hearty breakfast for a hungry group of guys!

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Once the dishes were cleaned and the RV was made “ship shape” (not necessarily to glamping standards), we started on full day of manly exploring adventures. First we found our way to nearby Civil War historical locations. GS#3 took great interest in the campsite of Union soldiers from Pennsylvania.

We followed the Thornton River into village of Sperryville, noting all points of interest. This was the beginning of tourist season here in the Blue Ridge. Early lookie-loos from the big cities, expecting the Autumn colors already to be at full peak, meandered about in disappointed groups wondering why their timing was so incredibly wrong. We, on the other hand, know the Shenandoah National Park area quite well. There was no disappointment for us. No, we merely enjoyed all that was around us, including the lookie-loos. – Then we made our way back to our base camp. It had been a tiring outing.

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The realities of Grandson #3’s disease have a way of intruding into all aspects of our lives. Perhaps the hike had been too long and too tiring. GS#3 was showing signs of fatigue caused by the side effects of recent chemotherapy. – Sometimes you have to surrender to reality. – Son-in-Law #1 and I decided now was the appropriate time to bring this guy camping adventure to an end. So, we packed up all our belongings, broke camp, and made preparations for the homeward leg of our journey. We bid farewell to Louise, thanking her for all she had done. And then we made our way up the long and bumpy lane, looking back one more time at our riverside campground at Serendipity River Park.

Along the way, SIL#1 proposed that we should pray the Rosary together. And so we did. GS#3 led us in that Rosary. We offered it in dedication to the real patron of guy camping, a special saint to whom this past year has been devoted. Yes, we dedicated our Rosary to that man who had to take his family on several extended trips that required long treks, camping under the stars, and one time even staying in a stable – a real man, a real guy, a real father – St. Joseph.

And as I went to rest that night in my comfortable bedroom at Serendipity Farmhouse, I looked up to see the painting just above my bed – Flight into Egypt. And now it is my ritual, each and every night to look up at that painting and I say, “Dear St. Joseph, please remember me and those in my family, especially Grandson #3, to your Son.”

https://i0.wp.com/i.etsystatic.com/18195780/r/il/54d57f/1726687057/il_794xN.1726687057_a5n7.jpg?resize=533%2C429&ssl=1
Flight into Egypt – G. Hitchcock

—————————————————————————————————-

Author’s Note: It is necessary for me to acknowledge that I am the husband of a hard core, die hard glamper and, for the sake of self preservation, I have conformed myself to almost all facets of her glamping lifestyle. That means, of course, that my credentials as a 100% ‘guy’ are somewhat sullied and do not hold full weight and merit in the eyes of 100% bona fide guys. Although severely compromised on this point, I remain a happily married coward.

In an effort to overcome that loss of acceptance by the guy community at large, let it be known by one and all that in writing The Guy’s Guide to Glamping I have consulted on a regular basis with two stalwart proponents of the real guy philosophy. The first is legendary in this region of the Shenandoah Valley. He is the world renowned Donald Wiser, Ph.D.* the author of what some refer to as the ‘definitive guide to guy’. And no book about what it means to be a guy camper would be complete without frequent reference to the thoughts and opinions of that true icon of guy camping, our own highly distinguished Mr. Monte.

*Factoid: The nickname for Donald is “Bud”.

The Guy’s Guide to Glamping – Section 1, Chapter 1

Introduction

Now you may have fallen for the balderdash presented in the recent crop of books and magazines fixated on the world of glamping. Those books are mostly written by glamping gals and they are filled with every sort of aberration of the ancient recreational art known as camping. To a person like me who grew up in Scouting, with a father who had actually met Sir Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, glamping is an entirely foreign concept. For us real camping guys, it is immediately understandable why virtually no books about glamping are written by guys.

Yet, the incontrovertible fact is my lovely and most endearing Spouse is a dedicated glamper. And even though we spent thousands to purchase our Class-C RV “El Camino Del Monte” for camping, it is true to say there will be no camping unless it is high class glamping. So, for the sake of domestic tranquility, I have had to adapt my camping style to her glamping style. – – Yes, call me a coward because I have compromised my beliefs, but I remain a happily married coward.

Mr. Monte

I might also add that both of us, the long-time camper and the beautiful and dedicated glamper, have had to modify our style of glamping to accommodate the whims and extremes of Malicious Monte, the namesake and real ruler of our RV.

(For those of you who want a taste of what glamping is all about here at Serendipity Farmhouse, refer to the following posts: 4th of July Glamping and RV Cooking – Two Easy Meals.)

The three smartly dressed and well groomed gentlemen appearing in this post’s featured image are none other than dear Grandson #3 (GS#3), yours truly, and, of course, esteemed Son-in-Law #1 (SIL#1). We will be your hosts introducing this, the very first chapter of the very first section of the forthcoming and soon-to-be-best-selling-book “The Guy’s Guide to Glamping – A Serendipity Farmhouse Perspective.”

