THE search for Ruger continues and the sighting calls keep coming in from all around. Yet we've so far been unable to catch up to the little guy! The last known sighting was last night around 8:00. A guy who lives about 5 miles away from us tried to get in touch with us to tell us he had seen a dog running around and he was sure it was Ruger.
This is the second time he's seen him and told us about it but by the time we get over to his neck of the woods, the dog has vanished. He put out some bologna and some bread in the hope that he'll lure him back. Well, there's no telling what will actually eat that food but we're hoping Ruger will again be spotted and maybe even captured for a safe return!
In the meantime, one of the false alarms from yesterday resulted in us having a new dog that looks a lot like Ruger but clearly isn't him. We started calling him Buddy. He has the same color fur but he's fluffier. He has the same tail but again, it's fluffier. He even has brownish colored ears like Ruger but his face is a little pointier whereas Ruger's face is kind of wide. We figured we would keep him if he wanted to stay and he was on the porch this morning when I got up. Unfortunately, by the time Wally got up, he had left.
Perhaps he had a home to go to and was missing his people. We're hoping Ruger is trying to come home to us for just that same reason :) We would have put up signs for a "found dog" so in case his people were looking for him, we could give him back. but unless he decides to come back to the farm, I guess we won't have that opportunity. By the way, we did have him on the chain so he wouldn't wander off but he did like Colt and escaped. There was no point putting him back on it and we were surprised to see that he didn't run off throughout the night even if morning meant leaving.
No matter where we're going, we're always on the look-out for our little Ruger, and thankfully, so are most of the townsfolk. There's not a lot going on in this small town so when a dog comes up missing, folks start talking about it and watching out for it. Cool, huh? We do the same when we hear of someone else missing an animal. It's just the way of life here.
My ride to work this morning was so perfect :) The sun was trying to light the sky but it was still too low to be completely daylight so I turned on my lights. The earlier clouds had moved on and the horizon was just beginning to glow pink. As I wound my way through the curvy roads towards work, I watched the roadside for deer movement as this time of the morning is prime for them to be foraging.
The deer count this morning was 4!! They weren't all in one spot either which made for surprises around several corners. When I saw the first one, I thought - okay - this is going to be a really good day :) Then Neccy called to say that Ruger had been seen (word travels from TN to FL!) and my day got even brighter! Then to see three more deer before I got to work, well, that was just the icing on the cake.
I was mostly alone on Hwy. 100. There may have been one or two other cars but they were headed in the opposite direction. By the time I reached the Loveless Cafe, which is where I make my turn, I was able to shut off the headlights. The sun was coming up on a beautiful Tennessee morning; there was dew glistening on the grass and hay fields, the horses were shrouded in fog as they grazed in their pastures, the cows and goats were just beginning to stir and I was rewarded with 4 deer sightings. As I watch all of this pass me by, all I can do is smile and be grateful for where I am and what I see in front of me.
A beautiful morning - a beautiful start to a sunny, warm, TN summer Thursday :) I sure hope your morning was just a nice or even nicer, if that's at all possible :)
Soon the workday will be through and I'll be back on those same roads watching for more deer and filling my eyes with all the green colors of the world. From trees and shrubs to grass and corn - everything seems to have turned green. The gardens are full of lush, green, tomato plants, basketball size, ripening cabbages and peppers in numbers so great their stems bend towards the ground. All just begging to be picked and eaten. The squash on their hills are so tall you can clearly see the golden, yellow gems resting in their shade. They look pretty comfortable too!! LOL
It's that time of year when people are busy mowing their property and planting flowers around their mailboxes. There are motorcycle rides through the hills planned for most every weekend if you care to join one. The farm stands are full to bursting with freshly picked vegetables and wild blackberries for everyone to enjoy! It makes for a difficult ride home as I want to stop and buy something from all of them. Of course, with my basket deliveries, there's no need but still the temptation won't leave me.
We have lots of stuff planned for the upcoming holiday weekend as you already know but even if we didn't go anywhere or do anything, I'd be perfectly content. With the humming birds attacking their feeders, the dogs lazily napping in the shade on the back porch, my clothes gently swaying and drying in the mountain air and no weeds to worry with - why would anyone think about leaving?? LOL You are welcome to come see what I mean :) :)
Happy Birthday to Sheila Crites - if you happen to see her please give her a hug for me!
To all those of you who know Lew - put in a good word for him as he goes through chemotherapy and back surgery. The road ahead is long and likely to be difficult but he would be there for each of us if the shoe were on the other foot. :) He's a good guy.
I'll try to post again tomorrow but I'm after tomorrow I'll be out of the office until next Thursday so there's lots to do to prepare to be out. I promise to post lots of pictures upon my return!! Enjoy the holiday weekend and don't eat too many hot dogs...it's hard not to though, isn't it??
and in closing...
"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!" ~Thomas Jefferson
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime!!
HERE we go folks!! The weather is hot and steamy then chilly, windy and rainy. I never know what it's going to be like but I know for certain no matter what it's like right now, in about 2 hours that could change completely :) Our yard is green and growing quickly. The garden is lush with grass, weeds and tomatoes!! LOL The beans are definitely on the way to recovery and we're throwing a party in honor of the 4th of July.
If all goes well, we'll be taking a dip in the swimming hole while the chicken, ribs and pork shoulder cook on the smoker. I'm taking Kris' idea of the beer can chicken for this get-together. We'll stuff that can you-know-where and season the outside of the chicken liberally with seasoning salt, garlic powder and black pepper. It goes on the smoker until the liquid completely evaporates at which time the chicken will fall over - the perfect indication that it's done cooking!
I haven't quite decided on the side dishes yet but I'm thinking cole slaw and marinated cucumbers. Now some of you might be thinking this is too much roughage but it's all good for you and besides, who can eat pork shoulder without cole slaw??? And what's a summer cookout without marinated cucumbers??? Cool, refreshing, tangy...come see and taste for yourself :) :)
We have been invited to another 4th of July celebration over at Kurt and Beverly's house although the location my change to Jeff's house. I know you don't know them but you should be used to reading about them by now??? Anyway, Jeff does the karoake and it's easier if he doesn't have to haul his equipment all over Centerville and back. Kurt is having shrimp and lobster flown in from Florida so I'll have a little trip down memory lane as I bite into those delicious shrimps!! mmm can't wait!! One thing we don't see much of up here is fresh seafood...too far from the water source to be fresh I guess.
Kurt's food is coming packed in dry ice which they say will keep it through the flight and the hour or so it takes for him to get it home. There, he'll have to either keep it iced down until Monday or go ahead and freeze it...what a shame to have to freeze it when it's fresh from the ocean. I hope he plans to keep it iced down instead.
The 5th of July is when we'll see some REAL fireworks. There's a guy up here who shoots off fireworks over his lake. His brother sells and sets off the commercial type of fireworks and whatever he has left over after the 4th, they set off on the night of the 5th. We went last year and had a blast. Basically, everyone drives over there, parks their trucks, cars or whatever and it's like a huge tailgate party. Sure it can be hot on the 4th of July but so what - that's part of the celebration if you ask me. Put on your tank tops, flip flops, shorts, sunscreen and hats and load the cooler with your favorite beverage. This show takes a couple hours so you need to come prepared - of course I'll bring snacks :) :) We'll probably drive over in my big red truck - there's plenty of room for all of us in there.
