Moments and Miracles

 The tiniest crack of light enters my bedroom window each morning and I awaken – eager to start the day.  We dress and head to the barn, and I can hardly wait to experience all of the little moments that each morning brings.A moment as simple as the rising sun casting its glow through the morning clouds…These are all moments that, for many, might go unnoticed.I try to be present at this time of day – to notice the little things.Little things… like an amazingly huge spiderweb – spun overnight in the moonlight.huge tent-like web from the fence post to a rock beneathLike… the tiniest, glistening, gold and silver drops left on nasturtium leaves by the tender caress of morning mist…We are in that brief period of time when morning glories cover the garden fence – and the bean trellis…volunteers that are reborn yearly from seeds dropped the preceding summer.They open each morning with the return of the sun – their slender throats like megaphones, announcing, with their glow, that a new day has begun.  By mid day, having soaked in their share of sunshine, they fold themselves closed once more, saving their glory for the morning to come.As we head to the compost pile for the last stop of the morning, Forrest gets a case of the zoomies and joyfully prances through the long grass in an area that we are allowing to re-wild.Exhausted, he plops himself down and waits for us to pretend to chase him…then off he goes again running back and forth, circling us.  He loves to play these games.  By the time we return to the house, he is soaked to the skin by the dew on the grasses.  As you already know, being wet is second nature to him!We harvested the last of our apples yesterday.  I made and froze several quart of apple pie filling.  This time I made the simplest batch – deciding to not peel away the best part of the apple… the skin!  We have been using our apples in recipes with the skins left on and honestly cannot tell the difference.  The skin of the apple is the healthiest, most nutrient dense part – so why peel and discard it!  Apple skins contain antioxidants, and more specifically, a compound known as a triterpenoid which has significant anti-cancer capabilities.  So, let’s keep those skins on our apples!!By the way, Ginger has been hanging out underneath the apple tree this week. I think she enjoys the occasional dropped apple!