Section 1 RV Trip 2021-05 – Serendipity River Park – Chapter 1 The Beginning

This particular trip has been long in the planning (over two years) and many times postponed. The reason for postponements this year were caused by a medical diagnosis that indicated our greatly loved GS#3 has acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Much of the RVing season was lost to us while GS#3 underwent the first phase of chemotherapy. And throughout that most difficult period, GS#3 kept asking, “When will we be able to make our RV trip, Granddad?”

The dilemmas and tribulations brought about by chemotherapy, COVidiocy, and work schedules, kept causing the trip date to be moved back. Finally!! Finally!! There was a break in clouds and the sun shone through, we finally found a date when GS#3, SIL#1, and I could make the trip. No matter what might come up, I refused to have that date changed.

And things did come up. Do you remember that water leak in our front yard that I wrote about in SFH Journal: 2021-10-11 through 10-17 – Dark Autumn Reflections? Sure enough to my dismay, the only day the plumbers could come out was on the second day of our planned trip. I would not be deterred, lovely Spouse and I found a workaround. The trip would go on!

Then, SIL#1 sent an email. GS#3 was not doing well and he might need a blood transfusion, our trip might have to be postponed. That’s when beautiful Wife and I went to the church and made a direct plea for assistance or intervention. God heard us and answered in the affirmative – on the day of the trip, GS#3 was strong enough and the trip would go on!

With this good news, the three guy campers now threw everything they had into getting ready for the trip. A real camping trip. A real camping trip with a few modifications to accommodate dearest glamping Spouse. It would be a real guy glamping / camping trip. No gals allowed!

Without question, two important lists had to be prepared – the menu and the movie list. I took care of the menu, ensuring that it would be a menu remembered by all. GS#3 volunteered to prepare the guys’ night movie list. It consisted of a primary grouping and was accompanied by a large number of alternatives. Below, you will see the most fantastic menu ever, followed by the three movies that were actually watched on guys’ night.

The Muppets (2011) – Full Cast & Crew – IMDb

Muppets Most Wanted (2014) – IMDb

Stargate (1994) – IMDb

The big day finally came. El Camino Del Monte (ECDM) departed Serendipity Farmhouse and travelled the 20+ miles to pick up GS#3 and SIL#1. Although the forecasts had originally been threatening, the weather turned out to be perfect for an Autumn RV trip. After some forty minutes on the road, ECDM pulled up next to the house that all seasoned travelers know as the landmark announcing arrival at the gateway to the Shenandoah National Park – the town of Front Royal.

Within minutes, GS#3 and SIL#1 were aboard ECDM with all their carefully packed belongings – two small knapsacks, pillows, and a highly favored blanket. – Let the adventure commence! – And we were off, heading to that hidden oasis of happiness known as Serendipity River Park (SRP). Owned and operated by our dear friends Don & Louise, SRP has been a haven and resting place for ECDM and it Serendipity Farmhouse crew on several occasions over the last four years.

(See Serendipity River Park – Re-Creation to learn more about Serendipity River Park.)

Just after we crossed over Chester Gap on US522, I called the secret, only disclosed to us Serendipity River Park phone number. The delightful voice that could only belong to our dear friend Louise immediately answered. We told her our expected time of arrival and she informed us that everything was ready for our two-day stay. – Both GS#3 and SIL#1 eagerly awaited meeting Louise and having their first view of SRP.

The miles quickly passed under our wheels and it seemed like no time at all before we were pulling down the long, bumpy lane that leads to Serendipity River Park. Then, there she was, Louise was standing to the side of drive waving her ‘hello’. ….

Tune in next time for the continuation of our RVing adventure.

Some Glamping / Camping Facts: Please view the pictures below. Take some time to compare and contrast. On the left you will see an amazingly beautiful and dignified glamping gal. You will note that she is drinking her afternoon tea from the finest of China and her table is adorned with flowers. On the right, you will see two real guy campers awaiting a gourmet dinner of hot dogs and corn chips. SIL#1 in the foreground is sporting a fine pair of bare feet while wearing suitably worn and frayed sweatpants and t-shirt. GS#3 is quietly musing on the wonders of nature while attempting to become invisible to all biting insects. – The glamping gal is happy and the camping guys are happy.

 

RV Trip 2021-02: I Wanna Go Home!

Hi! Mr. Monte here!

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, there are clearly defined limits to my ability to tolerate trips in my Class-C RV “El Camino Del Monte” (ECMD). You would think getting out of the hot city and relaxing in a cool woodland setting would be the goal of most intelligent humans.

