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We are nearing the end of fig season with a few trees still producing but the quality has decreased with added rainfall we received in September. Art's tree pruning early this spring has shown results, The olive tree had not produced in the last two to three years and we have black olives, pitted and soaking, close to 4 gallons worth so far. The pruned pomegranate trees also turned out some large, sweet and very juicy poms this year. We juice a few about every other day. Great source of vitamins C and anti inflammatory which are great for the fall in this household. Jujubes are still coming in and ripening and we have picked close to 50 pounds worth so far and the tree is still full. Persimmons are getting closer to picking but only one so far this season has been ready to eat, it was pretty tasty. Quince tree is heavy and full this season, I have even peeled and poached a few they were very tasty. Plenty more to come with how we process for canning, jam and possibly quince butter (like apple butter). Our herb garden has been very generous with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and mint. No shortage of peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and climbing vine beans, they are still going strong. We have cabbage starting to fold in, beets and leeks coming up and even got one very good size sweet potato. We have started to prep the ground for the winter garlic and onion where we grew watermelon and cantaloupe this summer. The vines have a few fall grapes coming in post grape harvest. We are still in the process of fermentation for this year's wine and raki. We will have another updated post about this once we start the transfer of the wine from barrels to smaller containers, saving the mush for raki and how we prep for bottling. Below is one shopping trip for additional containers for raki and corks for the bottles. Do you have recipes for any of the above? If so please comment and share below, I will need all the suggestions.

From Vine to Wine - Step one, confirm the grapes are ready to be harvested. We had a local expert aka the oldest person in our neighborhood come down to confirm our grapes were ripe, sweetened and ready for harvesting. It took an afternoon and the next day to pull the grapes from the vines. Step two, one full day of stomping, yes I said stomping. DREAM COME TRUE, I was I Love Lucy grape stomping queen of the day! My feet were washed and wrapped in plastic wrap before I began my Lucy dance. By the end of the day we had two full barrels with our smashed sweet grape harvest. Step three, two days post stomping we removed what is called 'mushti' aka grape juice with a slight kick, extremely smooth and DELICIOUS!! The mush starts rise above the liquid for just a few days it is so sweet, so it is all about timing to scoop this up. Step four, smash the mush twice a day as the fermentation starts the liquid settles at the bottom and the mush floats to the top. Essentially to keep the yeast levels equal during this stage, it is necessary to 'smush the mush'. This process varies on temperatures and since we are a little cooler at night, we will ferment for a 10-12 days in the original barrels. Step five, follow our blog as we will continue to document the next stages of wine and raki.

We finally captured the homestead via drone and surrounding scenic views, enjoy!

We have explored many trails and paths around the back mount of our homestead but today we found a new cave entrance, new path to us and ended up with some rock climbing. Thankfully the fall temperatures have arrived and we are starting get the cool evenings and the sunny days without the blistering heat. We collected some kaca, a fruit we dry for tea, along the way. I have a challenge, the small green mounts in the video below, we would like to climb but want an additional hiking partner(s), first come first hike to claim your peak. Pictures from today's discovery and climb. And an update on the September harvest, we are collecting jujubes and kaca, the olives, persimmons and pomegranates are starting to ripen, fig season is slowing down, cabbage and beets are coming in nicely and our beautiful grapes are nearly ready for harvesting!

Many generations share stories with their descendants and like the telephone game played in primary school the story changes or evolves. A small project I started to piece together a few years ago was the Old Untold series starting with my grandma Rex and after hearing the stories that my husband's grandfather Gjeto shared with my husband's generation sparked this series to life again. Most likely you or your parent's have had a family member pass away and a question or comment is made in the years that follow "I wish I would have asked that when...., oh well I guess we will never know." Sadly this comment is repeated with out much thought but what if you sat down with the loved ones you have left and fill in the gaps now. My beloved maternal Grandma Rexena is my last living grandparent. She is 85 and fiercely independent, strong spirited, happy, fun loving, adventurous, best dressed, beautiful soul, honest and the air that fills my lungs. I hold her legend and spirit tightly because she is worthy but also because she is the last thread to my old untold. We have weekly conversations about her week, she is a busy lady with card parties, luncheons, ladies breakfast groups, TOPS, Red Hats, and more, and my week's activities on the homestead but we also discuss old untold stories. In one of my latest conversations we discussed the passing of her father. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in May and passed in October of 1974. When he was initially told about his diagnosis and prognosis he shed tears and was nearly sobbing when he whispered, "I am scared I gave this to my buddies I went hunting with last weekend." He had no idea that this disease was not contagious and couldn't be spread by sleeping in close proximity to others, unlike diseases that plagued his generation tuberculosis (TB), smallpox, flu and cholera. The doctor and my grandmother explained the disease in more detail and he calmed down but was still aware of the seriousness of his prognosis. My great grandfather Rex Bridger was the father of four beautiful daughters, one charming son, husband to the magnificent Twyla, coal miner until the Elmira mines closed, roofer for Fry Roofing in Kansas City, hunter and overall hard worker to provide a life for his family. His youngest daughter, MarBeth, was born with down syndrome, she still lived at home due to his hard work and Twyla, she wouldn't have it any other way, which was rare in this time period, most were institutionalized at an adolescent age. My great grandmother Twyla was the family genealogist and historian keeping a record of past family members, burial sites and dates, she also was an artist, painter, quilter and brilliant dedicated mother. She met Rex while attending a secretary school and when introduced this hard working man to her father Earl he disapproved and never spoke to Rex for as long as my grandma can remember. When they would visit Twyla's parents, Rex never came inside and only Twyla's mom came out to speak to to her father. My grandma never really understood why her grandpa Earl disliked her father Rex but just assumed it was because of his blue collar status and then she chuckled "He was always a cranky old man." Our conversations about the past always make my grandma Rexena nostalgic, usually leave her laughing and even make her curious about some details she can't recall or questions she never thought to ask. I challenge you, take the time to ask, listen and document the stories of your loved ones, embrace the knowledge and hold it for the next generation.

