Danville, Ky : "The Cottage"
News from The Cottage (Archive)
The Buckeyes are Falling! (October 2009)
October is the month we love to walk out beyond the Cottage, over the hill to a fencerow on the back of the farm where several old Ohio Buckeye trees grow. In late summer the trees are heavy with fruit – a slightly spiny, golden-brown pod – and by October, the fruit falls to the ground, opening slightly to reveal its smooth, shiny brown (with peanut butter- colored eye) seed.
The buckeye tree, so named by Native Americans because the fruit resembles the eye of a male deer (a buck), is a member of the Horse Chestnut family (Aesculus Glabra), and according to its folklore, carrying a buckeye seed in one’s pocket offers both good luck and relief from rheumatism!
Although the seeds are inedible (according to Ohio State University, they contain toxic chemicals - glycosides, saponins, and possibly alkaloids), we gather them by the handsful and stuff our pockets to the point of overflowing. I box up the buckeyes and take them home, first replenishing the bowlful kept on the bookcase as mementos of our gatherings, and then passing along the remaining few, with folksy lore and veneration, to cherished friends as good luck charms!
What’s Flourishing at the Cottage (September 2009)
It’s September and the Queen Anne’s Lace is in glorious bloom!
According to The Meaning of Flowers, written by Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field, Queen Anne’s Lace stands for self-reliance. They say, “In the rain, the stems of Queen Anne’s Lace bow down to protect its pollen from the raindrops. A member of the parsley family, this plant has small creamy flowers in dense heads surrounding a single central purple blossom. The white blooms have been likened to the Queen’s frilly headdress, the dark central flower to a single drop of her royal blood.
But, Beware! Scoble and Field say that in England, it was considered bad luck to bring Queen Anne’s lace indoors. Enjoy them in the fields surrounding the Cottage, and be sure to look closely for that lone dark flower in the center of each bloom. Although it looks a lot like a tiny bug, it’s actually a single, dark red blossom!
Dry Stone Conservancy Visits The Cottage 4/12/08 - 4/13/08
The Dry Stone Conservancy held a workshop at the T.B.Bright Farmstead, 2826 Lexington Road, Danville, Ky. on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13, 2008. They performed work on a fence near the highway so if you travel east on Route 34 between Danville and Camp Dick Robinson.
The mission of the nonprofit Dry Stone Conservancy is to revive and promote the ancient craft of dry stone masonry and to preserve existing dry stone structures.
For more information on the rock fence restoration workshop at The Cottage, click here .
For more information about the Dry Stone Conservancy organization, click here .
New Website Launched
In January 2008, The Cottage reaches out to friends and family, known and those we've yet to meet with our new website. We welcome your comments and suggestions at info@cottageofdanville.com. Stay tuned for updates and new information available soon.
For more information or to make a reservation, please contact Chris Kubale.
The Cottage Bed & Breakfast
2826 Lexington Road
Danville, KY 40422
859-236-9642
info@cottageofdanville.com