cotton

photograph by rinne allen

rural studio’s sub rosa chapel

as we mentioned earlier this week, rural studio has been a place we have visited many times over the last 20 years, for inspiration and ideas.

one of our favorite, somewhat secret places they have designed and built is this subterranean chapel, Sub Rosa, built into the side of a small knoll, in honor of their late co-founder, samuel mockbee. finding it is like finding the pot of gold at the end of a treasure hunt, and walking into it, down the dark corridor, into the light of its oculus is a great reward and provides a quiet, calming feeling. it is a beautiful, beautiful place.

photographs and words by rinne allen

corn

photograph by rinne allen

hale county vernacular

as we mentioned earlier this week, rural studio has been a place we have visited many times over the last 20 years, for inspiration and ideas.

rural studio was intentionally situated in hale county in western central alabama. hale county is well known through literature (‘’let us now praise famous men” and many others) and photography (the work of walker evans and william christen berry, among others). it is also well-known for the intense strife and poverty its residents face.

it has a beautiful landscape; open and agricultural, but also tired and falling in…some structures seem like they can barely hold on for much longer. but, this makes for beautiful poetic buildings that have rich stories to tell…the layers of patina go deep.

photographs and words by rinne allen

golden hour

photograph by kristin karch

rural studio’s morrissette house and grounds

twenty years ago, rebecca and i and a small handful of friends went to rural studio for a long weekend to help build a bathhouse. little did we know the amazing world we were stepping into, but, without a doubt, that weekend changed my life. we spent hours and hours working alongside the late co-founder of rural studio, samuel mockbee, and his young students as they constructed one of the first outbuildings on the grounds of their home base, the morrissette house. that weekend, we drove bobcats, mixed concrete, and laid brick and block over the course of three days, and had long, thought-provoking conversations all the while.

now, 20 years later, i recently completed my 5th visit to rural studio to check in and see the changes and transitions they have been through and brought to the surrounding area of hale county, alabama. the grounds of the morrissette house still house the bathhouse and ‘pods’ for students, but also an almost-complete greenhouse, a small farm, all sorts of outdoor gathering spaces, a kitchen, and other experimental structures.

wishes

photograph by kristen bach

fall pinks

photographs by rinne allen

country pears

photo by kristen bach

dried pears

some sundays are spent figuring out what to pack in the lunchbox for the next week.  yesterday my daughter and i had fun making some dried pear chips for her lunch.  we had the windows open, and soon, the house was filled with the comforting scent of fall. 

this recipe is so easy, it does take some time in the oven, but it so worth it! 

enjoy!

ingredients:
pears, unripe ones are just fine
spices, optional (we just kept ours plain and they were great!)

directions:
-pre-heat oven to 200 degrees
-line cookie sheet with parchment paper
-thinly slice your pears (the thinner the better, so sharpen your knife! you may also use a mandoline for even slices.)
-place a single layer of pears on your cookie sheets
-bake for 1 1/2 hours, flip them all over
-put back in the oven and cook for another 1 1/2 hours
-store in an airtight container until they disappear!

photo and recipe by kristen bach

oak

photograph by kristen bach

arrow apple festival

for the last six years, arrow has hosted an annual apple festival, celebrating apple harvest time, and the fall season, for our community...

this year's festival was this past saturday and we had a beautiful fall day and saw lots of friends!

each year, arrow sells mountain apples from ellijay, georgia as a fundraiser, as well as fresh cider. there is also an apple pie contest where many restaurants and friends bake pies...yum! this year ken manring from white tiger helped judge the apple pie contest, and friend bird smith (age 10) cuts an apple themed block for us to print from...!

it is such a fun day... !

photographs by kristin karch, words by rinne allen

shady path

photographs by rebecca wood

last of the pokes

the long dry summer is finally giving up the ghost as cool winds and blue skies appear. i went to visit a few pokeberry patches along the river, admiring their magenta stems and lovely colors. goodbye till next year, pokeberries. thanks for all the beauty!

photographs and words by rebecca wood

overgrown

photograph by kristen bach

christ's church

another old church on edisto. christ church, organized in 1835. beautifully framed by ancient trees and hanging moss.

words and photographs by rebecca wood

pokeberry at dawn

photograph by kristen bach

autumn garden

we had an abnormally long summer here in georgia, with temperatures in the upper eighties until late september. i think it confused our plants a little bit, but regardless, it made for a beautiful time in the garden.

photographs by kristin karch

morning dew

photograph by kristen bach

end of summer garden frittata

our summer garden is looking like a wild jungle right now.  i always have a hard pulling out our summer plants that are still growing tomatoes and peppers.  so we are still harvesting the plants bit by bit until the first frost comes. 
when we need a quick dinner on the fly, frittatas are my go to dish.  we usually always have eggs on hand and you can throw in mostly any vegetable.  so last night we harvested some cherry tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and cilantro from the garden and made this yummy dinner....in just a handful of minutes!
ingredients
8 eggs
1/4 cup of whole milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
spring onions
potatoes (cooked)
sweet peppers
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves of garlic
a small handful of cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
directions
-pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
-boil the potatoes until al dente
-in a cast iron pan add olive oil and heat to medium high heat
-add the diced onion and diced potatoes
-cook them until they begin to show some color
-add peppers and garlic and cook for a few minutes
-remove from heat
-in a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together, salt and pepper to taste
-pour egg mixture over the vegetables
-evenly sprinkle the tomatoes, cilantro, and spring onions
-return to medium high heat for 2 minutes
-place pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes, watch carefully!
-top with fresh herbs or microgreens and serve with a baguette and a side of fresh salad to complete the meal!
 

photo and recipe by kristen bach