We had made plans to attend the annual Rec Music Festival on Sunday September 1, it's about a six mile drive to Rec but we decided to ride our bikes. Beautiful sunny day, it was HOT, little shade on the gradual incline on the trip there but we made it one piece. The festival had several areas set up near two restaurants in the chestnut tree forest. Carnival ring toss games, stage, tents, trinket vendors, roasted lamb and chickens, and beverage stations set up around the area and loads of picnic style tables and benches. We parked our bikes and ourselves in the shade to take in the festival and catch our breath from the ride. We ended up with a beer each and split a roasted chicken and each took a stroll around the festival to take it all in, performers were playing traditional music in one area and down on the main stage was a famous artist Fifi, she drew the largest crowd. We took our go pro along for this adventure and it's a little shaky in spots but it captures our trip from our home to Rec and the beautiful scenery. Enjoy!

August is wedding season here in northern Albania and it is a popular month for Albanian's living outside of country to return to visit family. We received 5 wedding reception invites, one which included two receptions. Now, I have loads of experience attending weddings and even a bridesmaid/maid of honor a few, 7+, times, but this was a whole new world. I consulted my wardrobe choices ahead of time with my niece and sister-in-law because I was told these are more formal than casual so with six dresses chosen I had hope of blending in. The first date we had two scheduled, one reception at 12 pm and the next at 8 pm. The first one of the day was my husband's first cousin's daughter on his dad's side. We arrived on time but waited for additional family before approaching to venue which was a large three story commercial building from the outside with some fancy fountains, large lit letters that spelled LOVE and a guitar shaped walk/pool. When we entered the building on the second floor it was fully immersed in the cocktail hour with small tables set up and larger table towards the center with an assortment of beverages, juices, soda, water, beer, and wine. We had assigned seating on a chart that was to the left of the beverage table. We were ushered to the third floor and were greeted by additional family members at the door to a very fancy ballroom and unexpected based on the rest of the building I had seen so far. After finding our table and shaking a few more hands we sat a large white clothed table covered in an assortment of food, beverages, glass and dining ware. The food choices included a plate of yogurt like sauce they call Kos, grilled vegetables, olives, and baskets fresh fruit and bread, drinks included an ice bucket with an assortment of soda, beer, waters flat and sparkling and on the table two wine choices red or white and bottle of Raki. The ballroom had a large open dance floor in the middle, the band at one end and the bride and groom at the other, the tables and chairs for guests were tiered so the second layer sat a bit higher so no views were blocked and ran on each side of the dance floor. Once the ballroom was filled and most were seated the bride's family was announced as they entered with the bride. The music was intense and very loud from beginning to end and the brides family danced before sitting down to honor the bride. At this time the first round of seven dishes were served. The first plate consisted two different types of cheese, three different types of fried meat and a pickled salad in the middle. The music and dancing continued in full swing and the second dish was served which was more like a kebab, skewered grilled chicken and veggies. At first the escort with the bride I thought was the groom only to have the groom and his family announced about an hour or so into the reception (I was so confused). This is when I learned that the newer tradition here is to have a reception in honor of the bride and the groom's family and selected few friends attend as honored guests...at this point the couple is not married yet. Are you still with me?? I was attending a wedding reception for a wedding that had not actually happened yet. Back to the food, the third dish was a chicken cordon bleu, fourth steak and potatoes, fifth assortment of roasted lamb, sixth tortellini and a white sauce covered meat and seventh would have been the dessert but it was 6 pm and we had another reception to attend. Overall the dresses were extremely fancy lots of glitter and super glam and the bride's gown was princess dress with a fitted bodice and a large layered skirt. The dancing was non-stop with a simple side step and a fancier hand holding circle with a couple of steps depending on the music. The music was all traditional songs and even had a small round table set up at one point the singers sat down and a few men with raki joined them and most sang along at the table. We made our apologies for leaving early but we had to return home and pick up additional family to head to the second reception. So if you are counting that was a 6 hour reception and still going, we left before the cake and when we had to drive by the venue on the way to the next reception it was still going strong at nearly 8 pm. Reception two was for my husband's first cousin on his mom's side. It was held in a large white building with an outdoor cocktail hour with small tables and a table for drinks on the side. We arrived right before they began to usher people inside, this venue was a round ballroom, with a dance floor cleared in the middle and the tables set up on all sides with a designated head table for the bride and groom and a small DJ set up in the corner. The table and food/drink setup were very similar to the first wedding just a few small changes to the meat choice and rice instead of pasta. The music was very different more current Albanian music and not a live singer and the sound quality was much less intense which we appreciated because our ears were still ringing from the first wedding. Dancing wise I took my first trip around the hand held fancy step dance and kept up with the crowd. There is a version of this dance that is the same steps to 'Cotton Eye Joe' took me back to my