Muffin Mountain

Yesterday, we got snow here in Old Moore's Valley.  Mid-morning I decided to take the dogs out to play in the snow, and just about the time that we got ready, the snow began to turn to rain.  Not wanting to lose out, we hurried up "Muffin Mountain" to higher elevation where the snow was still snow.  Mr. Shoulder-to-the- Grindstone was working on some land use issues.  However, decided to take a break and join us.  (I am so good for him....or not.)

We found out recently from a neighbor that our 1920's farm house was known as "the big house" when she was growing up, and that her family called the hill in back of the house Muffin Mountain.


Different subject. Yesterday on Gayle's blog, she mentioned genetically modified seed and some places to get non-genetic seeds.  Here is the comment that I left on her blog. I include it here because I believe that this is a critical issue with USDA decisions being made now that will have great impact on agriculture and food. 

Unfortunately, the USDA is letting Monsanto call the shots for approval of genetically modified food and seeds. The USDA has approved three new genetically engineered crops in the last 3 weeks. Two of them were Monsanto's genetically engineered sugar beets and genetically engineered alfalfa. Most recently the USDA approved one of Syngenta's genetically engineered corn varieties, and genetically engineered salmon is in the pipeline for approval. Imagine genetically modified salmon in the markets and they don't even have to let us know that it is GE modified. (In Europe, GE products, if allowed,  have to be identified.) The best place to get info about "Frankenfish" and other GE crops is http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org