I remember the days in Altamonte when we would all gather in my front yard and watch the fireworks going off over Crane's Roost Park. What a great display they put on!! We figured we might as well sit in the yard as get in all that traffic to go over to the park and watch them. I think Neccy may have taken the kids one year...crazy huh? Oh and we also used to go park in the Pizza Hut parking lot and watch the Crane's Roost fireworks. They could easily be seen for miles!
For many years I was at Ernie's house watching the fireworks. Her and I would stand out in the road (so smart aren't we?) and watch as the sky lit up all around us. We would literally be spinning in circles as there were so many fireworks displays to see lighting up the evening sky all around her neighborhood.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, just be careful with those fireworks - they can be so dangerous in the wrong hands...
We're still missing our dog, Ruger. He took off on a Friday and hasn't been back since. We have driven miles and miles looking for him and asking everyone we see about him. Several people have told us they thought they saw him but were always too far behind him to catch up. We're not giving up hope and, of course, we hope if someone has him that they are at least taking good care of him. Come home Ruger!!
Colt misses him something fierce - he's been bringing sticks, bones, wire, pretty much whatever he can find up to the back porch and he leaves it right outside the door. He has chewed the door mat to shreds and even chewed up a soft-side cooler that was left outside. One of the dog shampoo bottles was on the ground under the porch - he brought that up to the door. You know how much he loves getting a bath so that had to be a real prize for us. I told Wally I think he thinks we got rid of Ruger and now he's trying to prove his worth and value by bringing us prizes like that.... LOL Wally said he needs to learn to take the sticks to the burn pile instead of leaving them on the porch. Every day we find he's brought us something new. Poor little fellow just misses his brother...
If you've seen the pictures on the flickr site, you know that my baskets have been just brimming with healthy, all natural, locally grown fruits and vegetables. In this week's basket was a head of red leaf lettuce, a new variety of carrots - these are slightly larger than the first two bunches, tomatoes - including an heirloom variety that I devoured as soon as we got home, cucumbers - also a new variety, one that changes color and flavor as it matures on the vine, a nice, big head of cabbage (going to try Kris' creamed cabbage recipe!), scallions, crookneck squash, patty pan squash and a nice container of blueberries. This is the first year my farmer has grown blueberries and what a sweet success they turned out to be!!
We were at a friend's house yesterday after picking up the basket and he let me wander through his garden. He had a surplus of jalapeno peppers that he told me to help myself to!!! woo hoo!! Well, I didn't make a pig of myself but I did pick about 6 or 7 that looked like they were ready to come off the plants. He said he and his wife are out there picking from the garden every day now that all the vegetables are coming in. He has bean plants that aren't looking too healthy but at least nothing is eating away at them! LOL We told him how mine were eaten down to the sticks but are now showing slight signs of recovery. hahahaha he said he and his son would come take care of the rabbit population if we wanted them to. I told him he was welcome to come on over in repayment for the peppers!! That's how things go around here :)
The only thing he's waiting on now is the watermelons and the pumpkins. Those will come later in the summer and early Fall as we all well know.
I've been cooking up a storm lately. I made the turnip casserole - I think I told you about that, didn't I? Well, it was really good and makes the perfect substitute for scalloped potatoes if you have someone in your house who can't eat potatoes. The turnips were sliced thin and layered with sliced onions, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and romano cheese. Poured over top was a combination of 4 eggs, 2 cups of wine, a few dashes (or more) of hot sauce and some chopped, fresh parsley. I baked it in the oven for an hour and a half and it was ready for dinner. Whew was it ever hot!! LOL we had to let it cool for quite some time - even my alien mouth couldn't handle a bite of that casserole full on. But soon enough I was digging in!
The next day, it was even better. It seemed to me that as it sat overnight in the refrigerator it got denser. It was kind of like how lasagne does when it sits overnight...you know how it just gets together better? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
The squash was next on my list of casserole creations...LOL I took a recipe from a book, put everything together as it instructed (of course!) then added some chopped, smoked chicken that I had thawed out earlier in the day. It was good but I thought it should have had some cheese in it. Next time it definitely will. LOL
Having still an abundance of squash to eat before it goes bad on me, I decided to cook it with the peppers, onions and mushroom that I normally make to go with our steaks. That's right! When you slice your peppers, onions and mushrooms, just slice up a yellow squash to go with them. I cooked the squash in the juice from the mushrooms with a little butter added. When it started to get tender I added everything else. I sprinkled in some salt and pepper and liberally poured it over the steaks - very little juice remained but what was in that pan was all eaten when everything was said and done. Don't knock it til you've tried it :) lol
I made some stir fry but left the squash out. I kind of wish I had included it now though. It was just okay - there was definitely something missing from the last time I made it. I used all the same ingredients but it was lacking in flavor. I brought some to Darryl - just because I have to bring him something, he's always bringing us stuff - anyway, I told him it wasn't that great but maybe if he added some hot sauce to it??? He said he thought it was pretty good with or without the hot sauce so maybe it was just me.
As I said earlier, the beans are in a recovery stage. They are coming back although not nearly as many in numbers but I did get a handful of them just the other day. I saw where there are a few more little, skinny ones that will soon be ready to pick and within a week or so, I should have enough to consider them a batch! woo hoo! My trick to keeping the critters away from them is simply to stop pulling the weeds around them. Apparently, whatever it was that ate them before, doesn't recognize them now that the weeds have grown up around them. Hey, that's okay by me - whatever it takes! It was quite accidental, of course. When I saw that they were destroyed, I quit pulling the weeds. When I noticed they were coming back, I figured it was because the weeds had grown to the point where the critters couldn't tell the difference and since they don't eat weeds they have left my beans alone :) :) Love it!!
Gosh, I'm really going to miss my weekend weed pulling excursions...LOL!
The summer weekends are already being planned well in advance so there's always something to do or somewhere to go if we feel like it. I know why it's like that here now - because during the winter, if you will recall, very little going and doing got done on account of the weather... :)
While we're enjoying 87-89 degree temperatures and daily rain, which we are in desparate need of, soon the 90s will be upon us! We're outside as much as we possibly can be until that happens so if you call, leave a message, we'll get back with you once we're back in the house.
Until next time...
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~Erma Bombeck
If all goes well, we'll be taking a dip in the swimming hole while the chicken, ribs and pork shoulder cook on the smoker. I'm taking Kris' idea of the beer can chicken for this get-together. We'll stuff that can you-know-where and season the outside of the chicken liberally with seasoning salt, garlic powder and black pepper. It goes on the smoker until the liquid completely evaporates at which time the chicken will fall over - the perfect indication that it's done cooking!
I haven't quite decided on the side dishes yet but I'm thinking cole slaw and marinated cucumbers. Now some of you might be thinking this is too much roughage but it's all good for you and besides, who can eat pork shoulder without cole slaw??? And what's a summer cookout without marinated cucumbers??? Cool, refreshing, tangy...come see and taste for yourself :) :)
We have been invited to another 4th of July celebration over at Kurt and Beverly's house although the location my change to Jeff's house. I know you don't know them but you should be used to reading about them by now??? Anyway, Jeff does the karoake and it's easier if he doesn't have to haul his equipment all over Centerville and back. Kurt is having shrimp and lobster flown in from Florida so I'll have a little trip down memory lane as I bite into those delicious shrimps!! mmm can't wait!! One thing we don't see much of up here is fresh seafood...too far from the water source to be fresh I guess.