college days for a minute. The dresses were a mix of super glam and semi formal and the bride had a wardrobe change from a sparkly princess gown to a lace mermaid right before the cake cutting. The cake was not American traditional cake it was dulce de leche with caramel topping. The couple was married earlier that day and didn't have a prior reception so this was the one and done. Difference in the age of the bride's tends to dictate on where they fall tradition wise. This couple was mid 20s/early 30s so they did what and how they wanted, the first bride was 19 so followed the parent or new traditions. We stayed at this one until the very end which ended at 330 am, 6+ hour long receptions are a normal thing here. Wedding three was a four part series, we were part of the groom's honored guests at the bride's reception on a Saturday night, this was at small venue with a similar set up with a small dance floor and tables on either side but it had lots of pillars which gave line of sight some challenges. We danced a lot this evening, they had a good DJ. The food and beverage choices were very similar to the previous weddings nothing new maybe one or two less courses. One tradition at the end of the reception is the dollar dance, depending on the reception it is a song or two for the family first and then a song for the friends but there is typically a large circle dance with the bride and groom in the center, couples will dance with the bride and groom and place a dollar bills on there head and wish them luck and congratulations. The cake cutting is usually done before these last dances. Cake this time was half cake half pudding middle. We left near 4 am. And the next day we had a dinner party with groom's family at the groom's house late Sunday evening followed by an early wake up call at 7 am. As part of the honored guests we carpooled to the bride's home to pick her up, this is quite the production. The videographer records the entire parade of cars and the cars are decorated with bows and ribbons. Once we arrived at the bride's home we are greeted by the bride's family and then ushered to a table covered in small plates of nuts, fruit, beverages, petla (like mini donuts), honey and raki. The brides family comes down the line to toast the guests and then after a half hour or so the singing begins. There is a song that calls for the bride and tradition wise the bride is to come out for a hidden nook, with veil and crying (LIKE REALLY CRYING). The family then exits the home and we the groom's family and honored guest throw candy at the couple as a wish of sweet blessings. The parade of cars makes the way back with horns blaring, music and yelling from the car and throwing candy to passerby pedestrians. The tradition is to deliver the bride to the groom's home by noon. We ran into some traffic on the way back and had to speed the last leg but once we arrived back in Bajze, the groom's hometown, we slowed down and tossed more candy and A LOT of noise. We arrived at the groom's home and another tradition is singing the bride in to the home and throwing more candy, followed by a photo with a young male baby again sweet blessings and fertility. We all departed back to our perspective homes until wedding at 1 pm. The wedding was held in the town's Catholic church. Pause, the bride is now with the groom's family so NO ONE from the bride's family was present when they actually got married. But they said their I Do followed by a few photos and then we all went home to nap. The groom's reception started later that evening and like the other venues there was a cocktail hour outside before going inside, this venue was large with tables on the right and then on the left a dance floor with tables on either side with a DJ and bar in the middle. No pillars which was great for line of sight and the table's were set up with similar food and beverages. We had some of the best food at this venue and danced basically the whole night they had a mix of DJ and live singers. A few new traditions with the bride dancing for her groom and the groom dancing with a burning white cloth. It was another late late night 330 am, after our day started at 7 am. Our fourth invite led us to another venue, this was for my husband's second cousin's son on his dad's side. There was an outdoor cocktail hour and once ushered inside they announced the groom's family and friends it was around 12 couples deep. The set up of this ball room was different pretty narrow with columns and for some tables it was hard to see or get to the dance floor. The food and beverage selection was much like the others but this one was followed by ice cream instead of cake. This was the groom's reception so the couple were married early that day. The music was mostly done by a DJ which had a good bit of up tempo current Albanian music blended with some traditional songs. The glam was off the charts for this event and the bride's princess gown was also very nice. Another long one we left just before 4 am. And our last wedding was at the first venue we attended and it was for his first cousin's wife's brother on his dad's side. There was a cocktail hour outside and the bride and groom arrived via horse and carriage followed by fireworks and then we were ushered inside to the ballroom. The first time we came to this venue I didn't know that the middle of the ceiling came down but that is exactly how the couple entered the ballroom after the groom's family and the bridal party were announced and entered the dance floor. The party started off at full swing and the music was loud and intense with a live band. The food was similar to the first time we came and the beverage selection the same. After the groom's grandfather gave his thanks and blessing to the couple another family member did a traditional call song, it was done back in the Ottoman Empire, shepherds would sing this call until he heard another shepherd and so on to pass word that there were enemy soldiers approaching. The couple did have a pair of traditional Albanian dancers perform but the bride and groom didn't dance until the end of the reception after the cake cutting and the dollar dance. They also served ice cream instead of cake, no complaints from me. Cheers and congrats to all the happy couples!

