USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

One more picture of the farm store. They make the most awesome apple cider there and also donuts. I don't usually like plain donuts because they are too dry, but the donuts they make here are so moist and delicious and tasty, especially along with a glass of apple cider! Yum!

Back in Virginia all one had to do was drive to the Shenandoah Valley and all those little farm stores were everywhere. Some of our local grocery stores bought fresh produce from the Shenandoah farms so driving out to the Shenandoah wasn't always a necessity for fresh fruits and vegetables though the drive was always picturesque.

We have a lot of historical districts here in Massachusetts, as you might imagine, it being Massachusetts and all, and they have very specific building codes they have to follow, so some of the smaller towns here in Massachusetts are definitely like stepping back into time. They even require the more modern businesses to have an old fashioned look and feel about them (at least on the outside - LOL).

Your part of the country is the only part of the country we have not yet had the pleasure to visit, but it is on our bucket list to do before we die. And I want to do it in the fall when the colors are at their most glorious. Maybe a New England cruise or something like that. If we were richer and had less responsibility here we would have already done it.

We have some places around here that are also like stepping back in time, but back to the time of the Conquistadors. We took our house guests over for a tour of Madrid--a little mountain town between here and Santa Fe that is like no other--and then a quick tour of Santa Fe. As we drove up Canyon Road, our guest--a lifelong Kansan--commented that it was like being in a whole different country. And it really does feel that way. But the whole town is strictly coded for a specific kind of architecture, signs must not be obtrusive, etc.

San Francisco Street - Downtown Santa Fe

Canyon Road - Santa Fe NM

And Madrid - pronounced by the locals as MAD'rid

The Mine Shaft Tavern is a 'must do' place in Madrid - looks like hell but great place to eat.

 

[ChrisL]

One more picture of the farm store. They make the most awesome apple cider there and also donuts. I don't usually like plain donuts because they are too dry, but the donuts they make here are so moist and delicious and tasty, especially along with a glass of apple cider! Yum!

Back in Virginia all one had to do was drive to the Shenandoah Valley and all those little farm stores were everywhere. Some of our local grocery stores bought fresh produce from the Shenandoah farms so driving out to the Shenandoah wasn't always a necessity for fresh fruits and vegetables though the drive was always picturesque.

We have a lot of historical districts here in Massachusetts, as you might imagine, it being Massachusetts and all, and they have very specific building codes they have to follow, so some of the smaller towns here in Massachusetts are definitely like stepping back into time. They even require the more modern businesses to have an old fashioned look and feel about them (at least on the outside - LOL).

Your part of the country is the only part of the country we have not yet had the pleasure to visit, but it is on our bucket list to do before we die. And I want to do it in the fall when the colors are at their most glorious. Maybe a New England cruise or something like that. If we were richer and had less responsibility here we would have already done it.

We have some places around here that are also like stepping back in time, but back to the time of the Conquistadors. We took our house guests over for a tour of Madrid--a little mountain town between here and Santa Fe that is like no other--and then a quick tour of Santa Fe. As we drove up Canyon Road, our guest--a lifelong Kansan--commented that it was like being in a whole different country. And it really does feel that way. But the whole town is strictly coded for a specific kind of architecture, signs must not be obtrusive, etc.

Canyon Road - Santa Fe NM

And Madrid - pronounced by the locals as MAD'rid

The Mine Shaft Tavern is a 'must do' place in Madrid - looks like hell but great place to eat.

That is really cool. I would like to visit one of those western "ghost towns."

 

[Gracie]

I am up early because today I am 65 years old and I want a new blouse. So, I am going to treat myself to one. No thrift store either. A brand new one, never worn by someone else!!

Fire is contained, air is not as bad as yesterday and I am sick of being stuck in the house!

 

[ChrisL]

I am up early because today I am 65 years old and I want a new blouse. So, I am going to treat myself to one. No thrift store either. A brand new one, never worn by someone else!!

Fire is contained, air is not as bad as yesterday and I am sick of being stuck in the house!

You GO, girl!

 

[Foxfyre]

<<<<snipped photos out>>>>>>>

That is really cool. I would like to visit one of those western "ghost towns."

Madrid is an old coal mining town that was pretty much all ghost town in the mid 20th century. Then in the 60's, the hippies started moving into and fixing up--hippie style--some of the old abandoned houses and it sort of mushroomed from there. As small businesses started opening up in the abandoned buildings the town came alive but they kept that hippie culture with a northern New Mexico flavor. Gracie especially I think would love it.

Of course the Balloon Fiesta is going full bore when we went through there this weekend and that is a favorite destination for many of the hundreds of thousands of extra people in Albuquerque. I have never seen traffic jammed up like it was in Madrid on Saturday and there was absolutely no place to park anywhere so we didn't stop.

