ANNUAL BARN PARTY IN THE HOCKING HILLS

The best thing about living in Hocking Hills is having friends who love getting together to chat and EAT! Last Saturday we all met at Donna McKnight's farm for her annual October barn party. Her great eclectic style could easily grace the cover of Country Living at its finest. Her recipe for a good time is to decorate her barn with gently used furniture of every kind and shape to provide an open gathering space for family and friends. Note the wide, rough floor boards and beams. I could easily live here, although with no central heat, it could get a bit nippy in the winter. BUT on this particular sunny autumn afternoon, the weather was perfect! 

Our hostess, Donna McKnight (right), and our Garden Club Prez, Nina Haning

A couple more angles of the cozy sitting area in the barn. So inviting. I arrived at the party early to take photos of the interior of the barn.  

Love the lamp and stand made from an old coffee grinder

And the bookcases in the background!

Inviting table and blue painted chairs

  

The primitive chandelier hanging from a beam sets a homey atmosphere to sit and enjoy a plate filled with yummy appetizers and a glass of wine.  

A better view of the old barn floor.

Missy McKnight, Donna's daughter-in-law, making a toast to the night's festivities

Buffet table filled with a pot luck assortment of meats, casseroles, venison chili, vegetables. For dessert, I picked out one of Missy McKnight's delicious spice cookies with orange icing. Other desserts included apple pie, raspberry cobbler, chocolate chip cookies, and other delectable treats.

Bobbie Bishop is well-known in the community for your hard work and dedication to volunteering for many charitable events. She and her late husband, Bruce, began the annual Lilyfest celebration on the second full weekend after the 4th of July. Bobbi's current project is overseeing a group of volunteers who hand-paint bowls for the annual Empty Bowls, this year Saturday, October 24th. EMPTY BOWLS

Bobbi Bishop. Her next charitable project on the calendar: Empty Bowls

Linda King is our Hocking Hills southern belle. She grew up in Atlanta, GA, and for many years owned a spiral ham company and deli in Savannah, GA. The stories this girl tells can keep you spellbound for hours. Her father, Charles Weaver, now deceased, flew with Chuck Yeager (the guy who first broke the sound barrier) in World War II. Linda and her husband own and operate the beautiful Georgian Manner B&B located on Lake Logan. THE GEORGIAN MANNER

Linda King, Southern Belle

Belinda McClain (a childhood friend of Linda King) was visiting from Savannah, GA. She is truly amazing in that she hand crafts frames for paintings. Not just any ole frame. Exquisite frames. She explained that during the fifties and sixties many of the old frames were taken off major works of art and replaced by minimalist frames. Now, these treasured paintings are being re-framed with historically correct frames. Belinda is a master in her field. She currently has two of her frames hanging in the White House  MASTER SOLUTIONS
 

Donna's granddaughter, Marie

The guys drinking a beer and bonding, talking up the latest Buck's victory

Nina and Libby BFFs since grade school

SHERRY HARTZLER - AUTHOR
INN A CABIN

Homemade Hamburger Buns!

Make these soft, fluffy hamburger buns for your next summer grilling! This dough is easy and ready to bake within a few hours. And they always turn out great!

I use this dough recipe for pizza, Italian bread, pretzels, and bread sticks slathered with warm butter.
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Burgers and home cut fries - no better summer meal. Yum.

2 cups bread flour

1 T yeast

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm water (approx. 120 deg.)

1 T olive oil

1 T honey

First: In mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt.  Second: In 1-cup measuring cup, combine water, oil and honey; stir into flour mixture until soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Knead dough, adding some of remaining flour, if necessary, until dough is very elastic – 10 – 15 minutes ( Note: I use my dough hook – 12 minutes).  Dough should be soft, do not add too much flour. Note: I don't use extra flour and the dough goes from the dough hook to the bowl for proofing)

Wash, dry, and lightly spray oil in mixing bowl.  Place dough in oiled bowl and lightly spray the top surface  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let dough raise in warm place, away from drafts, until double in size – 30 to 45 minutes.  

After the first proof of the dough, roll out and use a medium round cookie cutter to form buns. Place the dough circles on parchment paper - let raise for a second time in a warm place. Preheat oven to 425 deg. and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until a golden brown. This recipe makes 8-12 buns, depending on size.

