Rain, Lovely Rain

I know, I know… last week I was singing rain – rain go away!

It was getting pretty dry & everything seriously needed watered. 

The thick & fluffy clouds rolled in early yesterday morning.  They were beautiful…. so low, they looked to be brushing the tree tops

Perfect weather for processing corn outside. Mr.Fix-it is an early riser…What I call “O”-God thirty”   You know, when most of us look at the clock and groan and roll back over.  By the time I came out at 8AM, he had everything set up and was well into having the corn shucked and ready  (My Hero)

While the first batch was in blanching for 10 minutes & then cooling,  we finished the shucking

Turkey fryer works perfectly with a large kettle

Corn bagged and cooling a bit more in the breeze before going in the freezer.

I love this burner, canning (water bath) works so well outside & saves tons.  I’m not using the house propane, the heat stays outside saving the A.C. usage…& electric bill which I love!

The weather stayed beautiful all day, much cooler & the rain (wonderful rain) came at dusk once we were inside. I couldn’t ask for better than that!

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As far as a garden up date goes, I fought the squash bug & borer’s but they won.  I had to pull 3 of the squash plants out.  I found finally found Neem oil but it was to late for these.  I’m hoping I can get it sprayed soon enough to save the other plants… once it quits raining. 

The rest of the garden is looking decent,  the potato’s are showing blooms, melons are setting fruit & the surprise pumpkin are growing like crazy. Now it’s down to the waiting game. Other than the raised beds and cucumber area, all sections have been weeded clear & bare areas ready for fall planting in a week or so…but, that was yesterday….today who knows.

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The first batch of blackberry jam was made the other day..the first 2 gallons went in the freezer slated for winter cobblers

I’ve another batch waiting to be made now while Miss Alix is napping so, off for jam making & house cleaning while it’s to wet for outdoor work.

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,garden,outdoor canning,gardening,blackberries,preserving,blackberry jam

Pesky Wabbits!

Loved my maters!

Yes loved, past tense.

They had shot up over a foot tall and were leafing out really well, nice thick tasty stalks *Sigh*  A dozen roma’s, 3 Amish heritage & 2 chocolate cherry.  More than they could say no to I guess because they ate them all down to little nubs  I’d considered letting that small garden section rest this year but planted them anyway.  You could say they changed my mind for me LOL!  The past few years my tomato’s have been wonderful & undisturbed by 4 legged pests.  My BIL happens to raise domestic rabbits & I was lucky enough to be the recipient of the poop & bedding.  Mulched straight into the garden it was the best wild rabbit deterrent I’d found.  This past fall he bought a house about 30 miles away & cut the amount of rabbits they have drastically.  so NO POOP FOR ME (very often)

I thought I’d just let the tomato’s go this year, there are plenty still put up from last year…then my oldest daughter Danielle brought me a dozen more heritage plants! What a sweet heart she is but, now I need to figure out where to put them. 

I still can’t pull my bow so yesterday, I took a couple of bales of straw I’d used as backer for target practice and mulched them in the tomato garden.  No sense letting them rot when I could put them to good use. Trying to get ahead & help smother the weeds and wire grass that would attempt a take over, I was spreading the straw my legs and arms started itching bad..well, I wasn’t looking at what was in my hands I was looking where I needed to spread more.  Turns out there was an ant hill started in that straw!  My arms and legs were covered with ants!  I brushed off as many as I could and finished spreading pretty darn quick.  Thankfully Mr. Fix-It had the hose on & I got them rinsed off ricky tic!. that cold water felt so good. Those suckers bite!  I have more than a few polka dot legs and arms this morning.

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Last night we used big red and dropped 4 bucket loads of dirt in the front of the little house.  Some It he dug near the creek.  Its nice and rich soil full of worms but some has bits of clay. Believe it or not this has been tilled ..more to break up the wet chunks so we could move it around some. I’ve nowhere near the compost needed so I’m going to price loads from earth first tomorrow

We left it to dry out for a few days and our 90 degree temps today sure gave it a good start.