Many locals ask me why do I want to stay or when will you return to the US. My answer is home is here and I don't plan to return full time to the US only to visit, this comes with a "PSE?" which means why in Albanian. So below are a few pros and cons for life here. Pro - Cost of living is 200% cheaper than living in our Florida town Con - Economy is weak with limited growth predicted Pro - Very little traffic to some of the most scenic views and places Con - Odds of finding a clean western bathroom while traveling in Albania 1:10 Pro - Beautiful landscapes at every turn outside of the cities Con - Some landscapes are littered with trash Pro - Amazing hospitality is part of the culture Con - A quick visit will turn into a 4 course meal Pro - Most people under 30 can speak enough English to have a general conversation Con - Shaking your head from side to side means 'Yes' and up and down means 'No' to some older generations and mountain towns (can be quite confusing) Pro - Traveling in and out of Albania is really simple at the airport Con - The lines at some of the busier road border crossings can take hours or five minutes Pro - The neighboring countries are all beautiful Con - The language changes at most borders minus Kosovo so it can be difficult when asking for directions or recommendations Pro - Albanian language is unique and beautiful Con - Extremely difficult to learn how to speak and has three dialects Pro - High speed fiber internet and 4G cell service are really cheap Con - When you live near a border, like we do, roaming is an issue and semi frequent power outages can cause the internet to stall at least once a week Pro - The food is extremely tasty and mostly organic Con - If you love fast food or take away options are limited. Option one, byrek which is filo dough with meat or cheese/yogurt or option two, pizza in most places outside of the capital Pro - Shop owners are always super friendly and welcoming Con - The concept of forming a line and waiting a turn has never really took shape here so if it is a busy shopping day personal space may be violated and patience is required Pro - The weather is mild with less than 50% humidity and mostly warm sunny days Con - Summers can be very very dry Pro - A date night meal for two is usually less than $20 and that's with coffee and dessert Con - The menu is similar at most places so variety is a little challenging Pro - Fresh fruit and vegetables are very accessible and cheap (between the gardens and vendors at every corner) Con - No excuse not to eat more fruits or veggies Pro - Most cafes and restaurants have outdoor seating Con - Smoking inside is still a thing here and still legal to do inside (probably my #1 pet peeve) Pro - Modes of transportation include cars, trucks, mini buses, horse and cart, donkey and cart, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and some versions of cart and motorcycle combinations Con - Road blocks can occasionally happen most are sheep, cows, pigs, goats or a new driver in an 'AUTO SCHOOL' car Pro - Most homes are made of cement very thick and solid Con - Home remodeling nearly impossible (interior walls are 2 feet wide) Pro - Shopping options for staples like paper towels, toilet paper, fabric softener, laundry detergent and soap are extremely cheap Con - No bulk options available so frequent trips required Pro - The water out of the tap is fresh and delicious Con - We have two large storage tanks for water because we take turns on water between us and another small neighborhood (we have never ran out but it was close a few times) Pro - We bike to town mostly so we maybe spend $20 or less on gas during most months Con - Gas can be expensive if you need it for everyday commutes Pro - Property taxes are extremely affordable, $60 for our home and land and $2 for the car Con - The infrastructure needs improvement like roads (outside of the main highway), parking in city centers and pot holes Pro - Fields in the north are covered in herbs like sage and lavender, smells heavenly Con - If you have allergies this area could be hell Pro - Hiking here is beautiful Con - Trails are still not very clearly marked or documented (hints how we lost our trail going up the mountain https://www.homesteadalbania.com/post/mountain-climbing-i-did-go) Pro - Coffee is served as frequent as water and cheap Con - If you are the first to join a group for coffee you could be on the hook for the entire table's bill Pro - The coastal beaches are beautiful Con - Beaches are super crowded during the summer season Pro - The lakes are not over commercialized with boats and waterside resorts so it is still very serene Con - When you do hear a motor it kind of kills the mood Pro - The days in the summer are long with 15+ hours of daylight Con - The days in the winter can be super short with less than 8 hours of daylight (our sun sets behind the mountains in Montenegro in the winter months) Pro - If you don't have any form of transportation a mini bus is usually available in most town centers or you can hitch from the main highway Con - Some mini buses are clean and some are not and there is never really a schedule so be prepared either way Pro - There is one main highway that connects the north to the south Con - Alternative routes are limited mostly because the mountains that run parallel to the highway Pro - Custom furniture is more affordable than ready made pieces Con - Makes your options nearly limitless when deciding how to furnish (that can be more stressful) Pro - Walking after the evening meal is tradition Con - Sometimes that evening meal doesn't start until 10 pm or later, I am not a night owl What questions do you have about living life in Albania?

We are midway through August and the grapes are thriving. We have a few weeks to go before we start our first round of harvest for wine and raki. We have four varieties of grapes in our vineyard including Çilek, merlot, hafisali pink and yellow pictured below from left to right. We anticipate at least three large barrels for the first round and we will be smashing with clean feet (LUCY style) when the time comes so stay tuned in the next few weeks as we document how to make wine and raki step by step. Update on the garden we harvested all of the garlic, onions, herbs, baby and baking potatoes and planted cabbage and leeks. We are still producing cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, egg plants, pumpkin, peppers, corn, cantaloupe and watermelon. We are starting to think ahead and plan more strategically to combat our long dry spells on where, what, when and how we plant next year. Plants that didn't produce well this season were our climbing beans, blueberries, strawberries, asparagus, spring leeks and some peppers. The science of soil, water and sun for maximum growth in our dry climate is an adjustment and for me it is still new since the only thing my family ever grew were pumpkins on accident. The fall fruit trees are full with the quince and persimmon trees needing additional support because of the loads of fruit weighing it down and the olive, jujube, and pomegranate trees are doing very well with harvest in the next two months or so. Plum, mulberry, thana and pear trees did great and we are looking forward to our new cherry, peach and apple trees next year. And last but not least our figs are glorious. Several dozens are picked each morning just to keep up with a half dozen mature fig trees, we have four different kinds of figs. They are so delicious! August is also wedding season here, we have attended two of five. Once we have attended all five I will blog about the experience, culture, food, music, dresses, and dancing. And let me just tell you this now, they go BIG.