Obviously, I don’t have two of those. No, I have the kind of humans that think that is fun to go someplace hotter and far less comfortable than Serendipity Farmhouse. Rather than listening to calming classical music, my humans would rather listen to the cacophonous, nerve-shattering noise of an air conditioner running 24/7. – It is my considered opinion that any common sense they may have ever had was baked out of their brains by overexposure to the infernal heat of Virginia in July.

We arrived at Shenandoah River State Park at 2:25 PM. Fuzzy completed setup in record time. By 3:12 PM, he had the weather station assembled, revealing the severity of our situation. The temperatures at the park had climbed into the mid-90s, so all windows and doors had to be shut and the sound of that miserable AC began to numb my mind. You can see for yourself that my humans had made another marvelous choice of camping dates. – What were they thinking, if they were capable of thinking at all?

Of course, the heat was followed by rain, a torrential downpour that crashed down on the roof of ECMD. The splattering of raindrops the size of golf balls shattered my inner peace and grated on every neuron of my highly tuned feline nervous system. By 8 PM, I was a useless, shivering pile of fur, incapable of reacting in any normal way. It was then that I first heard myself say, “Meoowww! I wanna go home!”

Dinner No. 1: Texas Hash

My humans apparently took no notice of my distress. Their only concern was pleasing their belly and their gut, preparing another “gourmet” meal. Granted, they prepared it to a human standard of perfection, nevertheless, its aroma and presentation aroused no interest whatsoever in my feline appetite. Yet, as the author of this post, I am required to give you details that might help those humans among my readers to recreate this culinary delight. So, here you go. The dish is called Texas Hash. The original recipe appeared in the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book, 1950. Currently, the recipe can be found in the book Betty Crocker Lost Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes for Today’s Kitchen.

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As an interesting sidelight. In a moment of weakness, Ol’ Fuzz Face confessed to me that, when he was young, he thought that Betty Crocker was a real person and was devastated when he found out otherwise. Poor guy, he never learned the real truth, but I did after doing some internet searches. It turns out that Betty Crocker was a shapeshifter. Her true persona was Mamagon (ママゴン) the lovely kaiju (怪獣) of Japanese fame. You can find out more about her at the Ultraman Wiki.

As you can see below, Betty Crocker/Mamagon had nothing at all to do with the meals I was served on this trip. For me, it’s always the same old stuff. Nope, nothing gourmet quality or special for me. Nope, no ice cream or tasty treats, just the same old swill.

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The Case of the Obnoxious Fly

The second day of this misadventure was just as hot and steamy as the first. Fuzzy and Blondie attempted to humor themselves and enjoy their outing as if the weather was perfectly pleasant. It was apparent that they had spent too much time in the sun and were delusional. Blondie went so far as to pose for pictures to prove that she was having a delightful time. But, it wasn’t even a half hour later at lunch when she lost all of her composure.

Let me tell you what happened and what I saw through the kitchen window. At lunchtime, Blondie proclaimed that lunch would be served in her beloved screen tent. She opined that it would be ever so pleasant to dine outside and enjoy the sounds of nature and the gentle breeze. Blondie and Fuzzy carried all the fixings for lunch to the tent. They carefully zipped up the doorway screen and sat down to eat their midday repast. Simultaneously, two things began to happen. First, both of those “nature lovers” began to sweat profusely. They smiled at each other attempting to hide their discomfort, but moisture oozing from beneath their garments betrayed them. Second, it became apparent that the screen tent, when closed, does two things: it locks flies out and it locks flies in. In the case of my two humans, they had locked in with them the single most obnoxious fly in the entire Shenandoah Valley. It landed on their food. It landed on their beverage glasses. It did pirouettes on their ears and their noses. It caused them to swat and flail about, feverishly attempting to smush the intruder. And the obnoxious little fellow would not cease.

It wasn’t long after lunch before Fuzzy, at the bidding of Blondie, was taking the tent down, folding it up, and storing it away for the remainder of our misbegotten RV trip. Once again, I could be heard to say, “Meoowww! I wanna go home!”

Dinner No. 2: Persian Shish Kabob

There’s no real need to go into detail about dinner on the second day. Sure, the smell of the meat used for the shish kabobs was somewhat pleasant, but what cat can eat meat that was soaked in lime juice, garlic, and onion for 24 hours. Anyway, Blondie and Fuzzy exclaimed that the allrecipes Persian Shish Kabob recipe was really good and, of course, their cooking skills exceeded that of most mortals.

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Radicalized!!!

My dear feline friends, the second night was just as hot as the first. The air conditioner kept running, and running, and running. One could not hear oneself think. Of course that meant nothing to my humans because, obviously, they weren’t thinking. I mistakenly thought that it could get no worse. That was when Fuzzy and Blondie decided to add to the noise by watching a horrid British detective show. Because they couldn’t understand the British accents, they cranked the volume up to an intolerable setting. I was in pain. I was in agony. I had finally reached the point where I could stand no more. And that is when I devised my radical solution – there would be no sleep for anyone in ECMD until this cat was returned to his rightful place in the most peaceful and tranquil Serendipity Farmhouse.

