This time of year it starts getting light really early, like around 4AM, and since I get up to go run the bakery three days a week at 4:30, well, that combined with the early morning light means I tend to wake up pretty early during June, July, and August.
That and because of a rooster named Harold who loves to wander over, right under my bedroom window, and crow most enthusiastically. But he is not the first animal to do that, nor do I suspect he will be the last.
Anyway, I was up nice and early this morning, and right away, after doling out some kitty and pupper treats to my animal friends, I began to whip up a batch of blueberry scones.
I still have quite a few blueberries in my freezer, and as it is almost blueberry picking season, it definitely makes sense to use them in all the things. My family is not sad about this development.
Plus, I am used to just getting up and baking every morning, so it only seems like the most nice thing to do to bake the fam some stuff to enjoy too.
Side note: all eight scones are already gone.
So, the first half hour of my day was spent grating butter, cutting it into my dry mixture, mixing in some heavy cream, egg, and vanilla, adding blueberries, shaping, cutting, chilling, and baking some delightful looking scones. My favorite part of scone construction is brushing the tops of them with cream and sprinkling them with sugar. There are just some days I would really, really like to be able to eat them, but honestly I enjoy baking them for others so my face was all smiles as I pulled them out of the oven.
After a lovely cup of coconut oil infused cocoa coffee, I went out and spied another thing that put a huge smile on my face, the peonies are in bloom. I love them so much, especially so because they are perennials and bless us with their presence every year. Their lacy, flamboyant presence is such a joy to behold!
After peony gazing, I got off my flintlocks and began the first of many chores that I did on this fine day. I transplanted a couple dozen large perennials.
Last year I grew and dried a ton of flowers here on the farm with one of my friends. The fruit of that labor was payment in the form of a bunch of perennials. I'm talking butterfly bushes, echinacea, delphiniums, poppies, rudbeckia, black-eyed susans, and goldenrod. All in exotic colors! When I got them home last week I couldn't believe my eyes as I took motherload of glorious plants out of my car.
I mean, I have wanted butterfly bushes for years, but they are so danged expensive, and there were always other things I had to buy or pay for.
That said, all the labor with the dried flowers was totally worth it, and I was in smile mode all morning as I plunked all those beautiful plant babies into the ground.
But for now, after over nine hours of farm work later, I am going to bolt. I need to wash off my detritus covered carcas and rustle up some dinner before crashing, as that is one thing about waking up at dawn, you are all done in pretty early in the evening.
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's still more than slightly encrusted with all purpose flour and compost iPhone.