Kurt's food is coming packed in dry ice which they say will keep it through the flight and the hour or so it takes for him to get it home. There, he'll have to either keep it iced down until Monday or go ahead and freeze it...what a shame to have to freeze it when it's fresh from the ocean. I hope he plans to keep it iced down instead.
The 5th of July is when we'll see some REAL fireworks. There's a guy up here who shoots off fireworks over his lake. His brother sells and sets off the commercial type of fireworks and whatever he has left over after the 4th, they set off on the night of the 5th. We went last year and had a blast. Basically, everyone drives over there, parks their trucks, cars or whatever and it's like a huge tailgate party. Sure it can be hot on the 4th of July but so what - that's part of the celebration if you ask me. Put on your tank tops, flip flops, shorts, sunscreen and hats and load the cooler with your favorite beverage. This show takes a couple hours so you need to come prepared - of course I'll bring snacks :) :) We'll probably drive over in my big red truck - there's plenty of room for all of us in there.
I remember the days in Altamonte when we would all gather in my front yard and watch the fireworks going off over Crane's Roost Park. What a great display they put on!! We figured we might as well sit in the yard as get in all that traffic to go over to the park and watch them. I think Neccy may have taken the kids one year...crazy huh? Oh and we also used to go park in the Pizza Hut parking lot and watch the Crane's Roost fireworks. They could easily be seen for miles!
For many years I was at Ernie's house watching the fireworks. Her and I would stand out in the road (so smart aren't we?) and watch as the sky lit up all around us. We would literally be spinning in circles as there were so many fireworks displays to see lighting up the evening sky all around her neighborhood.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, just be careful with those fireworks - they can be so dangerous in the wrong hands...
We're still missing our dog, Ruger. He took off on a Friday and hasn't been back since. We have driven miles and miles looking for him and asking everyone we see about him. Several people have told us they thought they saw him but were always too far behind him to catch up. We're not giving up hope and, of course, we hope if someone has him that they are at least taking good care of him. Come home Ruger!!
Colt misses him something fierce - he's been bringing sticks, bones, wire, pretty much whatever he can find up to the back porch and he leaves it right outside the door. He has chewed the door mat to shreds and even chewed up a soft-side cooler that was left outside. One of the dog shampoo bottles was on the ground under the porch - he brought that up to the door. You know how much he loves getting a bath so that had to be a real prize for us. I told Wally I think he thinks we got rid of Ruger and now he's trying to prove his worth and value by bringing us prizes like that.... LOL Wally said he needs to learn to take the sticks to the burn pile instead of leaving them on the porch. Every day we find he's brought us something new. Poor little fellow just misses his brother...
If you've seen the pictures on the flickr site, you know that my baskets have been just brimming with healthy, all natural, locally grown fruits and vegetables. In this week's basket was a head of red leaf lettuce, a new variety of carrots - these are slightly larger than the first two bunches, tomatoes - including an heirloom variety that I devoured as soon as we got home, cucumbers - also a new variety, one that changes color and flavor as it matures on the vine, a nice, big head of cabbage (going to try Kris' creamed cabbage recipe!), scallions, crookneck squash, patty pan squash and a nice container of blueberries. This is the first year my farmer has grown blueberries and what a sweet success they turned out to be!!
We were at a friend's house yesterday after picking up the basket and he let me wander through his garden. He had a surplus of jalapeno peppers that he told me to help myself to!!! woo hoo!! Well, I didn't make a pig of myself but I did pick about 6 or 7 that looked like they were ready to come off the plants. He said he and his wife are out there picking from the garden every day now that all the vegetables are coming in. He has bean plants that aren't looking too healthy but at least nothing is eating away at them! LOL We told him how mine were eaten down to the sticks but are now showing slight signs of recovery. hahahaha he said he and his son would come take care of the rabbit population if we wanted them to. I told him he was welcome to come on over in repayment for the peppers!! That's how things go around here :)
The only thing he's waiting on now is the watermelons and the pumpkins. Those will come later in the summer and early Fall as we all well know.
I've been cooking up a storm lately. I made the turnip casserole - I think I told you about that, didn't I? Well, it was really good and makes the perfect substitute for scalloped potatoes if you have someone in your house who can't eat potatoes. The turnips were sliced thin and layered with sliced onions, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and romano cheese. Poured over top was a combination of 4 eggs, 2 cups of wine, a few dashes (or more) of hot sauce and some chopped, fresh parsley. I baked it in the oven for an hour and a half and it was ready for dinner. Whew was it ever hot!! LOL we had to let it cool for quite some time - even my alien mouth couldn't handle a bite of that casserole full on. But soon enough I was digging in!
The next day, it was even better. It seemed to me that as it sat overnight in the refrigerator it got denser. It was kind of like how lasagne does when it sits overnight...you know how it just gets together better? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
The squash was next on my list of casserole creations...LOL I took a recipe from a book, put everything together as it instructed (of course!) then added some chopped, smoked chicken that I had thawed out earlier in the day. It was good but I thought it should have had some cheese in it. Next time it definitely will. LOL
Having still an abundance of squash to eat before it goes bad on me, I decided to cook it with the peppers, onions and mushroom that I normally make to go with our steaks. That's right! When you slice your peppers, onions and mushrooms, just slice up a yellow squash to go with them. I cooked the squash in the juice from the mushrooms with a little butter added. When it started to get tender I added everything else. I sprinkled in some salt and pepper and liberally poured it over the steaks - very little juice remained but what was in that pan was all eaten when everything was said and done. Don't knock it til you've tried it :) lol
I made some stir fry but left the squash out. I kind of wish I had included it now though. It was just okay - there was definitely something missing from the last time I made it. I used all the same ingredients but it was lacking in flavor. I brought some to Darryl - just because I have to bring him something, he's always bringing us stuff - anyway, I told him it wasn't that great but maybe if he added some hot sauce to it??? He said he thought it was pretty good with or without the hot sauce so maybe it was just me.
As I said earlier, the beans are in a recovery stage. They are coming back although not nearly as many in numbers but I did get a handful of them just the other day. I saw where there are a few more little, skinny ones that will soon be ready to pick and within a week or so, I should have enough to consider them a batch! woo hoo! My trick to keeping the critters away from them is simply to stop pulling the weeds around them. Apparently, whatever it was that ate them before, doesn't recognize them now that the weeds have grown up around them. Hey, that's okay by me - whatever it takes! It was quite accidental, of course. When I saw that they were destroyed, I quit pulling the weeds. When I noticed they were coming back, I figured it was because the weeds had grown to the point where the critters couldn't tell the difference and since they don't eat weeds they have left my beans alone :) :) Love it!!
Gosh, I'm really going to miss my weekend weed pulling excursions...LOL!
The summer weekends are already being planned well in advance so there's always something to do or somewhere to go if we feel like it. I know why it's like that here now - because during the winter, if you will recall, very little going and doing got done on account of the weather... :)
While we're enjoying 87-89 degree temperatures and daily rain, which we are in desparate need of, soon the 90s will be upon us! We're outside as much as we possibly can be until that happens so if you call, leave a message, we'll get back with you once we're back in the house.
Until next time...
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~Erma Bombeck
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
First Official Day of Summer...90 Degrees Is Clearly Proof!
"SOL’S HEATING RAYS EACH MIST RETRACTS, THAT HOVERS OVER THE PLAIN; THE CLOUDS OVERHEARD GROW THICK AND BLACK, IN TORRENTS POURS THE RAIN."
