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["SISU!" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

(This was crossposted to several lists.  My apologies to those of you
who are seeing it more than once.)

This morning, my friend and neighbor called and asked me if she could
put her 3 horses and donkey back into my pasture for a few weeks.  We
went down to her place, almost 2 miles down the road, and walked the
horses back to my place.  It was a beautiful day here in NW Georgia, and
it was really nice to get out and walk the hills and woods between here
and there.  The leaves on the trees are just starting to show some
color, and Fall is in the air.  Once we got here, I was standing next to
the pasture fence, near a little clump of trees, and suddenly something
hit me in the head.  I reached up and felt something slimy on the top
of my head and almost immediately knew that it was a persimmon.  I had
found a new persimmon tree, quite by accident!  Anyway, it was sweet and
ripe so I walked across the pasture to check the persimmons on a tree
that I knew existed, and I have never seen so many persimmons in my
life!  The tree was loaded!  So now, I'll be making persimmon bread
soon. Recipe is below.  I collected a shirtfull of persimmons, brought
them in and removed the seeds.  That's more seeds for my tree nursery,
and I'll scatter some around the property in various places.

Persimmon Hickory Nut Bread
1 cup persimmon pulp, seeds removed
2 cups AP flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda, sifted with the flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
12 TBSP butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1/2 c chopped nuts (hickory or pecans if the squirrels beat you to the
hickories)

In a medium bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add the eggs and beat until
creamy.  Add the sifted flour and stir until moistened and relatively
smooth.  Add persimmons and then nuts.  Stir well and pour batter into a
greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake for about an hour at 325 degrees or
until toothpick comes out clean and bread pulls away from the sides of
the pan.

I was working outside this afternoon, tearing apart an old pig ramp that
was rotted, when I heard a tree fall in the woods.  I went to
investigate and on the way back, I passed my old mushroom logs.  We
inoculated some oak logs, gosh, 6 years ago?? with shiitake spawn, and
have enjoyed mushrooms for years.  I thought the logs were done
producing, so I was quite surprised when I saw a whole bunch of
shiitakes growing on the logs.  I didn't have any last Spring.  So, in
addition to the pork shoulder I made for dinner, I sautéed some fresh
shiitakes and baked the last acorn squash.  We have been eating acorn
squash like mad.  Winter squashes aren't something most Southerners
plant or eat a lot of, so it's a definite break in the routine for us.
I will definitely plant more next year.  How long will they keep at room
temp?  I know they will keep at least a month, but since I'm eating the
last one, I won't be able to experiment to see how long they last.
Earlier tonight, after dark, I went out to check on a small fire I
started earlier in the afternoon.  I took the flashlight, as usual when
I venture out after dark.  As I passed my greenhouse to grab the rake, I
noticed a dark 'line' against the white door of my greenhouse.  Yup, it
was a snake.  It was a small kingsnake, groping the wall looking for
anoles or mice or hopefully copperheads or rattlesnakes.  It was only
about 30 inches long, quite beautiful.  Of course, I left him alone and
continued on to check on the smoldering fire.  He was still there on
the way back to the house, and I got to thinking....I thought kingsnakes
were diurnal.  I've never seen one at night.  Of course, we *are* in
Indian summer here in Georgia and it has been warm this week, but I
would have thought that by now the snakes would be in their dens...I
guess not!  I sure hope he doesn't find Diggs, my pet toad that comes up
on the porch every night.  He's probably after Squirt, the Green Anole
that lives in my greenhouse.
Anyway, it was a day of surprises.
Bev
--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm   NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W    Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky