Share the Bounty

It is not difficult to make Preserves

Share with Friends

Share with Friends

Gina

The Rule of Fours

My Multiple of 4s Barn

What is great about living in a small community? You receive your building permit in one day.

The cement contractor called at 5:00 a.m.. He said that he had a couple of days open and nothing to do. WHAT? I WANT A BARN!

Only recently I asked our Builder; what is the most economical way to put together a building? His answer, a multiple of 4s. Feet that is.

A few hours later, with my still wet drawing in hand, I was at the county planning office when they opened the door. The engineer stamped his approval on my drawing. The foundations were dug and approved by 2:00 p.m. The footings were poured by 2:30 p.m.

The footings measure 4 feet high (so the tractor could run into the building without pulling it down). Eight feet of structure was added to the footings. Now the building measures 12 feet high, 60 feet long and 20 feet deep. A multiple of 4s all around. Perfect!

Of the three buildings on our property, this building is my favorite. Why? It has simple and perfect Proportions and symmetry.  And Gene built the most fabulous and large Barn doors.  He invented a unique way of hanging them (but that is another story). 

I did add 2 stork towers, or call them bell towers, if you like.


Gina

Kopfsalat

The most delicate Lettuce deserves a delicate dressing





Salad dressing recipe
1/3 cup of heavy cream
1/4 tsp of coarse salt
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 Tb of fresh lemon juice
2 turns of pepper mill
finely chopped fresh Dill (optional)

The first of the 2009 Harvest

Fruits of our Labor

The first of the 2009 harvest. Our house is built right in the middle of a very large alfalfa field. In between the buildings, which consist of the main house, garage with greenhouse and guest quarters and the large barn, is an area dedicated to one of our vegetable and flower gardens.

The rows are short, so not to be too discouraged when weeding. Our soil is rich and clean. An old homestead existed on this very spot. A hundred years ago, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers were used on this land. We are now the beneficiaries of such excellent land management.

Our House in the Middle of an Alfalfa Field

Villa Vista

After studying Andrea Palladio's architecture near Vicenza Italy, Villa Vista was designed and built in a small town in central Utah. We live on 40 acres, happily working the land and caring for our many animals.

I have always loved Italian ceramics. After retiring from the oil business, I decided that I should spend my free time learning a new discipline. I was trained as a topographic draftsman in East Germany. When I was small, my father , a very fine woodcarver and watercolorist, took me on many painting expeditions. I studied art history at university for 10 years.

Now I study maiolica painting in Deruta, Italy, with one of the great Masters. I have also studied ceramic painting in Holland and Germany.

Gina