I won’t burden you with the details of my actions, but you can be certain that all of the following tactics were employed: nudging, bumping, nibbling, biting, scratching, jumping, endless meowing, and repeatedly exclaiming, “Meoowww! I wanna go home!”

Let me emphasize that point by showing you how I expressed my feelings to those two insensitive humans: “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!” “Meoowww! I wanna go home!”

Despite all that, Fuzzy and Blondie continued to act as if they didn’t understand. Finally at 2 AM, out of desperation, I went to the corner where the metal door to my carrier was stored. I clawed at it and dislodged it. I dragged it out to where Fuzzy could see what I had. Then I jumped into my carrier and looked at him and bellowed, “Meoowww! Listen you jerk, Meoowww! I wanna go home!”

But it was all to no avail. Even though they could not sleep, they insisted on ignoring my pleas. It wasn’t until the sun had risen and they drank their coffee, that they would begin preparing for the trip home. Meanwhile, I was sleepless and a wreck from my encounter with their ignorant behavior. I rolled over in front of my carrier, feet up in the air, and played dead. And so I remained until Fuzzy said I should get into the carrier. I immediately did as he said, all the time wanting to take a pound of his flesh, but I didn’t want to delay our departure. Forty-five minutes later, we were home. I quietly flopped on the floor in front of the fan and refused to interact with either of them for the remainder of the day. – May it ever be so humble there’s no place like Serendipity Farmhouse!

 

SFH Journal: 2021-05-02 through 05-16

May 15th, the Feast of St. Isidore

“Dear St. Isidore, you know how normal it is to cultivate the land for you were employed as a farm laborer most of your life. Although you received God’s help materially through Angels in the field, all farmers are aided spiritually to see the wonders God has strewn on this earth.  Encourage all farmers in their labors and help them to feed many people. – Amen”

A report and accounting of our labors at Serendipity Farmhouse.

In 2018, we first posted a Report to St. Isidore. This year, we will resume that custom.

Part I – The Herb Garden

Close to our back door, we have planted herbs to add flavor to our foods. Interestingly, our two parsley plants survived the Winter cold and are going strong. Other herbs are doing well and now there is a new basil plant. This year, we are experimenting with a different variety of cherry tomatoes – Sun Sugar Yellow Cherry Tomato. More herbs will be planted later

Part II-A – Vegetable Garden #1

Not all is going well in Vegetable Garden #1. Only three of our beet seeds germinated. Likewise, our beans have responded less than enthusiastically to sunshine and gentle rains. On the other hand, the arugula and lettuce are producing in abundance. Every clove of garlic planted last Fall has sprouted and all plants are thriving. Four types of hot peppers have been planted and they appear quite happy. There are now seven asparagus plants capable of producing for the dinner table, and all are doing well.

Part II-B – Vegetable Garden #2

Vegetable Garden #2 is reserved for several varieties of tomatoes. So far, we have planted one of each of the following varieties: Better Boy, Big Beef, Bush Goliath, Early Girl, and Pink Brandywine

Part III – Flowers and Plants

We planted grass where the new water line was installed last December. All of the flowering plants and trees have done well this year and small apples are replacing the white blossoms that adorned the yard earlier this Spring. Once again, the magnolia tree is promising many blooms come June.

On the 2nd, we held a May Crowning in our garden dedicated to Mary. Both azalea bushes are filled with flowers and the irises have grown so thick that we had to transplant some elsewhere.

Part V – Vineyard

Our vineyard is having its finest year ever. As you can see in our feature picture, a large number of vine (the number “1” is much larger than “0”) shows the potential to eclipse all past years.

Part V – Critters

St. Isidore, this next item is probably outside your area of patronage. If so, please talk to St. Francis and see if he has any advice. – – It seems that Mr. Monte, our Chief of Security, had to issue an eviction notice to some loony birds that thought that our RV would make a fine nesting place. Blondie and I were commissioned to serve the eviction notice to the squatters. Although those crazy birds weren’t present at the time, we had to move all of their belongings out on the road. — It’s important that you tell St. Francis that we determined that the nest was empty before we executed the eviction.

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That concludes our report, St. Isidore. We have tried to be good stewards of what God has bestowed on Serendipity. The fruits of these labors constantly bring us joy.