Yes, I said mountain climbing. For those who know me well understand that my skills at walking on flat surfaces can be challenging at times so the thought of me mountain climbing may either make you cringe or just shake your head in utter disbelief. Well it happened thanks to my husband's childhood dream to summit a mountain he can see from the mount behind our home. We searched online for a trail or track that would take us up and finally found one that should take around three hours each direction. So we started prepping for this adventure by hiking our hill behind the house regularly, long bike rides to the next town over and a short 5 hour hike to a bunker/castle ruin in our town. The short hike was a near fail because of poor planning on water supply so lesson learned but overall not too bad. Pictures below are from this short hike. The 12 mile bike rides helped improve overall fitness but no major hills to challenge our upward momentum. And the path behind the house we have taken dozens of times and it helped but with all good plans and prep somethings are bound to go downhill eventually. Our nephew was visiting from Michigan and decided to brave the climb with us so we picked a day when the weather was clear and mild, a warm high of 77 F by midday. We started our ascent at 9 am with plans to be down by 3ish. We started on the trail head found online and about ten minutes in found that the trail had red markers on various rocks as we went a long so that was amazing. We made it about to 4550 ft by 11 am with a few water breaks but overall still going well. About 40 minutes in we ran in to a guy going down that said there was a small group ahead of us by about 15 minutes so we caught up enough to keep them in our line of sight but lost them and the trail, the trail we had mapped indicated a right turn to go around the side we were facing then ascend further but we could see the top from this position. So my eager husband wanted to make a straight bee line for the top but at this point we had literally spent the last 20 minutes climbing the side of the mountain and my nephew and I were still catching our breath. I love my husband but he can be a bit of an overachiever if the task is close. So he convinced my nephew to go straight up with him and I to follow at a much slower crawl. They reached the summit about an hour and half later and I took a slightly different path to the right hoping to catch eye of the trail but only to crawl up via rock and long grass to a small summit two and half hours later. The small group that we lost sight of came up the trail but did my husband ask about where said trail was, no because we make our own, famous last words from my husband. We knew my ability to descend was was going to be a challenge due to the shear side we crawled up and my handicap of ankle instability on flat ground so we sent my nephew ahead of us so he didn't have to keep with my slow pace. My attempt to walk down just behind my husband was short as my pace and his varied significantly. My best and less dangerous way down was crab walking or sliding on my tush. This was very time consuming and terribly humiliating to see my husband bound down the side only sliding a little but otherwise not phased. About 20 minutes in to my crab walk down the side I see the small group come casually walking down from the side we were suppose to originally take, frustrating to know that there was an easier way but I kept going. We did make it down and I only took one hard fall that included a sharp rock to the right kidney that did take my breath away. It was super challenging climbing down and we lost the trail a bit so it took a while to get back on track to get down. Overall the views were stunning, the climb was exhausting, lost one of two car keys, we just made it down before the sunset, and my husband has now banished me from all trails leading up. For me I was proud that I have added summit a mountain to my list of accomplishments. So when you visit my husband can take to you on any trail while I will be at base camp with water and food on your return. Cheers to childhood dream realized. P.S. Thanks Paige for the pant recommendations they held up well while sliding down the side of the mountain.

In total we had 27 baby chicks, 2 baby turkeys, 6 hens and 2 roosters in our poultry department this spring. By midsummer the count is 11 baby chicks, 2 roosters and 5 hens, loss to predators: two feral cats and either a hoot owl or hawk. The mother hens left their chicks about 6 weeks after hatching to fend for themselves. We left their shelters near our bedroom window so we could hear of any distress and several went missing without a sound, enter hawk or owl. Others we heard the distress but came to late to the rescue, enter said cats. The decision to move them to the larger coop with the hens and roosters in the back was made when we were losing a chick nearly every other day/night and the grapes are starting to ripen (the chicks like to roost on the vines). Let me set the ambiance of this scene. My husband has his big toes wrapped two days post op and can barely walk let alone run, it's dusk and light is fading fast and our yard is anything but level with lots of obstacles (random holes, fences, bricks, rocks, trenches, tree roots, etc). So we (my husband, his mom and I) gathered and corralled the baby chicks with the hens and the roosters towards the larger coop (shiny one on the right above) all good so far, but then it was like a game of tag. One would walk the plank almost into the coop and another would tag it, it would then a. fly and roost in the nearby fig tree or b. run flat out to the front yard. This ensued for an hour, dusk had faded and trip hazard increased by 100% we had only managed to get three of the baby chicks inside at this point and we were forced to start catching each chick one by one and placing them in the coop. Have you ever tried to catch a chicken? Have you ever tried to catch one in the dark without putting pressure on your big toes? It was MAYHEM. We managed to catch four more and place them in the coop, one decided to find shelter in an old coop so we secured and resigned to leave it there. We still had 5 on the loose, four had fled to the front yard to roost in the vines, we found and caught three but couldn't locate the last one in the front but did locate and caught the last one in the back. We walked the vineyard with flashlights twice trying but no luck. So 12 out of 13 were secured but as our luck would have it the night predator won and then their were 12. The following night we started the corral again as thunder was rolling in, the storm broke into a heavy rain storm so they were left to seek shelter or else. Well at around 2 am we hear a break in the rain and then the worst sound of distress. We saw the cat but were too late to save the chick so we are now down to 11 baby chicks. Free range chickens are a wonderful but it is a deadly game of chicken. Rest in peace my dears.

