The apple Lil is holding in the picture at right is the most special apple she's ever held. She picked it herself, but picking apples is nothing new to her.

This apple is organic and of a heritage variety, but for a girl who eats Charlie's gold rush fruit all winter, that's not special either.

What is exciting beyond exciting, is that this apple is off a tree at our soon-to-be new house!

You can see a glimpse of the Cape Cod home, three car garage and large backyard with old growth trees that will soon become our homestead. The new place is only a couple miles from our current house in Clintonville, yet zoned rural. We'll fill in details after we move at the end of the month.

And A New Vehicle

To assist in the move, we bought a pick up truck. It just feels right to have a pickup if we're going to manage two acres. Our Ford Ranger 'Rebel' was built before I could drive but has fewer miles than our other car. Soon she'll be filled with mulch, soil, straw, and lumber for the many projects we hope to complete at the new house.

And A Tour of Dairies

I will be part of a team of bloggers touring Ohio Dairies this Monday - Wednesday. We'll see everything from milking to cheesemaking. I'm sure I'll report some of what I see here but you can follow @racheltayse on Twitter or RachelTayse on Instagram where I will post live pictures and reactions.

And It's Earth Science Week

Today is the beginning of Earth Science Week. You may not know it, but my undergraduate degree is in geological sciences and I remain fascinated by rocks and soil. Check out the Earth Science Week website for learning opportunities and activities near you. Tuesday is No Child Left Inside Day - be sure to help a child you love spend some time playing outdoors then.

What's going on in your world?