The First SFH 2021 Plantings

Date: Month-DayItemQTYGarden
03-15Red Beets20 seedsVegetable #1
03-27Arugula 4 rowsVegetable #1
03-27Lettuce4 rowsVegetable #1
04-18Italian green beans25 seedsVegetable #1
05-02Better Boy tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Pink Brandywine tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Big Beef1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Sun Sugar Yellow tomato1 plantHerb
05-02Mammoth jalapeno pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-02Jalapeno pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-02Anaheim pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-21Italian green beans21 seedsVegetable #1
05-15Basil1 plantHerb
05-15Bush Goliath tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-15Early Girl tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-15Roma1 plantVegetable #2
05-30Cow's Horn okra23 seedVegetable #1
05-31Burgandy okra10Vegetable #1
06-07Heat Master tomato1 plantVegetable #2
06-09Cow's horn okra1 seedVegetable #1
06-09Burgandy okra1 seedVegetable #1

The First SFH 2021 Harvest

Date: Month - DayItemQTYMeasure
04-27Asparagus5Spears
04-28Asparagus2Spears
05-03Asparagus5Spears
05-04Arugula1Bunch
05-04Asparagus3Spears
05-04Lettuce1Bunch
05-04Parsley1Bunch
05-06Arugula1Bunch
05-06Asparagus5Spears
05-06Lettuce1Bunch
05-06Parsley1Bunch
05-10Arugula1Bunch
05-10Asparagus1Spear
05-10Lettuce1Bunch
05-14Asparagus8Spears
05-16Arugula1Bunch
05-16Lettuce1Bunch
05-19Arugula1Bunch, end of season
05-19Asparagus2Spears
05-19Lettuce1Bunch
05-21Asparagus3Spears
05-23Strawberries7Berries
05-25Aspraragus3Spears
05-29Garlic scapes8Scapes
05-31Garlic Scapes22Scapes
05-31Strawberries3Berries
06-03Strawberries4Berries
06-17Beets5Beets
06-23Garlic30Heads
07-02Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow 2Tomatoes; 1st of season
07-03Green beans, Italian 28Bean pods; 1st of season
07-03Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper; 1st of season
07-03Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow5Tomatoes
07-04Green beans, Italian 9Bean pods
07-06Green beans, Italian 24bean pods
07-06Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
07-07Basil1Bunch
07-07Green beans, Italian21Bean pods
07-07Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-09Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-10Green beans, Italian14Bean pods
07-10Pepper, Jalapeno1Jalapeno
07-10Strawberries1Berry
07-10Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes, 1st of season
07-11Green beans, Italian4Bean pods
07-14Pepper, Jalapeno, Mammoth4Jalapenos
07-14Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
07-14Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-15Green beans, Italian26Bean pods
07-15Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-15Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow4Tomatoes
07-17Green beans, Italian2Bean pods
07-17Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-17Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
07-18Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow11Tomatoes
07-19Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-20Tomato, Big Boy2Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-20Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Better Boy2Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
07-23Tomato, Better Boy2Tomatoes
07-23Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-23Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-24Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-24Tomato, Roma3Tomatoes
07-24Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow12Tomatoes
07-25Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-25Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-25Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
07-26Tomato, Better Boy4Tomatoes
07-26Tomato, Big Boy2Tomatoes
07-26Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-27Green beans, Italian2Bean pods
07-27Pepper, Jalapeno6Jalapenos
07-27Tomato, Better Boy3Tomatoes
07-27Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-27Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-27Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-29Pepper, Anaheim2Peppers
07-29Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
07-29Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-29Tomato, Pink Brandywine3Tomatoes
07-29Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Big Boy3Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Early Girl4Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Pink Brandywine2Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow7Tomatoes
07-31Okra, Cowhorn2Pod, 1st of season
07-31Okra, Purple1Pod, 1st of season
07-31Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-01Green beans, Italian7Bean pods
08-01Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-01Okra, Purple1Pod
08-01Tomato, Better Boy3Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Bush Goliath3Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Early Girl7Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Roma3Tomatoes
08-02Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow5Tomatoes
08-03Green beans, Italian1Bean pod
08-03Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-03Okra, Purple1Pod
08-03Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
08-03Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-03Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-03Tomato, Roma1Tomato
08-05Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-05Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow7Tomatoes
08-06Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-06Tomato, Heatmaster1Tomato
08-06Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
08-07Green beans, Italian5Bean pods
08-07Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-07Okra, Purple2Pods
08-08Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
08-08Tomato, Roma4Tomatoes
08-08Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
08-09Okra, Cowhorn6Pods
08-09Okra, Purple1Pod
08-09Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
08-09Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-09Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
08-12Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-12Okra, Purple1Pod
08-12Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-12Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
08-12Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
08-15Basil2Bunches
08-15Green beans, Italian35Bean pods, end of season
08-15Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-15Okra, Purple5Pods
08-15Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomatoes
08-15Tomato, Pink Brandywine4Tomatoes
08-15Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-17Okra, Cowhorn5Pods
08-17Okra, Purple1Pod
08-17Tomato, Pink Brandywine5Tomatoes
08-21Apple, Staymen3Apples
08-21Okra, Cowhorn8Pods
08-21Okra, Purple1Pod
08-21Pepper, Jalapeno11Peppers
08-21Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-21Tomato, Pink Brandywine2Tomatoes
08-21Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
08-24Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-24Okra, Purple1Pod
08-24Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Heatmaster1Tomato, end of season
08-24Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-27Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
08-27Tomato, Pink Brandywine4Tomatoes
08-27Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
08-28Apple, Staymen2Apples
08-28Grape, Catawba 1.5Pounds
08-28Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-28Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper
08-31Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-31Okra, Purple1Pod
08-31Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
08-31Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Pink Brandywine3Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes, end of season
09-01Pepper, Jalapeno17Peppers
09-04Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
09-04Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato, end of season
09-04Tomato, Big Beef8Tomatoes, end of season
09-07Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
09-07Pepper, Anaheim1Pepper
09-07Pepper, Jalapeno6Peppers
09-07Tomato, Roma1Tomato
09-10Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
09-10Okra, Purple1Pod
09-10Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
09-10Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
09-15Okra, Cowhorn4Pod
09-15Okra, Purple3Pod
09-15Pepper, Anaheim2Peppers
09-15Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper
09-15Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
09-15Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomatoes, end of season
09-18Okra, Cowhorn9Pods
09-18Okra, Purple1Pod
09-18Pepper, Jalapeno8Peppers
09-18Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
09-21Okra, Cowhorn2Pods
09-21Okra, Purple1Pod
09-23Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
09-23Okra, Purple2Pods
09-23Pepper, Jalapeno7Peppers
09-24Tomato, Bush Goliath6Tomatoes, end of season
09-24Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes, end of season
09-30Okra, Cowhorn8Pods
09-30Okra, Purple3Pods
09-30Pepper, Jalapeno5Peppers
10-02Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
10-02Okra, Purple1Pod
10-02Pepper, Jalapeno24Peppers
10-07Okra, Cowhorn5Pods
10-07Okra, Purple1Pod
10-08Strawberries1Berry
10-12Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
10-12Okra, Purple1Pod
10-14Okra, Cowhorn2Pods
10-14Pepper, Jalapeno16Peppers

