Showing posts with label Sunrise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunrise. Show all posts

April 1, 2011

The Joyful Sights and Sounds of Spring!

The 1st of April!
Sir Redfield Opulent Epaulette

The days 'fore April flew by and the Corgyncombe Courant neglected to report to our readers that a couple of weeks ago hailed the return of the Red-Winged Blackbird to Corgyncombe after their long journey!
Such a joyful, cheerful sound of Spring!

"The blackbirds make the maples ring
With social cheer and jubilee;
The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Snowdrops
The background colours remind us of snowdrops at sunrise.



The four photographs above are different views of a Corgyncombe sunrise all taken the same morning looking in different directions.

The Red-wing calling at early morn.


The above photograph was taken a few years ago.


"Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song" by Les Beletsky, "Featuring Audio from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology", is a wonderful book that has beautiful illustrations of birds with a button to push to hear the sounds the birds make. The book was added to the Corgyncombe Library several Christmases ago.

The Corgyncombe Library gives "Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song" by Les Beletsky, five stars! This book is great for children!

In grade school one of Diane's teachers loved birds and always fed them in a tree outside the window. Diane always liked to watch the birds instead of concentrating on school work. One of Diane's favorite birds to watch was the Nuthatch. Diane received an award for perfect attendance which was a certificate to be redeemed at the bookstore. The second Diane walked in the bookstore she knew which book she wanted... a big wonderful book about birds. The book included a recording of all the lovely bird songs. The book that Diane was awarded in school reminds her of "Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in Song".


Sir Redfield Opulent Epaulette points with his beak to the postcard calendar that reads April 1st!

In "A Time to Keep", written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, pussy willows and red-winged blackbirds surround the March illustrations of a sap house and sugar bush with a family partaking in the annual tradition of gathering sap. In "The Springs of Joy", illustrated by Tasha Tudor, there are some red-winged blackbirds amongst the cattails.


A "Chippy Hackee" was seen under the bird feeder this morn.


Skunk Cabbage near Corgi Creek


In May, the meadow behind the garden and along the creek are abundantly full of almost continuous O-ka-lees.

In "A Year with the Birds" by Wilson Flagg, he writes of the Red-winged Blackbird's song: "These notes seem to spring from a fulness of joy upon returning to their native swamps."


In "Bird-Life" by Frank M. Chapman, he describes the Red-winged Blackbird's song: "The Redwing's liquid kong-quer-ree is pleasantly suggestive of marshy places, but it is his early spring music for which we should chiefly value him."

He also writes: "But when early in March the Redwings come, then we know that the tide of the year has turned. With perennial faith in the season they come in flocks of hundreds, singing their springtime chorus with a spirit that March winds can not subdue."


In the summer, whilst in search of other lovely things, we happened upon a serendipitous find, a Great Blue Heron amongst the reeds. The cover of "Bird-Life" by Frank M. Chapman reminds us of this Blue Heron.


Found tucked in the pages of "Bird-Life", a penny postcard sent to Mr. E. G. Tabor from Frank M. Chapman, the author of "Bird-Life".
"Dear Mr. Tabor: Glad to hear you are using your camera again. You do too good work to be long idle. I shall be delighted to have the pictures for Bird-Lore and when I return in July I will tell Professor B? about the negatives. Yours truly, Frank M. Chapman"


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November 27, 2010

Breakfast Over the Fire on Thanksgiving Morn!

Up with the Sun Preparing for the Day!
A new day, a new sunrise, a new land...
Many reasons to give Thanks!


Diane and her daughter Sarah have several direct Pilgrim ancestors.


Bread that Diane made using the Tasha Tudor receipt for "White Bread" was toasted in a reproduction toaster. The toaster was made by a blacksmith related to Diane through the Spaulding family line. Diane's 6th great grandmother was Mehitable Spaulding who married David Shepard. Their great grandson Elisha Lyon Shepard and his son Lynus Eliakim Shepard were blacksmiths also. Elisha and Lynus were Diane's great great great grandfather and great great grandfather, respectively.
Some things just seem to run in families!



On Thanksgiving morn Diane was up with the rising of the sun, preparing stuffing for the turkey to roast in her tin kitchen in front of the fire. The stuffing was spooned into the turkey. The turkey was trussed, the spit was put through the turkey, and the skewers were attached and secured. In "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook" there are instructions for "Turkey Roasted in the Tin Kitchen". Diane's husband had already started the fire. After chores and milking, Diane made breakfast over the fire. The bacon grease from breakfast was rubbed on the turkey.