THAT'S what the Farmer's Almanac had to say for the month of June. Here in TN we have had many days of 90 degree temperatures and many days of torrential rains. It seems the weather is confused as to what we need and when. If only it could be a nice mix of the two all our gardens would be happy and thriving. As it is, while they aren't in decline, they certainly are more maintenance as the hot days give us cause to get the hoses out and water, water, water.
The tomatoes seem to be hardy enough to go a couple days without being watered. To check them, I dug a hole about 6 inches deep to see what kind of moisture was being retained. Thankfully, that deep in the ground the dirt is quite moist, all things considered. Indeed I was able to squeeze it in my hand and make it clump but it doesn't hold for long and if the roots aren't that deep, it does no good at all. So we water. For me this has to be done in the afternoons just before the sun begins to drop.
The plant roots soak up the water and so do the weeds so whatever hoeing can be done after the watering, I try to do it quickly and efficiently because trust me, by the time I get home, get dinner, clean up and head to the garden, I'm pretty well bushed! But it pays off in the end :) as I'm rewarded with the fruits of my labor.
Two of the volunteers have tomatoes on them!!! I can't quite tell what kind they will be but in the next day or so it should be pretty obvious. I have a feeling at least one of them will be the little, yellow, pear shaped tomatoes Teri gave me last year. They are sweet and practically all juice inside! They have a few seeds but these little gems are just bursting with juice and it's hard not to eat them all before I get them in the house! If I have half the crop I had last year all will be good!
The "Red Raspberry" tomato that Teri brought up this year is thriving in this heat. It must have come from Arizona! LOL it is dark green, tall and slender. It doesn't have many branches but the ones it does have are healthy and strong. The stem/stalk is very sturdy and it shows no sign of heat distress whatsoever. I can't wait to see the tomatoes coming off of that one!
The German Queen plant is surviving but doesn't seem to like where it is very well. It's only half the size of the "Red Raspberry" but it's trying...The bottom leaves turned yellow about the same time as new green growth started to appear on the very top of the plant. I'm not giving up - I'm just going to give it more water than the others and see if that helps. It does get some afternoon shade that might be halting the growing process somewhat????????
So I have 4 tomatoes as of Sunday!! lol with 18 plants that number should be increasing daily! I'll keep you posted.
The basket was full to overflowing this week and I can't wait to dig in and eat all that healthy food!! I got 2 heads of lettuce, one is called Adriana Buttercrunch and I don't know the name of the other one. Either way, they are both very bright green and so crispy-crunchy you don't want to stop eating them. I tore the leaves from the stalks, rinsed all the dirt from them, spun them dry in my salad spinner and bagged them to keep fresh throughout the week of lunch salads!
I got a nice crookneck squash, two patty pan squashes (very mild but distinctly squashy flavored) a cucumber, a bunch of scallions, three more kohlrabi, another bunch of carrots and a big bunch of beets; both red and gold mixed!! Now that's some healthy stuff! I'm sure you're all aware that the more red, blue and purple food you eat, the more healthy antioxidents you're getting...and this doesn't include red hots, licorice, lolly pops or any other kind of junk food!! ha! I knew what you were thinking.
I cut the tops off the carrots and kohlrabi and bagged the green tops for the horses. I washed and trimmed the beets and bagged both the tops and the bulbs for eating later this week. Whatever keeps longest gets eaten last, if I can help it! lol You should see my refrigerator!
Wally cooked ribs and chicken on the grill while I fried the squash and braised the mustard greens from last week's basket. We had way more food than we could eat but all of it makes for some yummy leftovers :) Well, the fried squash was gone but we had ribs, chicken and greens left for tonight!! LOL
On a sad note, Ruger has run off and we haven't seen him since Friday :( I keep hoping I'll see him come running down the driveway every day when I get home. It keeps not happening. We've been all over the farm, up and down all the little side streets and we tell everyone we see to be on the lookout for him. So far, nothing. We won't ever give up though - we'll always be on the alert for a big white dog who answers to his name :(
While we were out looking for Ruger, we drove past the house of a friend of Wally's. Her and her husband were outside tending to their garden so we asked if they had seen Ruger and told them our number was on his collar if they happened to spot him. We stopped at a couple other places and then turned around to head for home. She came out into the road and flagged us down and asked if we would like some of the vegetables from her garden. Being polite, we declined but then she insisted we take some squash with us at least. Not to be rude, we graciously accepted her offer. I'll tell you what those were the biggest squash plants I'd ever seen in my life!! The plants stood fully 2 - 2 1/2 feet tall and the leaves were bigger than my head!
She loaded us up with yellow squash, green bell peppers, sweet banana peppers and lots of cucumbers! For free! She wouldn't take no for an answer so what were we to do? It looks like I'll be canning squash this weekend! We already had some fried and, of course, I'll make squash casserole with some of them but after that - into the jars they go! We only have 2 jars left from last year and we had 14 to start with :) I pack the squash in with slices of white onion, lots of fresh dill and just a little bit of canning salt to preserve the color and texture. Oh So Good!! Ask Marcia - I sent some to her for Christmas :)
She told me to come back in a week or so and help myself to some tomatoes. I think they must have had 30 or 40 plants...and I thought 18 plants were a lot!! There are gardens everywhere around here. I've never seen so many as I have this year. I know people are getting back into farming and it seems to have caught on in a very big way here in Hickman County.
Claudia tells me she has 8 or 9 cucumbers for me and that's with her keeping some for her family and other friends she's sharing with. I promised her some beans but we all know what happened there...I do believe I've seen some new growth on them but I can't be for sure just yet. If that's the case - we'll be putting up fencing this weekend! I'm not up for another big disappointment like those of the beans and peas.
If you recall last year, when the summer ended, the swimmin hole was just about ready for us. We didn't quite get it finished in time to swim so the guys have been working on it the past couple of days and we're hoping to be swimming in it soon!! While the temperatures are in the 90s, this would be a very good thing :) I can tend to my garden and take care of all manner of outdoor chores and then head on down for a cool, refreshing dip in the water.... ahhhhhh!
We're already planning to take a grill and some lawn chairs down there so when it comes time for a cook-out, we'll be all set! I dug out my beach towels and sunscreen just the other day :) hahaha! Come take a dip with us! I'll make sure you have plenty to eat when you're tired of all that swimming :)
The blackberry bushes are loaded with red berries - another week or so and they'll all turn black. The trick here is to get them before the birds do! It's not as easy as it seems my friends :) Last year I picked blackberries for about an hour and you would think I'd have gallons. Not so, not so. The birds get them pretty quick so I'm left picking further back on the plant which means lots of scratches from the thorns and not much to show for it.
They are truly amazing for being so wild - they are super sweet and literally pop when you bite into them. I make blackberry sorbet for us to have for dessert or just to cool down on a hot summer day on the farm...it's simple really, just put the blackberries in the blender with or without a few drops of honey and blend away. Put it in a bowl in the freezer and let it set. Once it's frozen, you just scrape out a few scoops and plop on some whipped topping (sugar free for us) and sit back to enjoy :) Talk about refreshing!! hmmm if you come see me, I'll try to save some for you :) better hurry though!
As days go by and all things summer are upon us, my list of things to do keeps changing every day. There's so much I want to go and do and see here in TN but more and more I find I'd rather just stay right here on the farm. We can cook out, swim, go horseback riding, take off on the 4 wheelers or jump in big red for a day of riding the back roads and creeks. It seems the weekends are just too short no matter where you are or what you're doing!