SFH by the Numbers

The following links will catch you up with what has been planted and what has been harvested since our last Journal post:

SFH 2020 Plantings

SFH 2020 Harvest

SFH 2020 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-05-03 through 05-09

SFH WX 2021-05-10 through 05-16

SFH Journal: 2021-03-29 through 05-02 – Whew!

Hi! Mr. Monte here!

To my 23,417 feline followers, especially my many cat cousins residing in Virginia and Ohio, “I’m late, I’m late for. A very important date. No time to say hello, good-bye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late.”

This post is long overdue. It should have been published last Sunday. Obviously, it wasn’t. Blondie and Ol’ Fuzz Face haven’t had time to sit for even a moment. That means that they’ve dumped many of their tasks onto good old reliable “FELINE PRODUCTIVE.” And now I haven’t had time to sit for even a moment.

Suffice it to say there are not sufficient time nor words to suffice. So, major insufficiency will have to suffice.

Here’s just a small sampling of what was going on through May 2nd:

04 April – Easter: See post Resurrexit Sicut Dixit, Alleluia.

10 April – Grandson #7: See post Breaking News: Grandson #7!!

12-14 April – RV Trip 2021-01: See posts RV Trip 2021-01: A Very Tent Situation and RV Trip 2021-01: Project Sausage

23-24 April – Tree Removal: From the SFH treasurer – “To the person who planted those four willow trees on the now vast SFH Estate: You owe us over $10,000 for the removal of those ghastly, hideous, dangerous, menacing, destructive willows.”

25 April – Godzilla v. King Kong: Fuzzy tells me he had a glorious three hours respite from the cares of this world when highly cherished Daughter #1 and her family took him to see his hero in action. As he always says: “Godzilla is real, everything else is fake!” See post: SFH Godzilla Birthday Bash

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28-29 April – Masked Marauder: A major breach to SFH security took place on these dates. Blondie was horrified. Our friendly avian residents were distraught. Fuzzy came up with an almost a good solution. He sprayed WD-40 on the pole. Unfortunately, it dried too quickly, so we intend to use Vaseline in the future.

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In the meantime, we gathered the SFH Security Staff, including Fuzzy. We all confronted this felonious, masked bandit and I made it quite clear to that maleficent marauder what would happen to him should he violate our security perimeter again. The last time we saw him, he was hightailing it off the property.