Isn't toast pretty done the old fashioned way!

A tin kitchen, which is also called a reflector oven, is so much fun to use! Diane's tin kitchen is a reproduction of Tasha Tudor's antique tin kitchen. A turkey cooked in a tin kitchen is so delicious!!!
As Tasha Tudor herself said "Simply unsurpassed!"

Amy and Natalie at Tasha Tudor and Family were so attentive to see that we received our Tasha Tudor Reproduction Tin Kitchen before Christmas 2009! The packaging was just great and it arrived in perfect condition!

Here are links to last year's posts on The Corgyncombe Courant
about Diane's Tasha Tudor Reproduction Tin Kitchen:

Delivery Men Bringing Tasha Tudor Delights!

Diane's Tasha Tudor Tin Kitchen!

Here is the link to Tasha Tudor and Family where you can purchase your own:

Tasha Tudor Reproduction Tin Kitchen.

Click on "Kitchen and Home" and then click on "Tin Kitchen".

Whilst at the Tasha Tudor and Family web site you can purchase "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". It is such a joy to read and use! A few days before Thanksgiving Diane misplaced her Tasha Tudor Cookbook and was frantic until she managed to find it! But find it she did!


There will be more Thanksgiving Posts to come of the turkey roasting on the tin kitchen and other Thanksgiving preparations.



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September 4, 2010

"1 is One" by Tasha Tudor and A Little Pink Frock!

The Blush is Coming to the Apples on the Small Apple Tree!
 In the book "1 is One", written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, there are many little girls dressed in frocks similar to the one pictured above. The splendid art stand was made for Corgyncombe Cottage by Seth Tudor, son of Tasha Tudor. It is such a delight as it is so useful to display many things!

Last weekend whilst still celebrating Tasha Tudor's birthday The Corgyncombe Courant went traveling and came upon one of their favorite antique shops. There, amongst other delights, they found the most charming pink frock and bonnet. They look just like a birthday party! Both the antique frock and the bonnet boasted the finest of workmanship in the tiniest of stitches all hand sewn!


Apples from the little apple tree that you come upon just after the garden of herbs, along side Corgi Creek. These apples are just starting to get a lovely reddish blush.


This tree is home to a wren family that raised a family in a little house hanging upon one of its branches.




You can hardly see the small, fine hand stitches in the bonnet!








 Tasha Tudor's "1 is One" features a little girl in a bonnet, carrying a basket as she reaches up to pick one of the 7 apples on the tree. On the opposite page is one of The Corgyncombe Courant's favorite illustrations: the seven apples and the basket by an old crock decorated with a bird. Both pages are bordered with lovely pink apple blossoms.

 In the photograph above are two little girls dressed in frocks similar to the pink frock. The tintype is from the Corgyncombe Old Photograph Collection.


May apple blossoms at sunrise down near Corgi Creek.


This little child looks amazingly like Sarah did when she was little... but then again, perhaps 'tis not so strange, as it came from an area where family was from in the old days.From the Corgyncombe Old Photograph Collection.



In "Linsey Woolsey", written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, Sylvie Ann is celebrating her birthday. Sylvie and her brother are shown making ice cream. The little lamb Linsey Woolsey creates mischief at Sylvie's birthday party by jumping upon the festive birthday table. We could imagine that Corgyncombe Goat Kiddles, Lucy and Louisa May, aka the Flying Lu-Lou's, would cause as much trouble as they are up upon everything! The darling frocks that Sylvie and her little girl friends are wearing are similar to the pink frock in the Corgyncombe Antique Frock Collection.

Contact us at our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com


Here is a link to:
Tasha Tudor and Family


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May 1, 2009

May Day!

Celebration of Lovely, Delightful May!

"Song on May Morning"
Now the bright morning-star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
- John Milton

"The Daffodils"
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
- William Wordsworth

"May Song"
Welcome to the happy May
Decked with all its flow'rets gay
Children, make your garments fair,
Joyous twine with wreaths your hair;
Leave your books, and hurry out.
With gladsome merriment and shout,
Where the flow'rets fresh and fair,
Fill with incense all the air.

When the brook with gladsome song
Dances merrily along,
Singing to the flowers blue,
Sparkling with the pearly dew;
Welcome May, so glad and free
Our youthful hearts rejoice in thee,
Why dost thou haste so swift away,
And take with thee the spring-time gay.

- B. F. Baker and L. H. Southard

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