Enjoy! 

Sherry

Check out Sherry Hartzler's novels  (expressly written for women over the age of forty) on Amazon.com 

TENTH SEASON OF INN A CABIN

Seems incredible that INN A CABIN is now in its tenth season!! We have had so many wonderful guests over the years and appreciate both the friendships and patronage. Each building on our 50 acres was built by Tom and his vision of making our property a sort of step back in time experience.

The 2015 winter months were rough. We had to keep the cabins closed most of first quarter of the year.

When we returned from a few weeks in Florida in January, this homeless dog  was waiting on our doorstep. He broke our hearts. Mom's sweet Boots (German Shepherd) passed away the summer before, so we thought this little poochie would keep her company. Mom and "Dixie" are now the best of friends!!!

The winter months became the "whining" months. Dragging on and on and on.

This "guy" kept us company. If you've ever seen a Pileated Woodpecker, you know they are enormous and beautiful. His neat little red cap was a joy to see in stark white and brown landscape.

Mickey waiting for spring. Usually the great orange hunter, Mickey spent most of the winter inside looking outside
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Tom walking Brutus, our chocolate lab

Of course, the deer came in close to the house, looking for food. They are beautiful, but they do love our garden and flower buds in the spring. We mix up a homemade concoction that we spray on our hostas and rhododendrons. The spray stinks like an outhouse for about an hour after application, but it does work!

And then....spring!!!!

Although this photo was taken a year ago, I wanted to include it in this post. Several researchers found on our property a Red Shouldered Hawk nest. Tom and Matt were thrilled to be able to hold the baby hawks while the researchers tagged them and then returned them to the nest about forty feet up from the ground. As you can see, both Matt and Tom are in awe.

Spring means that a select few clay artisans gather at Logan Clay and begin a two week marathon of creating sculptures to be sold at Lilyfest or donated to local charitable events during the summer months. Hocking County is filled with artisans who give much time and effort to both their craft and community. This particular sculpture is MINE!!! Created by my good friend Jenny Beard who is amazing. I have several of her "pieces" in and around my garden. Can't wait to bring this owl home after it's fired in oven at Logan Clay.

My woodland rock garden with a "Jenny piece" toad house sitting on an old log.

Another example of "Jenny creations" My hens that nest outside my front door. I love these clay pieces of art!!!

And my curled lip frog that greets me every spring morning with his big eyes!

Now, I'm getting nostalgic. Tom built this little tree house many years ago for Steph and Eric. The slide coming down from the tree house was Tom's slide from his childhood. In the fall, the kids used wax paper under their bums and slide down at breakneck speed and into a big pile of leaves. What fun!

Best surprise this spring - two baby owls seen from our back porch. This owl stayed on this limb for almost twenty minutes looking at us and "talking." Yes, talking!! I'm sure he was being friendly.

After seeing these "guys" I kept Mickey in at night. Wasn't sure if they "ate" cats, but wasn't taking any chances.

A mama robin decided to build a nest right outside my kitchen window.

Garden Cabin front porch

Garden Cabin Sitting Area

Mill Cabin living room

Mill Cabin dining area in kitchen

Mill Cabin patio

INN A CABIN   To all of you from Tom and Sherry at Inn A Cabin in the Woods! Enjoy the summer and remember this... "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." anonymous

JENNY BEARD - SECOND IN A SERIES OF AMAZING HOCKING HILLS WOMEN

This is my second Log Cabin Journal post featuring an amazing woman of Hocking Hills.

Today, I introduce clay artisan, Jenny Beard, who is a retired Marion County school administrator. Jenny and her husband, David, moved to Hocking Hills in 2005, and together they built a beautiful home in the natural wooded setting of the Hocking State Forest.

A few years ago, Jenny was given the opportunity to put her hands into the creative art of clay, mentored by experienced artisans, Mary Holl and Bobbi Bishop. Jenny’s creative side bloomed in her clay garden pieces. In addition to earning her Master Gardener certification, Jenny, through clay art, has taken her retirement to a new and challenging level, expanding her talent.