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30 April – Deck, Porch, Furnace & Dinner Guest: It is difficult enough when one contractor or handyman must do work on our soon-to-be-famous, historic mansion. Schedules must be adjusted; parking space must be made available; and, the SFH Security Staff must be alerted. But, April 30th, the potential for schedule conflict went over the top. First, SFH was visited by contractors to prepare the front porch and rear deck for painting and staining. Next came the contractor who maintains our newly installed furnace to perform seasonal maintenance. And, if that wasn’t enough, the entire, soon-to-be-world famous SFH Test Kitchen staff was engaged in a maximum effort to prepare a delicious meal for a highly esteemed dinner guest. – – Fuzzy and Blondie, under my close direction, rose to the occasion. All workmen visits went without incident and there was no mutual interference. – – Our dinner guest was happy with the SFH Test Kitchen’s latest experiment and he went back for seconds. As a Russian Blue cat friend of mine once told me” Всё хорошо́, что хорошо́ конча́ется. (All’s well that ends well.)

In the midst of and intermingled with all of the above, Blondie spent many, many hours in the vegetable gardens. She is really good at directing Ol’ Fuzz Face at moving bags of dirt, turning over soil, weeding, trimming, and bringing those gardens to the highest quality level possible. Because of her efforts, the SFH gardens stand out as among the finest in all of  Rappahannock County. And also to her credit, Spring planting is underway and the first fruits of the 2021 growing season have already been harvested.

The First SFH 2021 Plantings

Date: Month-DayItemQTYGarden
03-15Red Beets20 seedsVegetable #1
03-27Arugula 4 rowsVegetable #1
03-27Lettuce4 rowsVegetable #1
04-18Italian green beans25 seedsVegetable #1
05-02Better Boy tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Pink Brandywine tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Big Beef1 plantVegetable #2
05-02Sun Sugar Yellow tomato1 plantHerb
05-02Mammoth jalapeno pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-02Jalapeno pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-02Anaheim pepper1 plantVegetable #1
05-21Italian green beans21 seedsVegetable #1
05-15Basil1 plantHerb
05-15Bush Goliath tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-15Early Girl tomato1 plantVegetable #2
05-15Roma1 plantVegetable #2
05-30Cow's Horn okra23 seedVegetable #1
05-31Burgandy okra10Vegetable #1
06-07Heat Master tomato1 plantVegetable #2
06-09Cow's horn okra1 seedVegetable #1
06-09Burgandy okra1 seedVegetable #1

