Watermelon Wine

Watermelons are dirt cheap this year. I found a guy selling them out of a truck 2 for $5 so I picked up four. He asked what I was using them for, and when I told him "wine," he got all excited and handed me a business card. People always do that when we buy stuff from them to brew.

It's a pretty easy process and Man and I had a good time singing along to my Repo! The Genetic Opera Pandora channel while processing melons.

First you have to scoop out the melon. I just took big spoonfuls and chopped them smaller with the edge of the spoon. I'd fill a bowl and take it to the dining room and dump into a bowl for Man to mill in the foley mill.



Then he'd mill the melon while I kept tearing apart the watermelons in the kitchen.



Then we strained the milled juice to get the pulp out.



Once we were finished we used to hydrometer to get a reading on the specific gravity and potential alcohol so we could determine how much sugar to add to our must. Our first reading (before adding sugar) would have given us a 4% potential alcohol...so yeah...we added 7 POUNDS of sugar. Not cups...POUNDS. That's 15 3/4 cups of sugar. Yeast are hungry little bastards.



Our final specific gravity after adding sugar was 1.15 and potential alcohol volume will be 19% with an expected turnout of about 14-16%.

Then we added our yeast. My yeast had accidentally been tucked into a bag and put in the garage with the rest of the supplies instead of in the fridge, so we had to proof it before adding it to make sure it wasn't dead. Thank goodness it wasn't and it was very healthy, hungry yeast.



We did some stirring and covered it with a sterile cloth (yes, Chococat) and tied it shut with some yarn because I'm too damned tired to look in the garage for my bungee cords right now. And there it will sit until it starts to ferment and we get to stir it daily, measure, etc...for seven days. Then it sits for another seven, then we lid it with the valve in place for ten more days, rack it into our secondary carboy, and leave it for about three months. Then it's bottled and rests for a year.



Here's so we can keep track.



--oh...yeah we put about 1/2 cup of milled blueberries in there too for color and body.


This should be finished in a minimum of 16 months.  A LONG wait for a taste of summer.

Product Review: Zum Clean Laundry Soap

I make every cleaning supply in my home except dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent.  I've tried both and I failed miserably each time.  The laundry detergent fail was so epic I actually had to throw away ruined clothes and some cloth diapers.

Tears were shed.

So I've been a loyal Charlie's Soap customer going on eight years.  I've never had issues with their product and I'm a huge fan.  However, my favorite local retailer recently decided to stop carrying Charlie's because the company does not disclose their full ingredients.  Well, okay I'll try something new.

I first picked up Ecover since that was all the store had in stock.  I used it twice and put it away, it just plain sucked.

The next time I went in to see if, perhaps please please please, they'd decided to start stocking Charlie's again, they showed me their newest line of detergent:  Zum Clean.

I've used Zum's face bars in the past and found them decent, if a bit pricey.  But the detergent smelled nice and online reviews were pretty positive so I picked up a bottle of patchouli scent since they were sold out of the unscented.  I'm a big patchouli fan and I knew that if this followed their other products, the smell wouldn't linger after washing.

I've been experimenting with this stuff all month and as much as I want to like the product I have to admit I'm not a fan.  I've tried adding less, more, double the recommended amount, and on and on, but nothing has really worked to get my clothes clean.  As I've been using it, my clothing has taken on a rough feeling and has started to look grubby and stained.

I finally gave up after I pulled some dirty bed linens, of the bed wetter variety, out of the wash smelling like dirty peed on patchouli.  I was just done, my laundry is not getting clean with this detergent.

I broke down and visited another retailer in my area to pick up a container of Charlie's Soap.  I ran some of my children's clothing through a hardcore cycle:  prewash, heavy duty wash on hot, rinse, and extra rinse.  They came out looking amazing again.  The dingy grimy look is gone and they smell like clean laundry, free of fragrances.

I ran the same load of peed linens through the wash, just a sanitary cycle with extra rinse and it came out with no scents save the smell of clean linens.

The way this detergent was hyped up to me by the store I purchased it from, a store that I've trusted to make great product recommendations in the past, I was truly disappointed.

My biggest disappointment was how painful Zum Clean was when I spilled a bit on my hand.  I'd cut my finger while chopping some veggies for dinner and I ran for the sink yelling "ouch ouch ouch!" because it burned so badly.  I've gotten Charlie's Soap on cuts in the past and it was a slight sting, but nothing like the burning sensation I got from the Zum Clean.

So I say No! to Zum Clean

Gordon Butler Nature Preserve

One of my favorite green blob discoveries thus far has been Gordon Butler Nature Preserve in Hope Mills, NC.  It is a beautiful patch of land right off the main road in town that seems to be relatively unknown.  We've hiked out there many times this summer and each time is a joy and treat.  The paths are jeep trails and fairly well maintained and it's a very easy walk for young hikers.