The baby deer are starting to show up with their mommas and just the other day, they came up on the driveway between the cabin and the outhouse - literally within about 20 yards of where I was standing. They saw me inside the house but they weren't concerned at all. The little one was still a bit wobbly on its legs and the momma deer clearly knew it - instead of taking off at a full run, she kind of built up to it so the baby could keep up. When it first started out, I thought it would fall but I was very impressed to see that little baby deer got it together, found its legs and took off after her like it had been running behind her for years :)
Don't go getting your hopes up - I still have plans for hunting season just like I did last year...only I'm hoping for more success this year...lol!! Maybe with my new contacts I'll be able to see further down the driveway!
I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day! It's time to gear up for 4th of July now... I'm so glad to see it's on a Monday this year. It's always so nice to have a Monday off without having to use vacation time. I don't know what we're planning to do this year but I'm sure fireworks will be involved somewhere along the way :) What are your plans for celebrating the birth of our nation?
"There are many in this old world of ours who hold that things break about even for all of us. I have observed for example that we all get the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summertime and the poor get it in the winter." ~Bat Masterson
This was in the Farmer's Almanac too - just in case you need to impress someone with some useless information..hahahaha
“GONE WITH THE WIND” WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE OF 1936…"
THAT'S what the Farmer's Almanac had to say for the month of June. Here in TN we have had many days of 90 degree temperatures and many days of torrential rains. It seems the weather is confused as to what we need and when. If only it could be a nice mix of the two all our gardens would be happy and thriving. As it is, while they aren't in decline, they certainly are more maintenance as the hot days give us cause to get the hoses out and water, water, water.
The tomatoes seem to be hardy enough to go a couple days without being watered. To check them, I dug a hole about 6 inches deep to see what kind of moisture was being retained. Thankfully, that deep in the ground the dirt is quite moist, all things considered. Indeed I was able to squeeze it in my hand and make it clump but it doesn't hold for long and if the roots aren't that deep, it does no good at all. So we water. For me this has to be done in the afternoons just before the sun begins to drop.
The plant roots soak up the water and so do the weeds so whatever hoeing can be done after the watering, I try to do it quickly and efficiently because trust me, by the time I get home, get dinner, clean up and head to the garden, I'm pretty well bushed! But it pays off in the end :) as I'm rewarded with the fruits of my labor.
Two of the volunteers have tomatoes on them!!! I can't quite tell what kind they will be but in the next day or so it should be pretty obvious. I have a feeling at least one of them will be the little, yellow, pear shaped tomatoes Teri gave me last year. They are sweet and practically all juice inside! They have a few seeds but these little gems are just bursting with juice and it's hard not to eat them all before I get them in the house! If I have half the crop I had last year all will be good!
The "Red Raspberry" tomato that Teri brought up this year is thriving in this heat. It must have come from Arizona! LOL it is dark green, tall and slender. It doesn't have many branches but the ones it does have are healthy and strong. The stem/stalk is very sturdy and it shows no sign of heat distress whatsoever. I can't wait to see the tomatoes coming off of that one!
The German Queen plant is surviving but doesn't seem to like where it is very well. It's only half the size of the "Red Raspberry" but it's trying...The bottom leaves turned yellow about the same time as new green growth started to appear on the very top of the plant. I'm not giving up - I'm just going to give it more water than the others and see if that helps. It does get some afternoon shade that might be halting the growing process somewhat????????
So I have 4 tomatoes as of Sunday!! lol with 18 plants that number should be increasing daily! I'll keep you posted.
The basket was full to overflowing this week and I can't wait to dig in and eat all that healthy food!! I got 2 heads of lettuce, one is called Adriana Buttercrunch and I don't know the name of the other one. Either way, they are both very bright green and so crispy-crunchy you don't want to stop eating them. I tore the leaves from the stalks, rinsed all the dirt from them, spun them dry in my salad spinner and bagged them to keep fresh throughout the week of lunch salads!
I got a nice crookneck squash, two patty pan squashes (very mild but distinctly squashy flavored) a cucumber, a bunch of scallions, three more kohlrabi, another bunch of carrots and a big bunch of beets; both red and gold mixed!! Now that's some healthy stuff! I'm sure you're all aware that the more red, blue and purple food you eat, the more healthy antioxidents you're getting...and this doesn't include red hots, licorice, lolly pops or any other kind of junk food!! ha! I knew what you were thinking.
I cut the tops off the carrots and kohlrabi and bagged the green tops for the horses. I washed and trimmed the beets and bagged both the tops and the bulbs for eating later this week. Whatever keeps longest gets eaten last, if I can help it! lol You should see my refrigerator!
Wally cooked ribs and chicken on the grill while I fried the squash and braised the mustard greens from last week's basket. We had way more food than we could eat but all of it makes for some yummy leftovers :) Well, the fried squash was gone but we had ribs, chicken and greens left for tonight!! LOL
On a sad note, Ruger has run off and we haven't seen him since Friday :( I keep hoping I'll see him come running down the driveway every day when I get home. It keeps not happening. We've been all over the farm, up and down all the little side streets and we tell everyone we see to be on the lookout for him. So far, nothing. We won't ever give up though - we'll always be on the alert for a big white dog who answers to his name :(
While we were out looking for Ruger, we drove past the house of a friend of Wally's. Her and her husband were outside tending to their garden so we asked if they had seen Ruger and told them our number was on his collar if they happened to spot him. We stopped at a couple other places and then turned around to head for home. She came out into the road and flagged us down and asked if we would like some of the vegetables from her garden. Being polite, we declined but then she insisted we take some squash with us at least. Not to be rude, we graciously accepted her offer. I'll tell you what those were the biggest squash plants I'd ever seen in my life!! The plants stood fully 2 - 2 1/2 feet tall and the leaves were bigger than my head!
She loaded us up with yellow squash, green bell peppers, sweet banana peppers and lots of cucumbers! For free! She wouldn't take no for an answer so what were we to do? It looks like I'll be canning squash this weekend! We already had some fried and, of course, I'll make squash casserole with some of them but after that - into the jars they go! We only have 2 jars left from last year and we had 14 to start with :) I pack the squash in with slices of white onion, lots of fresh dill and just a little bit of canning salt to preserve the color and texture. Oh So Good!! Ask Marcia - I sent some to her for Christmas :)
She told me to come back in a week or so and help myself to some tomatoes. I think they must have had 30 or 40 plants...and I thought 18 plants were a lot!! There are gardens everywhere around here. I've never seen so many as I have this year. I know people are getting back into farming and it seems to have caught on in a very big way here in Hickman County.
Claudia tells me she has 8 or 9 cucumbers for me and that's with her keeping some for her family and other friends she's sharing with. I promised her some beans but we all know what happened there...I do believe I've seen some new growth on them but I can't be for sure just yet. If that's the case - we'll be putting up fencing this weekend! I'm not up for another big disappointment like those of the beans and peas.
If you recall last year, when the summer ended, the swimmin hole was just about ready for us. We didn't quite get it finished in time to swim so the guys have been working on it the past couple of days and we're hoping to be swimming in it soon!! While the temperatures are in the 90s, this would be a very good thing :) I can tend to my garden and take care of all manner of outdoor chores and then head on down for a cool, refreshing dip in the water.... ahhhhhh!
