We had quite a storm last night – enough wind to blow down branches and pull laundry off the clothesline. There were puddles in the driveway this morning – that hasn’t happened most of the season. Last night Oscar was inside – he hates thunder. And today during the day long drizzle Big Red decided that napping in the house was preferable to any place outdoors. I was working and at one point I …
Eat local challenges in August always amuse me. The REAL challenge is to eat as much as local as possible all year round. This morning and again at midday I felt like some greens would perk me up. So I tried a wrap. Wrap and avocado are NOT local. But The quark from Cosmic Wheel Creamery came from Amery, the radishes from Whetstone Farm, the greens from Steady Hand farm, the tomatoes …
Each summer I canned organic peaches for Ken. Ken loved all stone fruit like peaches, plums, cherries, etc. The stone fruits consistently show up on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of foods that have high pesticide residues. So I made an effort to find and can organic peaches in pint jars; Ken could take them out to the field with a spoon and have a mid morning and/or a mid afternoon snack. With …
Yesterday we had some rain. Some years when it is warm and damp the plums start to mold where one plum touches another fruit. I wanted to avoid this. So today I went out to check on the plums. And just look at what I found! Ken loved plums, and my mother does, too. I like them and will eat lots, but some will go for jam. So, soon I will be jammin’!
Most of my time now is spent cleaning, sorting, and divesting. But last week I added. My ten hens did not have a rooster. I had given the one I had him to Otto so he could have fertile eggs if he got a broody hen. I like having a rooster to protect the flock – and also to have fertile eggs if I want to let a hen hatch. A friend Erin was happy …
So, it has begun. Now when there is surplus and some blemished produce, one starts to freeze, can, dehydrate. Since I still have many jars in the root cellar, I started here with freezing melon. Smoothies or sorbet come next spring when we get heat before we have fresh fruit Thank you, Josh and Rama! The first sorbet goes to you.
Today another chapter ended. The retail produce cooler is ready for a new home. This hinged on reducing the poultry population to a manageable size – and reducing egg production. I have stopped selling pots and produce – except eggs – since May. Time to clear it out! So, where do I put the surplus eggs? Thanks to Charlie and Karen we have a little “beer fridge” in the basement. I …
Odd. In the midst of loss there is an opening of possibilities – do I stay here? Do I garden? Do I keep tractors or sell them? Do I learn things Ken did? Do I hire them out? My life has changed. I have many decisions to make. I have started by sorting through stuff. Mine first. This was the rags a couple weeks ago. I am down to a few coats. …
When I met Ken I had LOTS of house plants. And some came with me to Turtle Lake. Ken took over the houseplant tasks. And he had great success with all the plants I brought EXCEPT the peace lily or spathiphyllum I brought. It likes filtered light and Ken was of a more light the better philosophy. That spath fried and died. When Ken died, his aunts and an uncle on …
After posts of my progress on clearing the main floor – some IS getting pitched; some is getting sorted, labeled and moved out to a shed – I am seeing that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel! I am down to two boxes of garments and two boxes of knits on the main floor ( there may be more lurking upstairs ). Currently I am trimming off seams and disassembling by …