Since this is an undeveloped piece of property, there are no bathrooms or available water on site so we have to pack everything in.  It's a short hike exploring the main trails, but I've yet to explore some of the lesser developed footpaths because they're very overgrown and the ticks and snakes have been very abundant this year.

The best features of this preserve are the Little Rockfish and Bucknose Creeks.  They converge together on the property and continue down through the woods to join up to the now non-existent Hope Mills Lake.  There's a dock out there where the water used to flow up onto a beach called Stone's Landing, but since the dam blocking Hope Mills Lake burst, the water level is much lower and the creek is shallow and fordable.

You can see where the water levels were once very high by the eroded banks, but the lower water means that much of the fallen trees that were once covered are now exposed and a joy to look at and explore.

We have gotten into the water here and paddled around a bit, but I keep the children in the shallow sections where it's usually no more than waist deep.  We've of course explored up and down the creeks that feed into the main body, specifically Bucknose Creek, but we haven't gone too far.  Maybe about 1/2 a mile.  It's pretty rough going and hard for smaller kids to navigate.  There's a lot of tree debris like logs and branches in the water so if someone isn't wearing the proper footgear they could potentially hurt themselves.

I've explored as much of the immediate area as possible and this spot is forbidden to the children who visit with us.  The current is rather swift where the creek splits and the bottom drops out to where I'm almost fully submerged.  I'm an experienced river swimmer and still had difficulty regaining the shallows where the bottom dropped out.  It really can sneak up on you if you aren't paying attention which is why I'm very cautious in allowing kids and poor or inexperienced swimmers to join us when we're first exploring a new area.

There are beautiful, unique trees in the preserve.  I believe I've identified them as bald or pond cypress.  They are awesome trees but because they grow very close to or in the water, they don't last a long time.  If you look closely at this picture, you can see that the water actually flows under and through this tree.

I'm sure it won't be long before it falls and looks like this.

Because most of this fallen wood has been submerged for a good length of time, the water has eroded and worn it into awesome shapes.  My favorite fallen tree remnant is this one.  If it weren't so fragile I think it would make an awesome perch for sitting.

But we follow the Hiker's Creed:

Let me enjoy this land while hiking.
Let me take pictures and leave nothing behind.

Because people are assholes, there's litter and debris out there.  The past few times we've gone I've brought in my large wood cart to help haul out trash we've found.  It makes for a bit of a crushed ride to the preserve as it takes up the entire trunk of my car, but it's awesome to see the trash dwindling away and not being replaced.  We've probably filled three trash bags in the times we've gone out and we've cleared some old trotlines out of the creek as well.  I'm sure we could go daily for months before we get it all out of there, but we've made an impact, and a positive one at that.

This is truly a special place that is close to my heart.  It makes me so happy we can drive for five minutes and enter a nature wonderland that is still pure and intact so close to the hubbub of shopping centers and busy life.  It's not well-known and I hope it stays that way.

Green Blob Summer

I live in an area with a lot of water, however it's water you have to pay to use.  There are three lake "beaches" or water parks that charge $12+ per person for people to access their water.  Fort Bragg has a lake on post that they charge to use as well, other than that, lakes are mostly off limits.

I'm a Florida girl.  I grew up two houses from the ocean and spent my life on the beach.  When I moved inland as a teen I lived in a county that was peppered with lakes and freshwater springs.  I lived on lakes and in the springs.  I was always swimming, skiing, waterboarding, or floating in the water.

I grew up in the water.  I live to swim.

When I get into the water I am at such peace.  It doesn't matter how horrible the world may be right then, the water just sets me at ease.  It doesn't matter if I'm standing in a trickling stream or stroking across a river, water is my element and when I'm in the water I am full of joy.

My fondness of water extends to my children.  They love swimming and as they gain confidence in their swimming ability they enjoy swimming in waters that are a little less bound in by see-ment walls.  This summer, I want to give them their fill of water while I attempt to fill in the gaps left by the ocean that should be across the street from my house.

Surprisingly this is a very difficult task.  I have spent the past month poring over google maps looking for blue and green blobs that indicate bodies of water and parks.  Countless phone calls have been made, I've gone driving all over three counties, and I've talked to a LOT of very odd people.  I've found the best way to find swimming holes is word of mouth so I've taken to badgering everyone I know and sending The Man to work to badger everyone he knows.  If I know someone grew up here or has lived here a long time, they get texts, emails, and calls from me begging for info on swimming locally.

It's starting to pay off.  I've found one great lake and another good swimming hole on a creek.  We've already visited the lake three times, but have yet to visit the creek save for a scouting expedition.  In addition to this I've found several areas to hike, one with a creek we can wade and explore.  I'm a huge hiking buff and this year the kids have discovered that hiking really is fun and enjoyable.  We hiked four miles last week at Raven Rock State Park, a favorite park to hike and this week I found another state park for hiking and canoeing.  Now I just need to find a canoe, oh how I miss having a canoe.

Track Mom, or How I Learned to Stop Living and Love the Sport

Sorry, Dr Strangelove reference there in the title.