We're already planning to take a grill and some lawn chairs down there so when it comes time for a cook-out, we'll be all set! I dug out my beach towels and sunscreen just the other day :) hahaha! Come take a dip with us! I'll make sure you have plenty to eat when you're tired of all that swimming :)
The blackberry bushes are loaded with red berries - another week or so and they'll all turn black. The trick here is to get them before the birds do! It's not as easy as it seems my friends :) Last year I picked blackberries for about an hour and you would think I'd have gallons. Not so, not so. The birds get them pretty quick so I'm left picking further back on the plant which means lots of scratches from the thorns and not much to show for it.
They are truly amazing for being so wild - they are super sweet and literally pop when you bite into them. I make blackberry sorbet for us to have for dessert or just to cool down on a hot summer day on the farm...it's simple really, just put the blackberries in the blender with or without a few drops of honey and blend away. Put it in a bowl in the freezer and let it set. Once it's frozen, you just scrape out a few scoops and plop on some whipped topping (sugar free for us) and sit back to enjoy :) Talk about refreshing!! hmmm if you come see me, I'll try to save some for you :) better hurry though!
As days go by and all things summer are upon us, my list of things to do keeps changing every day. There's so much I want to go and do and see here in TN but more and more I find I'd rather just stay right here on the farm. We can cook out, swim, go horseback riding, take off on the 4 wheelers or jump in big red for a day of riding the back roads and creeks. It seems the weekends are just too short no matter where you are or what you're doing!
The baby deer are starting to show up with their mommas and just the other day, they came up on the driveway between the cabin and the outhouse - literally within about 20 yards of where I was standing. They saw me inside the house but they weren't concerned at all. The little one was still a bit wobbly on its legs and the momma deer clearly knew it - instead of taking off at a full run, she kind of built up to it so the baby could keep up. When it first started out, I thought it would fall but I was very impressed to see that little baby deer got it together, found its legs and took off after her like it had been running behind her for years :)
Don't go getting your hopes up - I still have plans for hunting season just like I did last year...only I'm hoping for more success this year...lol!! Maybe with my new contacts I'll be able to see further down the driveway!
I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day! It's time to gear up for 4th of July now... I'm so glad to see it's on a Monday this year. It's always so nice to have a Monday off without having to use vacation time. I don't know what we're planning to do this year but I'm sure fireworks will be involved somewhere along the way :) What are your plans for celebrating the birth of our nation?
"There are many in this old world of ours who hold that things break about even for all of us. I have observed for example that we all get the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summertime and the poor get it in the winter." ~Bat Masterson
This was in the Farmer's Almanac too - just in case you need to impress someone with some useless information..hahahaha
“GONE WITH THE WIND” WAS PUBLISHED IN JUNE OF 1936…"
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wow - Seems Like Forever Since I Was Last Here...
All I can say is that it has been very busy at work and now that it has slowed a bit, I'm able to get on here and provide you with an update. I'm not sure where to begin but I rarely know where to begin so as always, I'll just get started with my rambling with no concern as to the order of the events. Surely you're used to that by now?
Did I mention that something, some critter out there on the farm, ate every last one of my bean plants? Oh yes it did...I went out to the garden last weekend and saw that every plant was fully covered in beans...upwards of 8-10 (maybe more) on every plant in the row that I planted by myself. The beans weren't quite ready to be picked as they were only about 3 inches long. According to the Burpee catalog they would grow as long as 5-6 inches. I figured a couple more days and I'd be picking all the beans I could handle.
Well, as I said, some critter had other plans for me and my beans. All I can say is whatever animal it was, they'll be pooping green for days based on the quantity of beans they devoured! LOL I checked the row of beans that Dizzy Debbie planted and there are a few left in that row that might produce beans. I just have to get out there before the BEAN THIEF gets them!! That's not so easily accomplished seeing as how I have to be at work all day while the farm critters run free to eat whenever they please.
Such is life :) Not to worry. Wally is going to put up a fence for me so I can plant a fall crop of beans and maybe have better luck then. I'm glad I took pictures - they sure were some pretty bean plants, weren't they?
I dug up a couple of the red onions and they looked just like scallions but fatter. I used them on my salad and I'll probably do the same here in the next couple of days. The rest I'll leave in the ground so they can get nice and fat. Funny how the little BEAN THIEF has no interest in onions :) LOL!
The tomatoes Teri brought me are at two totally different stages. The German Queen is struggling a bit and hasn't grown very tall. I don't know if that's typical of the variety or not. It does have some new growth on the bottom and the top of it and the stalk is getting thicker so while it is improving, I wouldn't say it is thriving.
The other one is called a "Red Raspberry." It's a tomato plant rest-assured. This one is growing like crazy!! It is easily 3-3.5 feet tall and nice and bushy. It has already shown me two yellow flowers and looks like it promises to put out an abundance of tomatoes. I think this particular variety cares not whether it has lots of rain or very little rain - same goes for sunshine. It just grows and grows like there's no tomorrow. It's a beautiful specimen even if no tomatoes come from it. But they will - on this matter I'm 100% positive :)
The volunteers continue to baffle me with their differences. I'm beginning to wonder if they are all from last year's crop or if some of those little volunteers were from the plants Wally planted the year before I arrived. Anything is possible and if you could see them, you would know what I mean.
Some are two feet tall, others only maybe 8-10 inches tall. Some have dark green leaves while other leaves are a lighter shade of green. There are no similarities among the eight of them that I can detect at this stage of the game other than to say that they are certainly all tomatoes and they are doing their best to impress me!
I have the 8 volunteers, the two that Teri brought me and another 8 that I bought at the co-op while Wally was in FL. We should have a least a few tomatoes to snack on in another couple of months :) :) wouldn't you say? I may be bean-less but I'll be darned if I'll be tomato-less!! lololol
The carrots and the one beet still have a ways to go but thankfully, my farmer has these coming in right now so at least I'll have them to eat even if they aren't from my own garden. You can see the carrots on the flickr site along with all the other basket contents from yesterday's haul - and what a good one it was!
I got a huge bundle of Red Russian Kale which, even though I'm not a big fan of Kale, I have been advised of a couple other ways to cook it that I might enjoy better than previous attempts. I'll give it another go and let you know how that works out for me.
I got two more heads of lettuce which are always a delight to see. To date I've yet to receive a regular old head of iceberg lettuce. The baskets are packed with all sorts of varieties of lettuce that look different and taste different. Who knew salads could be so diverse? I've eaten one almost every day since the basket deliveries began. I think I've lost about 8 pounds since doing so. Not bad... I even made a salad for Wally with some leftover bbq'd chicken and he said it was really good. If the man likes my salads, I know I'm doing something right. He tends to think salads are just filler before the real meal comes along. Maybe so - but they are good and they are good for you so eat them up whenever you can!
This basket also had some Swiss Chard in it. I've never cooked chard before so this will be a new taste experience for me. I'll be going through my cookbooks looking for just the right recipe so I'm sure to like it the first time out :) The chard has pinkish, purplish and yellowish stalks with bright green leaves that have a red vein running through them. It's a very, very pretty vegetable which makes me even more excited to try it and see what it tastes like. I'll keep you posted.
The big excitement of this basket was the Kohlrabi. I've never had it and I've really only heard of it a few times maybe on Food Network...I'm not sure. Up until last night, I didn't know anyone who had actually cooked and eaten it. So I figured, what the heck? I peeled it, sliced it and put it in some water with some beef bouillon, some garlic powder and some black pepper. I let it boil until it just started to get soft and then served it with the venison we had for dinner. The Kohlrabi turned out to be really good! I tried it raw first and it was okay. It kind of tasted like a sweet cabbage. After it cooked, it tasted more like a squash/cabbage mix. It was good. I don't know how else to describe it but if you have the opportunity to try it, do so. I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's a very mild vegetable so don't expect a big burst of flavor when you eat it. That's not going to happen. If you buy it to cook yourself, be sure to cut away the outer layer. It's tough no matter how long it cooks. Enjoy!
