I should take a new header picture because things have changed! We are down several inches in rain and grass is getting very brown, the garden is slowly dying (and I don't care!). The big worry is pasture. We have plenty of hay but hate to start feeding before fall.
Update:
Granddaughter just has one more week with us. (where did the summer go?) I bet I will be lonely for a few days, I know I won't be as busy inside.
Garden is over except for a few tomatoes and peppers. I had one of my best sweet corn crops in several years. We finally beat the varmints to it. DH trapped two raccoons, one possum and shot a groundhog before I was able to harvest. Last year they got it all. We still have a groundhog in the orchard that stripped the trees there. I hope to have my first harvest of pears in the backyard garden if I can defeat the groundhog. This is the Seckel pear:
>Update:
Granddaughter just has one more week with us. (where did the summer go?) I bet I will be lonely for a few days, I know I won't be as busy inside.
Garden is over except for a few tomatoes and peppers. I had one of my best sweet corn crops in several years. We finally beat the varmints to it. DH trapped two raccoons, one possum and shot a groundhog before I was able to harvest. Last year they got it all. We still have a groundhog in the orchard that stripped the trees there. I hope to have my first harvest of pears in the backyard garden if I can defeat the groundhog. This is the Seckel pear:
Corn
I have grown the variety Bodacious for several years; it is hard to beat. We harvest into the garden cart with me walking the rows with a smaller container and passing it to DH to dump into the cart.
I clean it under a huge Silver Maple in the west yard and toss the husks into the garden cart. I had very little waste and very little worm damage. I never spray or use anything for the worms. The chickens were happy to get the tips:
By the way, these are the ugliest chickens, but the best layers we have ever had! Very tame and one or two will squat down and you can pick them up.
I made one batch of catsup and have canned 22 pints of tomatoes. I would like to make a batch of salsa but the tomatoes may die before I get enough.
Cooking
Baking is still my favorite thing to do. I have a new routine now. DH just loves white bread so I make a batch for him and I think whole wheat is the better choice for me so I have evolved a wheat berry or whole oat whole wheat for me.
I stretch the 3 loaf recipe of white into 4 loaves which means he is eating less bread (his idea).
We are in the midst of getting DH's mother (the best MIL one could ever have) moved to an assisted living place. It was all her idea. She is trying to give me everything that isn't nailed down.....and I am crowded as it is. We are having an auction for everything including the house. Be interesting to see how all that goes.
She is almost giddy with excitement over the move; she has two friends from church already living there which helps.
It is cloudy we are hoping for rain!
We're crossing our fingers for rain also; it's badly needed.
ReplyDeleteHow cool that your MIL is actually excited to be going into an assisted living place, usually there's lots of hemming & hawing & even anger when you hear about somebody going into assisted living :)
I hope you get some much needed rain up there. We are having an over abundance. At least we're not in drought conditions anymore and I don't have to water much, just the containers if we don't have rain for a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteYour bread looks delicious! I need to make some more in my new bread machine. :-) The house smells so yummy when the bread is baking. It really is something for me to do in the cooler months though.
Love and hugs to you ~ FlowerLady
P.S. You will miss your grand daughter. I'm glad you had this time with her.
ReplyDeleteI hope all goes well with your dear MIL's move. It's great that she's excited about this and that she already has friends living there. I hope the auction and sale all go smoothly.
FlowerLady
I can smell your bread...mmmmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteI baked my first batch of bread today since we moved her. It is so good! I look forward to making more.
ReplyDeleteI bet you will miss your grand daughter spending days with your loved ones then them having to leave can leave an empty spot in ones day.
Do hope your MIL is happy in her new digs!
Some of your pics aren't loading and the HTML code is showing on your post instead of the pic. I did manage to load up the picture of the corn, though. OMIGOSH that looks AMAZING! Thank goodness the critters didn't clean you out. We are dry last few days with September weather - kinda brrrrrr. The cold July and August have really set back the tomatoes, though. Hope I get some ripe ones before blight gets to it. My Mom has outlived all her friends so things are really depressing for her these days. Glad your MIL is doing well and still getting excited about things. Take care.....
ReplyDeleteGood to hear your newsy update. Don't those garden varmints just chap your hide? Our sweet corn wasn't bothered this year but some varmint got several melons and tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteHope you get rain. We are dry as toast but may get some rain today.
We finally got some rain yesterday...hope that some moves into Missouri again tonight or tomorrow. Your groundhog story just makes me cringe! We are bothered by voles, possum and coons. We shoot the ones we can and voles. . . a whole 'nother story! I have caught them in mouse traps but one would need to have hundreds of traps! Which reminds me--I'd best go out and check my melons and see if the varmints have eaten them.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear positive approaches to Assisted Living and about your crops doing well this year, Glenda. My MIL's house in FL sold in ten days; the one in CT took three months after her passing. The majority of her things were donated to local churches and charities since all her children already had full houses. We just put up some corn...our first batch and I've been freezing a few vegetable soups for winter enjoyment. ...:)JP
ReplyDeleteGlenda,
ReplyDeleteYum home made bread.......................I'm coming your way with some homemade jam and a pot of coffee :-)
I wish my Mom would consider assisted living, she has issues and is very strong willed.