Track has been my life since mid March.  Three days a week, we are at the track field for practice.  At least one other day a week I've been trying to run Boy on the 2.3 mile trek we chose through the neighborhood.  I now live, breathe, sleep, and eat track.  Everything in my life is now centered on how long I have to do x,y, and z before we have to be at the field or be sure Boy does x,y, and z so he can do well at the field.

We've done some organized sports in the past, but nothing like this.  Boy is not...athletically gifted...but in track, he has found something he is passionate about and wants to pursue.  So I'm supporting it and by supporting it, I mean dropping what little time I had outside of work to shuttle him back and forth.

I've heard Hockey Moms have it worse...dear god, 6 am practice.  *shudder*

But Boy is doing well and he's grown in confidence by leaps and bounds, I will do what is needed to keep him going.  Watching him run and improve his strength, stamina, and time makes me swell to the point of bursting with pride.  Another great benefit is that Boy is no longer allowed to be picky, he must eat a variety of foods to feed his body's needs so that he can become a better athlete, which means I get to Cook All The Things!!!! that I haven't gotten to cook in ages.  It's very liberating for my dusty cookbooks and food blog.

Yesterday was his second track meet and he did pretty well.  Track meets aren't as bad as I thought they were going to be, especially since I found a canopy on sale at the local sporting store for $50.  That made a world of difference, I was able to set up my own little kingdom in the shade and sit there drinking, snacking, and knitting in a leisurely comfort away from all the chaos of kids that don't belong to me...except when they realized I'm a Nice Mom who doesn't scream and yell and brings things like coloring books, toys, games, and movies.  Sigh.  Still it was nice and not too hot between the shade and breeze.

Boy is really starting to get the "you're a girl" comments because of his long hair, but he handles it well and once his gender is established within the group he makes friends fast.  He's now part of the Three Musketeers and very proud of this fact.  I'm thinking he's about the right age for the book so I'll download it for his Kindle app and encourage him to read it before showing him the movie (if it's age appropriate, I honestly can't remember because it's been so long).

Of course, what is a brag post about my kids without pictures?

100 Meter Dash

 Long Jump (8'10"!!!! and that was his shortest jump)

Why I Hate Mother's Day

Uh oh, I haven't posted in forever and I barge in with an emotive blog post, but here it goes.

I've always hated Mother's Day.  Growing up without a mother, I'd have to make crafts for my dad at church or school instead of my mom which always caused teasing or questions.  The worst of all was "where's your mom?" because back in the 80s, moms still raised their kids.  It was unheard of to have a single father back then. I had several friends with single moms, but none with a single father.  Of course, when I was questioned, I would answer with a childish blunt honesty "she killed herself."  Aaaaaand...cue awkwardness.

Mother's Day was always a reminder of what I didn't have and never would have again.

When I got pregnant I kind of admit I got hopeful about Mother's Day since yay! I'm a mom now, it can be a good day again, but it wasn't.  He Who Shall Not Be Named never really did much for me on Mother's Day because he either was away or just didn't care.  There were some half-hearted efforts lest he infuriates the woman he was with, but sincerity was lacking and it wasn't quite right.

It just fell flat and was a disappointment.

I often wondered to myself if I'd built the holiday up too much in my mind, but many of my friends would post images on various message boards, blogs, and groups of their breakfast in bed, gifts of drawings and flowers, and time off from the day in and day out drudgery of motherhood.  I didn't get that.  I'd get flowers, or I'd get take out for breakfast, and I was grateful for what I got, but it was never a day of being treasured or feeling truly valued.

So boo to Mother's Day.  Hooray for wine! (but not whine because I love my kids and my life is pretty darn good too).

Because it's Mother's Day, I treated myself to my favorite breakfast, carrot pancakes with cream cheese spread.  It's a bit of work, but worth it.

Hit the Ground Running

In seven days life has flipped all around like the most intense roller coaster. First, we rescued Freyja, then Girl got sick, on Monday out male chihuahua was bitten by our foster dog, and Thursday a friend was in a motorcycle crash. Between sick kids, convalescing dogs, making inquiries into Freya's future, and visiting my friend in the hospital life has been one hell of a ride.

Freyja has been spayed and brought up to date on her shots as well as treated for her severe infestations of parasitic worms. Check one on the list. I've got the ball rolling nationwide to get her networked and available through various rescues geared towards malamutes so check two on the list. Children are back to health. Check three.  Bean has been treated for his bite and is healing with a bruised ego. Check three.  Friend is out of the hospital and is convalescing in my home where she can receive around the clock care. Check four. I've started a fundraiser to assist my friend with her medical costs. Check five.

Can I go to bed now? I haven't slept well in a week and I'm tired. I'm not a saint, I just doing the right things and for the right reasons. I was always told undid them for the wrong reasons, but I think I've got it going well now. I just need some sleep.  Here's to hoping a new week will bring health and restoration to my friend and family, an ideal home for Freyja, and a bit of down time