The basket did have carrots in it, which I was very excited to see. They aren't huge like store-bought carrots but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in flavor! mmm mmm good!! It just makes me anxious to see my own carrots on the table... By the way, I dug one up the other day to check their progress - hahahahaha very funny!!! It was about as big as the top section of my pinkie finger...lol!! They have a LONG way to go before they're ready for consumption.
I had to laugh at myself though because I was out there trying to dig oh-so-carefully so as not to injure the carrot. I dug way far away from where I thought it would be and way deeper than I thought it would be...what a waste of time! That little carrot sure fooled me. I kept brushing away the dirt and trying to see that orange root and it was just the smallest little carrot you ever did see. :) :) Here's where my patience kicks in again I suppose.
So we're getting healthy by consuming lots of green vegetables and healthier still by being outside in the yard or the garden or walking the dogs. It's hard on me in this heat but when the day is done and I'm relaxing on the couch, I'm glad I did what I did and it gives me incentive to do it again tomorrow. How about you? Are you trying to eat healthier? Even just a little bit?? I hope so. I need you around to keep reading my blog, else why write it to start with??
The dogs got baths Sunday afternoon and they were none too happy about it to say the least! It's no easy chore for Wally and I but we have a system that works out well for all involved. The dogs were wet down with the hose, scrubbed clean with the flea and tick shampoo and after 15 minutes of wait time, they were rinsed and left to dry for a little while. I'm sure they preferred not to have to sit there and dry off but it wasn't up to them. Ruger started barking when he felt like he had had enough of that sitting around thing so we let them go and started walking them down the driveway. There's less chance of them rolling in the dirt if they're running down the driveway. They rolled in the grass instead and how funny it was for us to watch! They roll onto their backs and wiggle back and forth like there's no end to how good that feels!
The puppies enjoy the walk, really it's more of a run for them, and they love annoying the old dogs. Smith and Wesson opted not to go on the walk with us. Indeed, they found nice warm spots on the porch where they immediately fell asleep. Can't say as I blame them - their whole lazy Sunday was interrupted by the bath they surely hoped wouldn't come.
We decided to let the puppies go free and see if they are yet to be trusted not to run off again. So far, so good. They were home when I got up Monday morning and again this morning when I left for work. They spend their days terrorizing the roosters, chasing rabbits (hopefully the one pooping green beans!) and trying to get Smith and Wesson to play with them. They are excited to come running to us when we call them and seem to be accepting of their new status. Of course they are only 8 months old so time will tell if they'll retain their freedom much longer.
My sunflower seeds are doing well - those that didn't get eaten by birds :) and the seeds have now sprouted down by the flag pole. By the outhouse, the seeds are about 5 inches tall. By the flag pole the seeds are just a bit shorter but then again they are a different variety so they're not expected to get near as tall. With any luck the birds will have plenty of flower heads to feast one within a month or so.
The sacrificial geraniums continue to bloom although they have slowed just a bit. If all goes well and I can keep them alive through the hot, humid days of summer, maybe they'll grace us with another bloom season when things cool down.
The humming birds are bent on emptying the feeders as soon as is "birdly" possible and they keep me busy filling and refilling within a few days. Watching them is never as boring as it may seem. Sure they hover and that's really cool and their wings are flapping so fast that they make a very loud whirring sound - you can't mistake it and you hear it long before you see the actual bird. They also make a little chirping-squeaking sound when they fly off towards the trees! They aren't the least bit scared of us - they pretty much know we're nowhere near fast enough to even think of catching one of them!
The last time I was feeding them, I was emptying the remains of the sugar water that I worried had gone rancid when the darn little bird swooped down to the feeder and actually buzzed it while I was holding it in my hand!! Seriously, these little birds have some confidence, don't they? It was within about 2 inches of my hand and cared not one iota. It knew! It knew I couldn't have caught it no matter how hard I tried. Which I didn't even bother doing. It would have been hopeless.
The baby deer have been showing up slowly but surely and I've been lucky enough to see a few of them. I've seen just one spotted fawn this year but I know those mommas are out there taking care of the little ones and they'll all be up on top of the hill grazing before too long. It was just a few short weeks ago when all those pregnant deer were in the front yard - their bellies rounded and full. The youngsters I have seen are curious and playful and haven't yet learned to fear us. They just stand there looking at us like they wonder what the heck we are but they don't always run off.
That reminds me - the venison I cooked was soaked in a mojo from Winn Dixie that Kris sent me. It was juicy, tangy and utterly tender. If you're not a fan of venison - this mojo soaking might just change your mind! It was the best I'd had in a long time.
Since I didn't spend much time on food, let me tell you about the latest throw together in the way of tostadas....they aren't just Mexican food anymore! I sauteed some of the fresh spinach from the last basket and along with that some green peppers and onions. When those were softened, I set them aside in a bowl and added some chopped up shrimp to the skillet. I seasoned the shrimp with cajun seasoning, garlic powder, a little bit of salt and oregano. When that was done, I piled it all on top of the tostada that had been under the broiler for about a minute and a half. I topped it with cheese and some real bacon bits and slid it back under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese. YUMMY FOR THE TUMMY!
There's no end to what you can create with those flat little tortillas - see what you can come up with and feel free to share it with me. I'd love to try your ideas and maybe even elaborate on them to make new ones of my own! LOL
We have much to do on the farm as days go by so if you happen to call and we don't answer, it's probably because we're outside taking care of all that we can before it gets too hot and we're easily lured inside where the air conditioner beckons. It's tank tops, shorts and flip flops here and we're taking advantage of the weather when it's nice. We know all too well how quickly the winter will come take over though it seems an impossibility on days when the temps reach 97 degrees.
Feel free to come experience TN yourself! It truly is a beautiful state and I truly am happier than ever to be here.
"Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?" ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Did I mention that something, some critter out there on the farm, ate every last one of my bean plants? Oh yes it did...I went out to the garden last weekend and saw that every plant was fully covered in beans...upwards of 8-10 (maybe more) on every plant in the row that I planted by myself. The beans weren't quite ready to be picked as they were only about 3 inches long. According to the Burpee catalog they would grow as long as 5-6 inches. I figured a couple more days and I'd be picking all the beans I could handle.
Well, as I said, some critter had other plans for me and my beans. All I can say is whatever animal it was, they'll be pooping green for days based on the quantity of beans they devoured! LOL I checked the row of beans that Dizzy Debbie planted and there are a few left in that row that might produce beans. I just have to get out there before the BEAN THIEF gets them!! That's not so easily accomplished seeing as how I have to be at work all day while the farm critters run free to eat whenever they please.
Such is life :) Not to worry. Wally is going to put up a fence for me so I can plant a fall crop of beans and maybe have better luck then. I'm glad I took pictures - they sure were some pretty bean plants, weren't they?
I dug up a couple of the red onions and they looked just like scallions but fatter. I used them on my salad and I'll probably do the same here in the next couple of days. The rest I'll leave in the ground so they can get nice and fat. Funny how the little BEAN THIEF has no interest in onions :) LOL!
