You Ought to Have Seen...

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July is National Blueberry Month and August is dedicated to one of the healthiest berries in the world. In northwestern Pennyslvania, the crop is just begining to ripen.

“You ought to have seen what I saw on my way

               To the village, through Mortenson's pasture

               to-day:

               Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

               Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum.

               In the cavernous pail of the first one to

               come!

               And all ripe together, not some of them

               green!

               And some of them ripe! You ought to have

              senn.   - Blueberries: by Robert Frost, 1875-1963  

And August is an important month for Ediboro Area Historical Society (EAHS) which is leading celebrations throughout 2015 celebrating Edinboro's 175 annivesery. Blueberries are an important crop on many farms in the area.

It's Time for the Historical Society's Annual Blueberry Social written by Allan Montgomery of the Edinboro Area Historical Society.

Sunday, August 2nd will be here before you know it. The first Sunday in August is

always the date for Edinboro Area Historical Society's annual Blueberry Social. As

usual, weather permitting, society members will have the big white tent set up in the yard

of the Doucette House Museum. Dottie Cokinos and her volunteers will have the serving

line well organized in the newly renovated garage.

Generous pieces of homemade blueberry crisp, along with scoops of vanilla ice cream

and beverages will be served between 1:00 and 4:00 pm. Tickets are the same as last

year, $5.00 for adults and $2.50 for children 12 and under.

The historic house will be open for this event and will be staffed with docents who will

help guide guests through the house and will be available to answer questions. The gift

shop will be open visitors can purchase gifts and souvenirs including the popular 175th

Anniversary items. Raffle tickets will be sold for a king-size quilt. The winner's name

will be drawn after the Christmas Open House Tour on Sunday, November 22nd.

Picks and Hammers, the group that played for the recent state historic marker dedication

on June 27th, will be playing for the social. Other musicians are on tap to provide for an

entertaining afternoon.

The Doucette House Museum is located at 126 Water Street, directly at the western end

of West Normal Street.

The amazing blueberry can be grown in the yard or garden. They are winter hardy and not bothered by deer or rabbits or pesky insectss. Now, the birds also enjoy the flavorful berry. Growers should be aware that netting is available to help protect the crop or just plan on letting the birds enjoy them as well.
At Koyote Hill, blueberries are being planted close to the growing bee hives. This despite the fact that one year I went to pick some and encountered a rather large bear also enjoying the crop. Nothing happened and I think the bear was more afraid than I was, because he ran away pretty fast, perhaps even faster tan me.But we are planning on fencing in the hives with a solar powered electric sytem and other fencing.

Read and Discover more about these healthy berries, Starflower

Affordable High Speed Internet Acess for Rural Areas

Tyler Built, an American Company located in Belsens Mills, PA, announced the availability of a new, innovative and technological device, which will provide High Speed Internet Serviceto millions of underserved rural Americans as well as many people throughout the global community.
The small sized device (about the size of a match box), is inexpensive and the convenient installation of the device will provide  high speed internet service to virtually anywhere in the world 

.

The driving force for this innovation is to provide persons of all ages access to the learning resources, educational resource, business opportunities and other vital tools needed by our society,” Jeffery Charles Tyler, the inventor, visionary and engineer at Tyler Built, said. “This technology greatly improves the total information that can be transmitted over small wires and other medium starting in the range of MHz to infinity. By itself and combined with other transmission devices, it will change the way the internet is accessed the way we know it today. “

Discover more about Tyler Built and for telephone contact numbers and email, Tyler Built

You Ought to Have Seen....

July has been ending on a very hot and dry note after a rainy start to summer. The vegetable garden is finally looking alive, at least what was able to be planted in the mud.
The garlic should be ready to dig next week. The scapes are busting open and the plants are browning.
It's a great time of year to take some nature walks. Many, many wildflowers are now in bloom with many more to come in August.
On the farms, it's been a hustle to get the hay crop in with the sun and warmth.

As July ends, the garlic is dying back and the remaining scapes are starting to bust open. (the garlic seed bulbs for October planting). The hardneck garlic variety grown here at Koyote Hill will likely have to be dug shortly and dried.
Garlic a healthy, easy to grow, very flavorful  crop to plant this fall. So why not?
Discover more about Garlic and the amazing scapes, The Magic of Twisting and Turning.

Or go fishing.
Here is the link to Daryle Blacks Fishing Report for northwestern PA  www.BlackwolfeCommunicaitons.com

And Just for the Heck of It

1. Blueberries protect against memory loss.
A 2012 study suggested that eating at least one serving of blueberries a week slowed cognitive decline by several years. One possible explanation as to why came from a 2013 study in mice, which found that berries might protect the brain by clearing toxic proteins that accumulate there.
above is taken from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/12/blueberry-health-facts-benefits_n_5568690.html

Tyler Built and Wild Flowers, The New and The Ancient

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 Photo Credit: Caleb Daniel
Siman Brothers Outdoors

Tyler Built

I've been good friends with Jeff for a good number of years, well, ever since he was in Seneca High School/. He moved out of state but we have always remained in contact with each other. He is now an engineer with his own company Tyler Built. Recently, he developed a small device which will make high speed  internet access available to everyone, particularly in rural, underserved areas. This could be a  very important step for thousands of rural citizens.