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Mr. Fix-It ended up needing another MRI on his arm & had it done today.  It started to improve and then went down hill again.  Basically he’s at the point he can’t use it at all. Dr’s are pretty sure something was missed in the last MRI.  Either it didn’t show or, was not properly read….either way, something is really wrong.  I (with my limited medical knowledge you could fit in a tea cup)  think there is/was a small tear and as the strained muscles healed and he started building strength caused the muscle to tear more & create the *take you to your knees* pain.  It’s the only thing that makes sense. It’s not that we want there to be a tear but it’s the only thing left other than nerve damage.

We get the results tomorrow so your positive thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.

Hope you had a wonderful day

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening on the cheap,gardening,garden pests,healing

 

 

Where did the week go?!?!

Guess I blinked and it was GONE!

Mr. Fix-It ran the tiller back through the garden for me, (yes he’s feeling much better) on Monday.  We tilled last week and had rain rain rain.  To wet to plant but the wire grass took off like crazy!   It came in like gang busters and those roots were pretty darn deep.

Tuesday I raked it out and started planting.  Blue lake green beans took up 2 rows, Italian green beans took another 2.  Beets (late going in) took up half a row.  I plan to plant turnips in the other half.  This is my first year planting turnips.  I honestly don’t remember eating them but, we need to grow more of what we can eat so, they are going in.  I’ve heard in recipe's you can mix them in with potato's?    Feel free to toss your favorite tried and true turnip recipes this way!  Scalloped , zucchini, & spaghetti squashes went in next.  By this time Isaiah was home from school and came out to lend a hand (YES child labor) 

Did I tell you how good & freeing it felt to be out in the garden again???  My arm has healed well enough I could do anything I needed.  I admit I was a tad sore after I was done for the day but, I think that was just as much needing to burn winter off my back side

I had a blueberry replacement plant ready to be set, I talked Isaiah through how to do it and he went to town digging.  It was really hard to walk away and turn him loose. The dead plant was pulled out and replaced in a wink.  He did a great job and was so proud he was trusted to do it all on his own.  Level and nice and straight.  Of course he thinks that bush will produce the most fruit because he planted it.   Gah, it starts early LOL!

Isaiah & I were clearing all the weeds from the dirt mound at the end of the garden…it was left over soil from filling the raised beds….weeds have gone to town on it and looks nasty.  we were weeding away, Isaiah was in front of me reaching for the next hand full… when I looked up and saw this

We left it alone as I don’t think its one we have to worry about biting but, we decided it could play by its own slithery self.

Guess I should have posted this earlier as I started it Wednesday & it’s now Sunday PM!!

Since then its been raining off and on. 

Just enough to keep everything wet and mucky.  That’s ok, its less water I have to haul

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening,creepy crawlies

Took a lazy day

Yesterday was such a sleepy lazy day.  We’d spent the evening before at a family (belated) 4th of July celebration.  We’re a bunch of pyro’s at heart I have to admit.  Tents, fans and misting hoses kept us from being to hot in the 97% humidity and 104 heat…until the power went out about 7 pm.  First brown out I’ve known in the 20 years we’ve lived here.  It was back on by a bit after 11pm but we were home by then.

Yesterday (Sunday) I couldn’t focus on a thing.  I think it was a cumulative of to many

days of outdoor activity in the heat.   Good news is the temps have cooled, thank God!

Today was planned as a day for weeding,  I know with last nights rain the weeds in the garden will have grown a foot & I have a good size load of rabbit poo waiting to be mulched in the garden. But, I think this heat has really zapped me cause I never left the house.  I puttered around the house & had energy for changing bedding, a bit of laundry and meals but that was it.

Tomorrow, is a day to tackle a bit of weeding…I think I need to double up on my vitamins for a few days to get them all.  So how about my blogger family out there, anyone visited by the rain clouds?  I will admit I did a little 2-step in the rain

Aaaaand This photo is for Mama Pea

These used be pretty good sized nice, thick and full. I kept finding all these little black dots on the counter & window ledge..couldn’t figure it out till I really looked at the plants and found………

An Army worm on each plant!! I could see them chewing away and a blade fell off as I was watching Can you say gross! On a house plant!!! Now I really need to go check the others.  Who’da thunk…house plants   EWwwwww!

kinda creeped out now

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening,garden pests