You might ask, why clay art? What is clay art? Why has Logan Clay Products, become a sort of mecca for artists who take a fancy to making beautiful garden art out of clay sewer pipes?  It’s all a matter of perspective, you see. 

In Jenny's home gardens, she displays beautiful clay accent pieces, i.e. tall pipes and sculpture. My own garden has several of “Jenny pieces” that I cherish, because I know how much passion and energy she puts into her clay art.

Meeting Jenny at Logan Clay Products on a chilly April morning, I followed her upstairs to the work loft, where many already completed clay pieces were waiting to be put into the kiln after several weeks of drying. 

On that April morning I interviewed Jenny, two workmen rolled new manufactured pipes into to the loft area on an old loading wagon that had been in use since the early 1900’s. I watched as Jenny soaked flannel blankets in a bucket of water, and then draped them around each pipe to moisten them overnight, rendering them pliable enough to work with her hands.

Jenny moved to another area of the loft, removing a blanket from a tile she’d left the night before, ready to go to work. I sat on a small wooden stool and watched, fascinated by the process, as Jenny transformed a clay sewer pipe into a work of garden art, as seen in the photographs. This piece took about an hour to prepare. I could not believe the amount of strength it took to work and mold the clay.  

Also featured in today’s blog is Bobbi Bishop, a retired art teacher in the Worthington City School System. Bobbi Bishop and her husband Bruce Bishop, twenty-three years ago, created Lilyfest, an annual event held on the second full weekend of July. Jenny Beard is one of over eighty vendors who exhibit and sell their art to the public.

There is no admission fee to get into Lilyfest. Instead, donation barrels are located on the property, all monies going to scholarships and programming. As you can see, this pay-it-forward kind of community action and reaction is a prime example of community service at its best.

The day I visited the art loft of Logan Clay to interview Jenny, Bobbi Bishop was painting several pieces of garden art before placement in the kiln to be fired.

The pieces are delicate and every attempt is made to protect them during the firing process. Even the tiniest of air bubbles left in the clay can cause the prepared piece to crack in the 2000 degree heat of the kiln. After firing, the clay pieces will be left in the kiln to cool down slowly before being removed.

Logan Clay Products Company had its beginnings way back in 1876, until fire destroyed the plant in 1920. In 1921, the plant was rebuilt on the original site in Logan, Ohio. In 1957, all kilns were converted from coal fired to natural gas, resulting in stronger pipe bodies, thus allowing Logan Clay to stop glazing their pipe products.

In 1958, Logan Clay built a 360 foot tunnel kiln where pipe moved through the kiln on rail cars with a gradually rising temperature, from 300 deg. F to 1550 deg. F, and then rapidly heated to 2000 deg. F. Wow! Now, that’s hot. In 1987, the tunnel kiln was computerized.

In 1979, Richard H. “Dick” Holl was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Dick, a beloved member of the Logan community passed away on October 13, 2005. Today, Dick’s support and love of community lives on through the Holl Foundation with Mary Holl, Dick’s widow, serving as a Board Member.

The support of artisans who gather in the Logan Clay art loft, in turn, give back to the community through donations of their clay art to charitable auctions such as Logan In Bloom, Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Washboard Festival, Hocking County Historical Society, and the Bowen House. As a side note, the Logan community was recognized twice in the National America In Bloom competition for community involvement.

Next month’s Amazing Women of Hocking Hills will feature Bobbi Bishop. Bobbi and her husband, Bruce, are the organizers of Lilyfest. Although Bruce passed away in 2002, his passion for art and nature is reflected in Bobbi’s continuation of the annual art and garden event in Hocking County.

During the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) July 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2014, come to Lilyfest and visit Jenny Beard’s exhibit of clay garden art available for purchase. There are over eighty other artisan vendors on the beautiful Lilyfest grounds. Take a leisurely walk through the many gardens maintained by volunteers and leave the hustle and bustle of the outside world behind. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s Amazing Woman, Jenny Beard. I am so proud and honored to call her my friend. 

Sherry Hartzler is the author of Three Moons Over Sedona, Island Passage and Chasing Joe, all available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/178-2706248-7813460?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sherry+hartzler