We have had my husband's family visit from the states but this spring I had my first visitor of non family origin visit from San Francisco, Lauren. We have been friends since freshmen year of college (19 years ago), we were proud residence of Freddy's 3WW. We have had several adventures through out the years but this was very special, showing someone my forever home for the first time. It started with a two night stay in Rome and then short puddle jump flight to Tirane, the capital of Albania. My husband played the chauffeur/tour guide to this adventure. On our way from the airport to our homestead we stopped at two castles, Lezhe and Rozafa and had lunch in a small but beautiful beach town Shengjin on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The next day we spent exploring one of the most scenic drives from Bajze to Vermosh, a small valley town tucked high in the northern mountains of Albania. The drive includes a large overlook of a canyon, beautiful river, bunkers, snow, wandering animals, waterfalls and little picturesque towns along the way. One of my favorite routes to wander so far in Albania. Lauren could have spent hours wandering a trail we found along the way, next time my dear, next time. The following day we explored my town of Bajze from the mount behind the house, garden, the lake to the small cafes and shops in our small city center. We made our way back south stopping in the city of bikes, Shkoder to walk the main strip of shops and even found an artisan jewelry shop ran by the same family for three generations (Lauren is a master craftswoman in the art of jewelry) right across from a restaurant called San Francisco. And we spent the last night of her visit in Tirane since she had a very early fight out in the morning and had a feast at my sister in law's home. In true Albanian tradition she was fed until she literally could not chew any more. Next trip for her will hopefully be for much longer and with her husband and the college family, we would get to explore much more like the southern coast and even a few days hiking. My next visitors were from New Zealand hailed via bike all the way from Greece. They are on an epic bike trip from Greece to Scotland. My friend Johan and his beautiful wife Deborah stayed with us for just one night, they share the dream of one day homesteading in New Zealand and living quite similar to Art and I. We had amazing conversations and laughs through out the evening. To read more about their amazing bike trip check out their blog: https://tourtheeurope.blogspot.com/

Our small town borders a large lake called Lake Skadar. It shares borders between Montenegro and Albania. It is a fresh water lake fed by many springs and surrounded by mountains. It is a 15 minute bike ride to the lake's edge from our front door. Unlike the crowded lakes back in Missouri, when we visit the lake to fish or swim we are met with surreal silence with the exception of nature or a bird's call. It is peaceful and wonderful to relax and enjoy the scenery. The lake can be cold especially near the spring's eye but otherwise very refreshing on a hot day. We have had some minor success fishing. At one of our favorite spots there was an abandoned building that is now being converted into a restaurant and the other is a abandoned restaurant that was destroyed by a flood some years back but both locations are ideal for both swimming and fishing. Spring's Eye View from Montenegro looking back across the lake to Albania.

Spring is my husband's favorite time of year here the garden comes to life. He walks the garden each morning and comes in grinning like a Cheshire cat. Below are some of my favorite shots of the garden and all things pretty from February to current day. And for my husband the aspect of wine in the future =

Last fall my husband planted cabbage, garlic, and onions. Cabbage never really took off, we planted it a little late in the season but we had success with garlic and onions. After a very wet January and the temperatures starting to rise we started to prep for spring planting. We spent a few days researching, discussing and gathering seeds and bulbs. We started with two new rows for more garlic and onions and eventually a third row. This was manual shovel to earth dig, wacking aka tilling and weeding, sweat equity times 1000. His mom and our neighbor helped with the planting of the first two rows of onions and I had the first experience shoveling poo aka fertilizer. At the end of the third row we planted spring lettuce, spinach and arugula. My husband created a mini green house for the greens, temperatures where still low at night Next we dug out a small herb garden for dill, oregano, basil, lavender, and chamomile. And then our potato project began. THIS DIGGING TOOK FOREVER! And just when when I thought we were close to done, our neighbor showed up with another 10 kg of baby potatoes to plant and then 5 kg two days later. In total we planted 15 kg of baby potatoes and 30 kg of regular potatoes. While we were digging our potato garden my sister-in-law was visiting and her husband's aunt decided we needed three chickens, so we had 30 minutes to figure out a coop. We had discussed chickens for the spring when we fixed our out building but plan B, the old outhouse. My husband is amazing as always, he built a roost out of bamboo sticks, yes we have a random cluster of bamboo, and when the chickens arrived. We did clip their wings, we have rogue chickens from the neighbors jumping the fence so we wanted to prevent their wandering. And of course I named them Red, Henrietta, and Josephine. We cleaned out the failed cabbage and planted bush and climbing beans, carrots, leeks, pumpkin, and corn. Also started an extension of the winter onions along the back of the garden for strawberries, tea, cucumbers, egg plants and extended the herb garden to break up the spring lettuce. And then we moved on to a larger garden for zucchini, tomatoes, variety of peppers, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, more bush beans, and then we moved to the front of the garden. We planted two peach trees, two cherry trees, three blueberry bushes, four blackberry bushes, and three different apple trees along the side and front of the garden. We dug out in front of the peach and cherry trees for additional cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe and corn. We also gained a few additional animals during this time, we found a turtle in the garden we named her Juliet and when cleaning the field next to our garden we found her Romeo and brought him over to our garden. And received three additional chickens Juanita, Joy and Barn and two roosters Jack and Captain. And my wonderful husband installed a swing on the large mulberry tree. Are you tired yet, because I was exhausted after all the digging for the garden but we still had to dig out the vines, one foot on either side of the vine is good maintenance. When I first arrived at the home it was pink inside and tan outside, I ask to paint but husband simply said "Spring". So for my birthday he painted the interior and exterior and I painted the gate.