The following is what he sent  in an email the other day:

“As the world embraces its digital age — two billion people now use the Internet regularly — the line delineating two Americas has become more broadly drawn. There are those who have reliable, fast access to the Internet, and those, like about half of America's outlying areas, who do not.

Affordable broadband service through hard wiring that is currently in place and Tyler Built technology could revolutionize life in rural and all parts of the country. People could pay bills, shop and visit doctors online. They could work from home and take college classes.

Increasingly, interacting with certain branches of government can be done only online. And sometimes, a lack of cell phone or e-mail access can have serious consequences. Emergency alerts regarding severe weather, for example, are often sent only through text or e-mail.”

Be sure to check  YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYIhaCYCYqE

For more detailed information and contact information, Discover Tyler Built.

Enjoy Another Show

The frequent rains of the last two months haven't dampened the free flower show in the fields, meadows and woodland areas. If you do get the opportunity to get and enjoy the show, take precautions against the ticks and mosquitoes; they also like the wet conditions and their populations are booming.

Pictured above is bee balm. I've had some difficulty with this plant growing it from seed. But the effort was well worth it, and like Norage, the honey bees flock to this plant.

The Veggie Garden

 The tomatoes in the garden appear to be doing well despite all the rain. Beans and peas will get planted in the next week or so (beans first). There is still plenty of time and hopefully the weather pattern turns sunny and warm.   For now, it is a good idea to monitor both tomatoes and potatoes for blight. Conditions are about as perfect as it can get for the blight to wipe out a lot of work.   

The Scapes are Ready  

                                                                        

Also in the garden, the garlic scapes are ready for picking. They are tasty and flavorful. It means the garlic bulbs will be ready to dig in a few short weeks. Discover more about Garlic Scapes. 

Boneset

The amazing Boneset plant began to bloom this week.The useful plant attract honey bees and other native bees and butteflies. It is useful in landscaping. And for centuries, long before aspirin was discovered  was a highly regarded medicinal plant.
Discover the plant Long Before Aspirin

And Just For the Heck of It

JULY, 20 In "one small step for man, one giant step for mankind", Astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon.  (1969)

The Noah Season

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The Noah Season

Since Memorial Day, May 23, the rain has almost been non-stop. It has even been difficult to keep the grass mowed let alone get the garden planted. It's been the Noah season in these parts.
But the water lilies are enjoying the wet weather as are many other bog and water plants.

The wild berries are plentiful this year such as these red raspberries which are now ripening. The wild blackberries are heavy with berries and will be ripening later in July or early August,

The milkweed is already blooming, essential for the valued Monarchs. The honey bees here at Koyote Hill also seem to enjoy the blossoms. The bees seem to be doing well despite the the wet beginning to the season. The population appears to be expanding and this week will add  another bee box to the hive. Near the hive we planted a large area of wild flowers which have sprouted and seem to be growing well. The bees won't have to travel far for pollen and nectar.

The garlic began to scape last week in the garden.The scapes are tasty and provide additional small garlic "seeds" which can be planted later in the season. Although it will take them at least two years of growing before the cloves will be large enough to harvest.
Discover more about garlic scapes, Funny Looking but Darn Good.
The tomatoes are aslo seemingly faring well this Noah season. However, there is a growing concern about the blight because of the wet conditions. It will be important to monitor the plants for any signs of the blight.
Watermelons and cukes are also doing well as is the squash and gourds, and hot peppers although they could really use some some sunny days. Beans and peas are still waiting to get in the ground.

Edinboro Founders Day

Celebrate Edinboro's 175 annivsery at Good Gardens and Homestead on Saturday, July 18. The day long event, filled with fun activities for everyone, is free and open to all. It is being sponsored by the Edinboro Area Historical Society (EAHS).

There will be  numerous bands and live entertainers, children;s activities, clowns and Civil War re-enactors, pleny of food and souvenirs as well as EAHShistorical publications. The gathering begins at 11 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.
Recenty, EAHS along with Hurry Hill Maple Farm Association sponsored Historical Marker dedication ceremonies honoring award winning author Virginia Sorensen and the Maple Industry and agriculuture in Nothwestern Pennsylvania. Discover more about the newest hisorical marker, Miracles on Maple Hill. It has been a busy year for EAHS and there's more to come.
Discover more about Edinboro's beginnings, Land of the Living Snowflake,

A Commentary:

Normally, I shy away from current affairs comments. However, myself, many Americans and people around the world, have been following the events in Charleston, South Carolina following the horrific ISIS-like brutal slaying of nine people at a Bible Study event at an African-American Chuurch.
Two issues have been in the news following the tragedy: gun control and the Confederate Flag, the focus of this commentary.
Earlier this past week, state legislators decided to remove the flag from the State Capital building following many commercial enterprizes  who made common sense decisions to not offer the flag for sale.
These actions should be applauded.
The flag was a symbol of slavery and hate, not as some believe, a symbol of southern independence  and heritage. Displaying the confederate flag, in my opion, is a dishonor to the manyy, many soldiers who were killed in the war or at the nororious Andersonville prison.
Northwestern Pennsylvania lost many, many soldiers during that conflict over slavery and the region was a hot bed of Underground Railroad activity.
This is the USA and God Nless America. Support Our Veterans, not those who want to re-write history  to meet their political agenda.

And Just for the Heck of It

• July 14, 1867- Alfred Nobel demonstrates dynamite. (They say it was a "blast")