Taos is like a little Santa Fe--very similar but a lot smaller but a neat drive up there following the Rio Grande most of the way. And there still are some ghost towns around too though the buildings are rapidly collapsing and disappearing from disuse these days. Nature truly does reclaim its own when there is no human interference.

But if you come visit we could sure give you a good list of destinations.

 

[Ringel05]

One more picture of the farm store. They make the most awesome apple cider there and also donuts. I don't usually like plain donuts because they are too dry, but the donuts they make here are so moist and delicious and tasty, especially along with a glass of apple cider! Yum!

Back in Virginia all one had to do was drive to the Shenandoah Valley and all those little farm stores were everywhere. Some of our local grocery stores bought fresh produce from the Shenandoah farms so driving out to the Shenandoah wasn't always a necessity for fresh fruits and vegetables though the drive was always picturesque.

We have a lot of historical districts here in Massachusetts, as you might imagine, it being Massachusetts and all, and they have very specific building codes they have to follow, so some of the smaller towns here in Massachusetts are definitely like stepping back into time. They even require the more modern businesses to have an old fashioned look and feel about them (at least on the outside - LOL).

Your part of the country is the only part of the country we have not yet had the pleasure to visit, but it is on our bucket list to do before we die. And I want to do it in the fall when the colors are at their most glorious. Maybe a New England cruise or something like that. If we were richer and had less responsibility here we would have already done it.

We have some places around here that are also like stepping back in time, but back to the time of the Conquistadors. We took our house guests over for a tour of Madrid--a little mountain town between here and Santa Fe that is like no other--and then a quick tour of Santa Fe. As we drove up Canyon Road, our guest--a lifelong Kansan--commented that it was like being in a whole different country. And it really does feel that way. But the whole town is strictly coded for a specific kind of architecture, signs must not be obtrusive, etc.

<<<<snipped photos out>>>>>>>

That is really cool. I would like to visit one of those western "ghost towns."

Madrid is an old coal mining town that was pretty much all ghost town in the mid 20th century. Then in the 60's, the hippies started moving into and fixing up--hippie style--some of the old abandoned houses and it sort of mushroomed from there. As small businesses started opened up in the abandoned buildings the town came alive but they kept that hippie culture with a northern New Mexico flavor. Gracie especially I think would love it.

Of course the Balloon Fiesta is going full bore when we went through there this weekend and that is a favorite destination for many of the hundreds of thousands of extra people in Albuquerque. I have never seen traffic jammed up like it was in Madrid on Saturday and there was absolutely no place to park anywhere so we didn't stop.

Taos is like a little Santa Fe--very similar but a lot smaller but a neat drive up there following the Rio Grande most of the way.

But if you come visit we could sure give you a good list of destinations.

Heck there's almost no place to park in Madrid on a normal weekend and that narrow through-way............ Good to know not to go up during the Balloon Festival.

 

[Foxfyre]

And by the way. . .it is Gracie 's birthday. . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!!!!!!!

​

 

[Gracie]

I never thought I would make it to 65 years old. I mean...really? Moi? Oh hayell no. Yet...here I am.

 

[ChrisL]

Happy Birthday, Gracie, and many more!

 

[ChrisL]

Foxfyre, if you are planning on visiting MA, I would recommend to visit Martha's Vineyard. It's just beautiful there and you will get to see where they filmed some of the original Jaws. I actually jumped off this bridge before and swam here. It's known as "Jaws Bridge." Lol.

You can catch a ferry out of Falmouth, which is also just gorgeous seaside community.

 

[ChrisL]

And there is Rockport, an old fishing village, also like going back in time. Really nice place. I stayed at an inn here a few years ago. The scenery is spectacular. The beaches are beautiful. It's a really nice place to visit.

 

[Ringel05]

Foxfyre, if you are planning on visiting MA, I would recommend to visit Martha's Vineyard. It's just beautiful there and you will get to see where they filmed some of the original Jaws. I actually jumped off this bridge before and swam here. It's known as "Jaws Bridge." Lol.

You can catch a ferry out of Falmouth, which is also just gorgeous seaside community.

My youngest brother was born in Mass, we lived in Buzzards Bay 1961-63 when my dad was stationed at what was once Otis AFB (now Otis Air National Guard Base). I even found the houses we lived in just now on Google maps, first on was on Bayberry the second was on Blueberry almost next to Queen Sewell Pond.

 

[Montrovant]

Hah! Look what I found for you Gracie !

 

[ChrisL]

Hah! Look what I found for you Gracie !

VERY cute. Listening to that song must have killed your soul though!

 

[Foxfyre]

I never thought I would make it to 65 years old. I mean...really? Moi? Oh hayell no. Yet...here I am.

And my 91-year-old aunt never expected to be 91 either, but here she is. And just as active and interested in doing stuff and going places, etc. as she was at 65. When I was 20, 30, 40, I couldn't imagine old people having as much fun, caring as much, loving as much, being passionate about as much as I did then. But we do.