After the New Year and with the recent and sudden loss of my father-in-law we set a few goals for 2019. Number one, our health. So settle in and sit down before I give you this play by play. My first experience with Albanian healthcare sent chills down my spine for the wrong reasons. Art had to update one of his immunizations for his visa back in February 2018 and we went to this small shack of a clinic. The scene was not pretty for someone that had spent the last 20 years working in healthcare. The immunizations were kept in ice cream coolers, the were no gloves in sight or hand soap or hand sanitizer, no sharps container for the needles (just threw them in the trash near the door), and the bathroom pretty sure had not been thoroughly cleaned in years (no toilet paper, no toilet seat, and no SOAP). I wanted to bathe my husband in rubbing alcohol upon exiting the clinic. So going in to this years health goal I was a little on edge. Health Insurance coverage for both of us for a year cost $278. It covers two annual check-ups, emergency coverage (ambulance and visit to ER) and some specialty visits. It is for one specific private hospital but healthcare in Albania is socialized so citizens can go to any public hospital for care. We weren't sure of how to schedule so my husband made a call, the answer blew my mind. It is open Sunday-Saturday 8-6 walk-in, no appointment required. We live two hours north of this hospital, we fasted the night before and left before 8 am. When we arrived we checked in filled out a single form, took copies of our insurance card and ID, and then we waited maybe 10 minutes and were called to do our labs. Quick, clean and painless, next we were escorted to another floor where we both had EKGs, a consult with the cardiologist and complete History and Physical. I was able to go and complete my yearly gyn visit and even received another order for an ultrasound, old softball injury to the left chest. We followed the instructions to the basement and made the appointment for the same day just a few hours later which was great because we were HUNGRY. We left and went to his sister's for lunch and came back received the ultrasound, all good by the way and then we met with another doctor to discuss our lab results. I also received a Dermatology consultation again SAME DAY. We left the hospital with the only bill which was for the Dermatology consultation $20, results and peace of mind. The staff for the most part was able to speak English so my visit was a breeze, the facility was clean and up to current standards. Healthcare abroad not so scary after all. So January is the coldest and also wettest month to date for me in Albania. We received the first real snow accompanied by loud thunder, yes THUNDER SNOW, I initially thought it was an avalanche. The amount of snow that typically falls in this valley town is a dusting at best but this was an exception, it snowed for three days. We made the most of it via snowball fights with the kids next door, a true and honorable snow queen of the vines and snow angels. After the snow came almost two weeks of rain, our yard was a giant mud pit until mid February. Other year goals to grow what we eat, spend wisely and when only necessary and explore every nook of this beautiful country.

December of last year was a difficult transition for our home. We started off on a high, we finished planting and weeding the garden of garlic, onion, and cabbage, tested and enjoyed the fireplace (literally roasting chestnuts on an open fire), explored the mountains on the other side of the lake via Montenegro on our anniversary and prepared our pig Bacon for St. Nicolas. We had dinner before leaving Montenegro and the owner whom was Albanian was boasting about how healthy he was and he looked twice as old as Art's dad who had just turned 75, the owner 55. On our way home from Montenegro we were discussing his parents, their good health and the fact that they had just moved in to an apartment. We knew that eventually they would retire, his dad was still working full-time, yes at 75, and they would relocate from Michigan to our home in Albania but what we didn't expect was that the following morning we would receive a phone call. Shock doesn't even describe our household over the next 20 days our house was transformed into grand central station. His father passed in the middle of the night of a sudden and life ending heart attack that no one saw coming. This is still gut wrenching to talk about but I do because this was my first crash course in Albanian culture and traditions. We live near his extended family and they stepped in right away to assist because we were both at loss as to what to do and how to do it. By that afternoon we had some idea of what to expect and house full of family. Now if you have been following my journey, I had only been here two months, so my language skills were very minor and I was now surrounded by family and strangers coming to pay their respects from early morning until 11 pm. Overwhelmed. Tradition - When a family member passes, the family home is turns into grand central station. Visitation - When guests (family, friends, strangers) arrive you greet them outside with the males first and then the females, usher them inside the family home or large reception tent where they sit in chairs at a table with a photo of the passed family member, the grieving family remains standing, the guests are offered cigarettes (still shaking my head), a shot of raki, and offered a turkish coffee. The guest then states their condolences via a scripted salute with raki and some will go immediately following this and some will stay and share stories of the passed loved one. The Wake - The wake typically follows the visitation, this is where they stay all night with the body in the home or tent outside the home, roasted lamb meal at midnight and this is typically immediate family. Day of Burial - Following the wake, another visitation is held in the morning at this point the family divides, the men greet the guests, the women are placed around the casket and the lines of guests are greeted then ushered through the line with the women around the casket, then the men go to the tables with raki and cigarettes and the women sit on benches and are offered some refreshments like bottled water or coffee, the priest will then come and do a short service and then the graveside service and burial. 3 Days post Burial - Then on at third day after the loved one is buried there is a visitation, another meal served to the grieving family at noon and they go back to the graveside. Sunday post Burial - The first Sunday post burial is another reception in the morning followed by a meal at noon. This is typically immediate family and the last gathering for out of town family members before they depart. So all in all this process should take about a week tops, but that was not the case for us, we had almost 11 days of visitation, they had a service for him in Michigan before transporting him here, and the rest of his family from the states arrived, then the wake followed by the rest of the above and an extra week of visitation post since Christmas fell in the middle of all of this. We had two large tents erected in our driveway to accommodate the massive amount of people and family. His mother and father were both the eldest of their siblings and my husband has 38 first cousins so this was a massive undertaking for just immediate family and his father was also a pillar of society and very well respected in this tiny town and so it was non-stop every day the entire time. Side bar - It was December and part of this tradition was leaving the door open during the day until late around 11ish pm. Our only source of heat at the time was our wood burning fireplace and the temperature that had been very mild dropped literally the day we received the call from a nice mid 60s to mid 40s. We did have two heaters put in the tents as well the night of the wake because the men had to stay outside to greet the guests and the women were inside with the casket. Other notes, there was never knock at the door with a casserole to just reheat, every meal was stressful we could be feeding 4 to 16 to 40, dress code is simply all black no exceptions during this period (some family members carry this on for a year), if you are the widow it is all black for the rest of your life by tradition, and did I mention I still could barely understand or speak the language. And last but not least when I would go to town before all of this people would just stare (I don't look, dress or speak the part of a typical Albanian woman), now I go to town and people know that belong to the Malaj family and to my husband Chop (C, often greeted with smiles and greetings. Pretty sure now I have shook hands with every adult in the Bajze community. Our family from the states were departing on December 31 and they left me a small token of love with a live full grown turkey (somebody ask me what I missed about home, my response "my dad's smoked turkey"). My mother-in-law unpacked and made herself at home here and the extended family departed. Work - I was working up until the day of his father's death, my contract ended December 31 and we had previously discussed not renewing before this event so at this point we were sad, tired, overwhelmed and I had officially retired. 2019...please be kind and squeeze your parents a little tighter.

