Every year about this time my sister Shirley and her husband Gary Vickers dig out the old copper pot that Gary's dad once used to carry on the family tradition of making Apple Butter outside over the fire. It's a great story behind this tradition from the reason it was started to the utensils that are used. Gary and Shirley's family as well as friends and neighbors gather on the old homestead to catch up on family stories, visit with old friends and enjoy the beautiful Fall day while all the time stirrring the apples cooking down in the old copper pot.
This was the same pot that Gary's dad used to start this family tradition.
Once the spices have all been added and the Apple Butter has been declared "just right" then Gary begins dishing it up and ladling it on the biscuits that Shirley have baked and are hot out of the oven.
Does this look great or what! While Gary is outside overseeing the cooking of the Apple Butter Shirley is running the kitchen!
She's making soup by the gallons and the table is laden with the best foods around! It's a feast day to be sure!
Gary likes to make sure everyone gets to take home some Apple Butter to remember the day by too!
The crowd doesn't get in any hurry to head home after the Apple Butter is sealed in jars cause enjoying time spent with family and friends is as much a part of the Tradition as making the Apple Butter.
Boxes of Apple Butter will be stored in the cellar to be enjoyed all year long. Of course that is after family have taken some home with them!
Then the big copper pot is carried over to the side where it can be prepared to use again another year down the road.
Notice the wooden paddle used to stir the Apple Butter. Hand made by another one of the Vicker's brothers.
Who do you think peeled all those apples? And what do you think they use the peelings for at the end of the day? Now here's a reminder of all the work that went into this day!
Today was also a time for cousins and friends to get to play together while the grownups worked and visited and laughed and made memories of another year carrying on The Tradition.
And how could a group of kids resist the urge to climb on the rows of hay and play "King of the Mountain" or whatever kids play these days. Good old fashioned fun climbing on bales of hay like their parents once did--even though they may not have had this size of bales!
King of the Mountain! Will this young man take home some wonderful memories of the day he has experienced today? My guess is he certainly will!
The run part of the pen was covered with hay bale wrap which I am hoping will last at least for a few years. Don't you know the hawk is wondering what that stuff was? Now the "little flock" can wander their pen in safety even though they don't know they are safe.
Here's the "little flock" as they hear me pull up on the 4 wheeler. They are learning how to get along in the chicken yard. It's a good lesson to learn. Too bad people don't learn that lesson also!
And they love the wheat that we throw out to them too!
Unfortunately, for some reasons we're only getting 1 egg a day out of 20 chickens. Something's not right here.
The peacocks love the big pen giving them much more freedom to wander. Here's my favorite one checking out what I am doing in their pen. 
This chicken is quite the escape artist. It can get out of the smallest hole!
My favorite Seabright rooster hopped right up on the roost and crowed his heart out!!
Isn't John Wayne looking fat and sassy here? 
The two peacocks are checking out this new place. And they are not sure if they want to go into this building. So far we are going out after dark and putting them in the building. Hopefully they will start going in on their own although they have spent the last several months roosting outside. We'll see.
Here's my favorite chicken. Polish Crested.
More pictures of my "little flock" happily spending time in the yard!
Love these Seabright"s. Beautiful chickens!
Doesn't this make you laugh? Having a bad hair day. Love my "little flock!" And now they are safe from THE HAWK!