The First SFH 2021 Harvest

Date: Month - DayItemQTYMeasure
04-27Asparagus5Spears
04-28Asparagus2Spears
05-03Asparagus5Spears
05-04Arugula1Bunch
05-04Asparagus3Spears
05-04Lettuce1Bunch
05-04Parsley1Bunch
05-06Arugula1Bunch
05-06Asparagus5Spears
05-06Lettuce1Bunch
05-06Parsley1Bunch
05-10Arugula1Bunch
05-10Asparagus1Spear
05-10Lettuce1Bunch
05-14Asparagus8Spears
05-16Arugula1Bunch
05-16Lettuce1Bunch
05-19Arugula1Bunch, end of season
05-19Asparagus2Spears
05-19Lettuce1Bunch
05-21Asparagus3Spears
05-23Strawberries7Berries
05-25Aspraragus3Spears
05-29Garlic scapes8Scapes
05-31Garlic Scapes22Scapes
05-31Strawberries3Berries
06-03Strawberries4Berries
06-17Beets5Beets
06-23Garlic30Heads
07-02Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow 2Tomatoes; 1st of season
07-03Green beans, Italian 28Bean pods; 1st of season
07-03Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper; 1st of season
07-03Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow5Tomatoes
07-04Green beans, Italian 9Bean pods
07-06Green beans, Italian 24bean pods
07-06Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
07-07Basil1Bunch
07-07Green beans, Italian21Bean pods
07-07Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-09Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-10Green beans, Italian14Bean pods
07-10Pepper, Jalapeno1Jalapeno
07-10Strawberries1Berry
07-10Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes, 1st of season
07-11Green beans, Italian4Bean pods
07-14Pepper, Jalapeno, Mammoth4Jalapenos
07-14Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
07-14Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-15Green beans, Italian26Bean pods
07-15Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-15Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow4Tomatoes
07-17Green beans, Italian2Bean pods
07-17Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-17Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
07-18Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow11Tomatoes
07-19Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-19Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-20Tomato, Big Boy2Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-20Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-20Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Better Boy2Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-22Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-22Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
07-23Tomato, Better Boy2Tomatoes
07-23Tomato, Big Boy1Tomato
07-23Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-24Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-24Tomato, Roma3Tomatoes
07-24Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow12Tomatoes
07-25Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
07-25Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
07-25Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
07-26Tomato, Better Boy4Tomatoes
07-26Tomato, Big Boy2Tomatoes
07-26Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
07-27Green beans, Italian2Bean pods
07-27Pepper, Jalapeno6Jalapenos
07-27Tomato, Better Boy3Tomatoes
07-27Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-27Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-27Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
07-29Pepper, Anaheim2Peppers
07-29Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
07-29Tomato, Early Girl1Tomato
07-29Tomato, Pink Brandywine3Tomatoes
07-29Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Big Boy3Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Early Girl4Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Pink Brandywine2Tomatoes
07-30Tomato, Roma1Tomato
07-30Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow7Tomatoes
07-31Okra, Cowhorn2Pod, 1st of season
07-31Okra, Purple1Pod, 1st of season
07-31Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-01Green beans, Italian7Bean pods
08-01Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-01Okra, Purple1Pod
08-01Tomato, Better Boy3Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Bush Goliath3Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Early Girl7Tomatoes
08-01Tomato, Roma3Tomatoes
08-02Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow5Tomatoes
08-03Green beans, Italian1Bean pod
08-03Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-03Okra, Purple1Pod
08-03Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
08-03Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-03Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-03Tomato, Roma1Tomato
08-05Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-05Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow7Tomatoes
08-06Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-06Tomato, Heatmaster1Tomato
08-06Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
08-07Green beans, Italian5Bean pods
08-07Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-07Okra, Purple2Pods
08-08Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomato
08-08Tomato, Roma4Tomatoes
08-08Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow8Tomatoes
08-09Okra, Cowhorn6Pods
08-09Okra, Purple1Pod
08-09Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
08-09Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-09Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
08-12Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-12Okra, Purple1Pod
08-12Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-12Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
08-12Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow9Tomatoes
08-15Basil2Bunches
08-15Green beans, Italian35Bean pods, end of season
08-15Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-15Okra, Purple5Pods
08-15Tomato, Bush Goliath1Tomatoes
08-15Tomato, Pink Brandywine4Tomatoes
08-15Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-17Okra, Cowhorn5Pods
08-17Okra, Purple1Pod
08-17Tomato, Pink Brandywine5Tomatoes
08-21Apple, Staymen3Apples
08-21Okra, Cowhorn8Pods
08-21Okra, Purple1Pod
08-21Pepper, Jalapeno11Peppers
08-21Tomato, Bush Goliath2Tomatoes
08-21Tomato, Pink Brandywine2Tomatoes
08-21Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes
08-24Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
08-24Okra, Purple1Pod
08-24Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Heatmaster1Tomato, end of season
08-24Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
08-24Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow1Tomato
08-27Tomato, Big Beef1Tomato
08-27Tomato, Pink Brandywine4Tomatoes
08-27Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow3Tomatoes
08-28Apple, Staymen2Apples
08-28Grape, Catawba 1.5Pounds
08-28Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
08-28Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper
08-31Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
08-31Okra, Purple1Pod
08-31Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato
08-31Tomato, Big Beef2Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Pink Brandywine3Tomatoes
08-31Tomato, Sun Sugar Yellow2Tomatoes, end of season
09-01Pepper, Jalapeno17Peppers
09-04Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
09-04Tomato, Better Boy1Tomato, end of season
09-04Tomato, Big Beef8Tomatoes, end of season
09-07Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
09-07Pepper, Anaheim1Pepper
09-07Pepper, Jalapeno6Peppers
09-07Tomato, Roma1Tomato
09-10Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
09-10Okra, Purple1Pod
09-10Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomato
09-10Tomato, Roma2Tomatoes
09-15Okra, Cowhorn4Pod
09-15Okra, Purple3Pod
09-15Pepper, Anaheim2Peppers
09-15Pepper, Jalapeno1Pepper
09-15Tomato, Early Girl3Tomatoes
09-15Tomato, Pink Brandywine1Tomatoes, end of season
09-18Okra, Cowhorn9Pods
09-18Okra, Purple1Pod
09-18Pepper, Jalapeno8Peppers
09-18Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes
09-21Okra, Cowhorn2Pods
09-21Okra, Purple1Pod
09-23Okra, Cowhorn4Pods
09-23Okra, Purple2Pods
09-23Pepper, Jalapeno7Peppers
09-24Tomato, Bush Goliath6Tomatoes, end of season
09-24Tomato, Early Girl2Tomatoes, end of season
09-30Okra, Cowhorn8Pods
09-30Okra, Purple3Pods
09-30Pepper, Jalapeno5Peppers
10-02Okra, Cowhorn1Pod
10-02Okra, Purple1Pod
10-02Pepper, Jalapeno24Peppers
10-07Okra, Cowhorn5Pods
10-07Okra, Purple1Pod
10-08Strawberries1Berry
10-12Okra, Cowhorn3Pods
10-12Okra, Purple1Pod
10-14Okra, Cowhorn2Pods
10-14Pepper, Jalapeno16Peppers

SFH by the Numbers

The following links will catch you up with what has been planted and what has been harvested since our last Journal post:

SFH 2020 Plantings

SFH 2020 Harvest

SFH 2020 Preserving

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly: 

SFH WX 2021-April