Finding the balance and pace of what we could accomplish in one day to the next was less complicated than I expected. New furniture was delivered, additional pieces ordered, figuring out the routine for remote work (installed back-up batteries for power outage support for modem), enjoyed our meals on our front porch and the never ending game of pick up from our yard kept us busy during the first few weeks. The home and land had not been maintained for over a decade and when I mentioned in a previous post that new windows and doors were installed, I failed to mention the old ones were still in the backyard along with loads of other materials and rubbish. My husband started on what is now part of our massive garden with cabbage, onion, and garlic. During our weekends we explored the lake, nearby towns, hiked the land behind the house collecting wild pears, matter for tea and pomegranates and harvested the persimmons. We acquired some bikes from family in the area, bought and tried out new fishing gear, went on a very long hike with his sister and her family that was supposedly for fishing but it was more like over the mountain and through the woods and explored a few castles. The weather in the fall is ideal, warm sunny low 70s, perfect for exploring. And since we were receiving a bucket of fresh cows milk a few times a week, from the neighbor, we even tried our hand at making homemade cream cheese, because why not. The texture and taste turned out pretty good. We also picked the last of the grapes for wine and eventually raki. The art of making homemade wine was fun, messy and delicious. Once we sorted most of the leaves from the grapes we placed them a large plastic container after manually hand mashing the grapes, like I said fun but messy!! He promised our first harvest the following year I could feet smash the grapes, gitty excited! And now the waiting part and twice daily smash begins. After 7 days, we were able siphon the liquid and sift the grape mush. At this stage it is DELICIOUS!!! We continue to siphon and sift the mixture for another 2 to 4 days. We funnel the liquid into 5 gallon glass jars and after a few days of rest we sift and transfer to wine bottles and cork. Supplies for this are available at most stores around the area as it is tradition to make homemade wine and raki. Ok, some of you may or may not know what raki is so let me explain. Raki, pronounced Rah Key in English, is the Albanian equivalence to moonshine in America. It is distilled liquor from fermented fruit. It is very strong and can still be felt for a few minutes after each swallow. We made our first batch together from the grapes post wine. We were blissfully aware and overwhelmed with how happy we were to be living together and free from the what if conversations that plagued our year.

Our home, built by my husband, his brother and his late father in the mid 90's. It is a rock and cement home, most of the building materials for this home came from the land and mountain behind the home. His childhood home is no longer standing, it was a large multi-family home where his grandparents, two uncles and their families, and his family resided. Homes in Albania tend to accommodate multi-family/generations, our home was built for a single family, although originally it was discussed to add a second floor but it remained a single floor home with two bedrooms, one formal living room and a kitchen family room combo, and a bathroom. When his family immigrated to the states in the late 90's it was left as is for almost two decades minus a brief stay by his sister and her in-law's family while they were building their home. Some improvements were done during that time such as new windows, roof, doors, kitchen cabinets, and tile. My husband arrived in September to start the process of getting the house ready to be occupied. Some furniture, dishes, linens and other odds and ends were left by his family and his sisters so he had some sorting to do and some deep cleaning. By the time I arrived in October he had new custom furniture and closets made and set up in our bedroom, washer and dryer installed, gravel poured for an actual driveway, buried the water line, gas and electric up and running, fiber internet installed, acquired two pigs Bacon and Sausage and deep cleaned (mostly his sister) the entire home. We did sort through the rest of the linens and furniture after I arrived and kept the dining room table and chairs, coffee table and a box of linens, the rest of the furniture and linens were given to a local family in need. It was a wonderful homecoming after 6 months and two continents apart. We took our time exploring the hill, land, caves and views behind the house. It was fall so the colors were magical and we collected wild pomegranates, tea and pears from the trees and land. And I got my first lesson on the vines in our vineyard and garden. We have variety of fruit trees in our garden two varieties of persimmons, quinces, pears, plums, dates, thanas, olives, three varieties of mulberries, figs, pomegranates, four varieties of apples, cherry, peach, bobes and several blackberry and blueberry bushes. Growing up the closest I ever got to gardening at home was when we left out pumpkins on the side of the house and the next year we had vines with pumpkins, beyond that my aunt and grandma had gardens. I had zero experience with the planting, maintenance or harvesting. We finished up my first week with a bit of shopping for new custom furniture for the living rooms and second bedroom. And I started to work from home in the early mornings and late evenings to keep in contact with the correct time zones for New Zealand.