 

[Foxfyre]

Foxfyre, if you are planning on visiting MA, I would recommend to visit Martha's Vineyard. It's just beautiful there and you will get to see where they filmed some of the original Jaws. I actually jumped off this bridge before and swam here. It's known as "Jaws Bridge." Lol.

You can catch a ferry out of Falmouth, which is also just gorgeous seaside community.

Well I have the entire collection of "Jaws" movies--the original is a true iconic classic now. But yes, I would love to see Boston Harbor, especially when the tall ships are there, and Martha's Vineyard, the lighthouses, all of it.

 

[Ernie S.]

The Osage oranges are falling! For those of you unfamiliar with the Osage orange, they are commonly called 'monkey balls' and, legend has it, if placed in your fruit cellar they will ward off spiders. They are neon green, typically about the size of a baseball, are firm but not hard and have a skin that looks like the creases and crevasses of the brain. They are inedible, so don't try to make monkey ball jelly. Besides, there are apples and pears and grapes to make your jelly from at every farm stand between here and Cleveland.

At Thompson Park there is a row of Osage orange trees right by Pacillion No. 1. They grow nearly thirty five feet tall and have a dark green tear drop shaped leaf. These particular trees are set along part of the parking area for the pavilion which could easily sit three hundred people for a family reunion or a Fourth of July picnic.

The trick is knowing not to park under the Osage orange trees in October when the monkey balls fall. This year's crop of monkey balls are the largest I've ever seen. As I said, they are typically the size of a baseball. But this year, they have blown past softball size and are bordering on the girth of a volleyball! They are musher as a result and as they crash onto the pavement below, they explode and turn into a pile of a slimy green, stringy vegetable matter like pumpkin guts.

Meanwhile, around the bend and down by the amphitheater the black walnut trees are giving up their fruits. Black walnuts grow in a husk that is a bright green like the monkey balls. But inside is the black walnut itself. You have to handle them with latex gloves unless you don't mind your hands getting stained black for a day or two. You can't use a regulation nut cracker to open the nut. Methods usually run toward the hammer.

I've had black walnuts in fudge and someone mentioned black walnut ice cream which sounds delicious. Mom made black walnut bread once, but we couldn't decide if she did that as a joke or a manner of torture. She has had uncountable baking successes, but black walnut bread is not numbered among them.

One of the other dog walkers saw the bounty of black walnuts and filled the plastic bag she would have used to pick up her dog Peanut's poop and instead filled it with black walnuts. "$3.95 a pound at Giant Eagle!" she said as she stooped from black walnut to black walnut.

Squirrels have been gathering acorns, car roofs have been collecting dents from falling monkey balls and my friend Mary is collecting black walnuts. It's autumn and we haven't strayed far from our hunter/gatherer instincts. We canned jelly, stored it in the fruit cellar and now put spider bane in the form of monkey balls to complete our efforts to make it through the coming winter.

I have a solution! Osage orange and black walnut are much sought out for their lumber. You could cut them all down, transport them to a sawmill and ship me half the lumber in return for the business advice.

 

[Ernie S.]

Hedge Apples over in the Hoosier... While there may be close to 350 to 400 miles between our stomping grounds our bringing's up are very similar... Hedge apples are not very useful unless you are warring with the neighbor kids... Oh you can sell them on EBay also... You can sell anything on EBay... Hell I sold a Railroad spike on EBay one time and didn't even have one... Had to go for a walk on the ole PRR tracks to find one...

View attachment 153674

I have heard the story regarding spiders but never tried it

Ya gotta love someone who can sell a railroad spike then go forage for it!

The wood of the Osage orange is a beautiful lemon rind yellow. I know some local woodworkers who prize Osage orange to make little boxes from. Glued up next to strips of black walnut, the effect is something like a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

Luthiers (lute makers) use it for fret boards. Very hard and durable wood

 

[Montrovant]

Hedge Apples over in the Hoosier... While there may be close to 350 to 400 miles between our stomping grounds our bringing's up are very similar... Hedge apples are not very useful unless you are warring with the neighbor kids... Oh you can sell them on EBay also... You can sell anything on EBay... Hell I sold a Railroad spike on EBay one time and didn't even have one... Had to go for a walk on the ole PRR tracks to find one...

View attachment 153674

I have heard the story regarding spiders but never tried it

Ya gotta love someone who can sell a railroad spike then go forage for it!

The wood of the Osage orange is a beautiful lemon rind yellow. I know some local woodworkers who prize Osage orange to make little boxes from. Glued up next to strips of black walnut, the effect is something like a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform.

Luthiers (lute makers) use it for fret boards. Very hard and durable wood

Wait, a lute has a fret board?

 

[Foxfyre]

Here are a couple of more pictures. It's such a quaint little place. These little farms used to be everywhere. Unfortunately, they are few and far between nowadays.

We have a wonderful corn maze place for the kids in the Village of Corrales that is mostly a bedroom community of Albuquerque. They are really fun.