The tomatoes Teri brought me are at two totally different stages. The German Queen is struggling a bit and hasn't grown very tall. I don't know if that's typical of the variety or not. It does have some new growth on the bottom and the top of it and the stalk is getting thicker so while it is improving, I wouldn't say it is thriving.
The other one is called a "Red Raspberry." It's a tomato plant rest-assured. This one is growing like crazy!! It is easily 3-3.5 feet tall and nice and bushy. It has already shown me two yellow flowers and looks like it promises to put out an abundance of tomatoes. I think this particular variety cares not whether it has lots of rain or very little rain - same goes for sunshine. It just grows and grows like there's no tomorrow. It's a beautiful specimen even if no tomatoes come from it. But they will - on this matter I'm 100% positive :)
The volunteers continue to baffle me with their differences. I'm beginning to wonder if they are all from last year's crop or if some of those little volunteers were from the plants Wally planted the year before I arrived. Anything is possible and if you could see them, you would know what I mean.
Some are two feet tall, others only maybe 8-10 inches tall. Some have dark green leaves while other leaves are a lighter shade of green. There are no similarities among the eight of them that I can detect at this stage of the game other than to say that they are certainly all tomatoes and they are doing their best to impress me!
I have the 8 volunteers, the two that Teri brought me and another 8 that I bought at the co-op while Wally was in FL. We should have a least a few tomatoes to snack on in another couple of months :) :) wouldn't you say? I may be bean-less but I'll be darned if I'll be tomato-less!! lololol
The carrots and the one beet still have a ways to go but thankfully, my farmer has these coming in right now so at least I'll have them to eat even if they aren't from my own garden. You can see the carrots on the flickr site along with all the other basket contents from yesterday's haul - and what a good one it was!
I got a huge bundle of Red Russian Kale which, even though I'm not a big fan of Kale, I have been advised of a couple other ways to cook it that I might enjoy better than previous attempts. I'll give it another go and let you know how that works out for me.
I got two more heads of lettuce which are always a delight to see. To date I've yet to receive a regular old head of iceberg lettuce. The baskets are packed with all sorts of varieties of lettuce that look different and taste different. Who knew salads could be so diverse? I've eaten one almost every day since the basket deliveries began. I think I've lost about 8 pounds since doing so. Not bad... I even made a salad for Wally with some leftover bbq'd chicken and he said it was really good. If the man likes my salads, I know I'm doing something right. He tends to think salads are just filler before the real meal comes along. Maybe so - but they are good and they are good for you so eat them up whenever you can!
This basket also had some Swiss Chard in it. I've never cooked chard before so this will be a new taste experience for me. I'll be going through my cookbooks looking for just the right recipe so I'm sure to like it the first time out :) The chard has pinkish, purplish and yellowish stalks with bright green leaves that have a red vein running through them. It's a very, very pretty vegetable which makes me even more excited to try it and see what it tastes like. I'll keep you posted.
The big excitement of this basket was the Kohlrabi. I've never had it and I've really only heard of it a few times maybe on Food Network...I'm not sure. Up until last night, I didn't know anyone who had actually cooked and eaten it. So I figured, what the heck? I peeled it, sliced it and put it in some water with some beef bouillon, some garlic powder and some black pepper. I let it boil until it just started to get soft and then served it with the venison we had for dinner. The Kohlrabi turned out to be really good! I tried it raw first and it was okay. It kind of tasted like a sweet cabbage. After it cooked, it tasted more like a squash/cabbage mix. It was good. I don't know how else to describe it but if you have the opportunity to try it, do so. I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's a very mild vegetable so don't expect a big burst of flavor when you eat it. That's not going to happen. If you buy it to cook yourself, be sure to cut away the outer layer. It's tough no matter how long it cooks. Enjoy!
The basket did have carrots in it, which I was very excited to see. They aren't huge like store-bought carrots but what they lack in size, they more than make up for in flavor! mmm mmm good!! It just makes me anxious to see my own carrots on the table... By the way, I dug one up the other day to check their progress - hahahahaha very funny!!! It was about as big as the top section of my pinkie finger...lol!! They have a LONG way to go before they're ready for consumption.
I had to laugh at myself though because I was out there trying to dig oh-so-carefully so as not to injure the carrot. I dug way far away from where I thought it would be and way deeper than I thought it would be...what a waste of time! That little carrot sure fooled me. I kept brushing away the dirt and trying to see that orange root and it was just the smallest little carrot you ever did see. :) :) Here's where my patience kicks in again I suppose.
So we're getting healthy by consuming lots of green vegetables and healthier still by being outside in the yard or the garden or walking the dogs. It's hard on me in this heat but when the day is done and I'm relaxing on the couch, I'm glad I did what I did and it gives me incentive to do it again tomorrow. How about you? Are you trying to eat healthier? Even just a little bit?? I hope so. I need you around to keep reading my blog, else why write it to start with??
The dogs got baths Sunday afternoon and they were none too happy about it to say the least! It's no easy chore for Wally and I but we have a system that works out well for all involved. The dogs were wet down with the hose, scrubbed clean with the flea and tick shampoo and after 15 minutes of wait time, they were rinsed and left to dry for a little while. I'm sure they preferred not to have to sit there and dry off but it wasn't up to them. Ruger started barking when he felt like he had had enough of that sitting around thing so we let them go and started walking them down the driveway. There's less chance of them rolling in the dirt if they're running down the driveway. They rolled in the grass instead and how funny it was for us to watch! They roll onto their backs and wiggle back and forth like there's no end to how good that feels!
The puppies enjoy the walk, really it's more of a run for them, and they love annoying the old dogs. Smith and Wesson opted not to go on the walk with us. Indeed, they found nice warm spots on the porch where they immediately fell asleep. Can't say as I blame them - their whole lazy Sunday was interrupted by the bath they surely hoped wouldn't come.
We decided to let the puppies go free and see if they are yet to be trusted not to run off again. So far, so good. They were home when I got up Monday morning and again this morning when I left for work. They spend their days terrorizing the roosters, chasing rabbits (hopefully the one pooping green beans!) and trying to get Smith and Wesson to play with them. They are excited to come running to us when we call them and seem to be accepting of their new status. Of course they are only 8 months old so time will tell if they'll retain their freedom much longer.
My sunflower seeds are doing well - those that didn't get eaten by birds :) and the seeds have now sprouted down by the flag pole. By the outhouse, the seeds are about 5 inches tall. By the flag pole the seeds are just a bit shorter but then again they are a different variety so they're not expected to get near as tall. With any luck the birds will have plenty of flower heads to feast one within a month or so.
The sacrificial geraniums continue to bloom although they have slowed just a bit. If all goes well and I can keep them alive through the hot, humid days of summer, maybe they'll grace us with another bloom season when things cool down.
The humming birds are bent on emptying the feeders as soon as is "birdly" possible and they keep me busy filling and refilling within a few days. Watching them is never as boring as it may seem. Sure they hover and that's really cool and their wings are flapping so fast that they make a very loud whirring sound - you can't mistake it and you hear it long before you see the actual bird. They also make a little chirping-squeaking sound when they fly off towards the trees! They aren't the least bit scared of us - they pretty much know we're nowhere near fast enough to even think of catching one of them!
The last time I was feeding them, I was emptying the remains of the sugar water that I worried had gone rancid when the darn little bird swooped down to the feeder and actually buzzed it while I was holding it in my hand!! Seriously, these little birds have some confidence, don't they? It was within about 2 inches of my hand and cared not one iota. It knew! It knew I couldn't have caught it no matter how hard I tried. Which I didn't even bother doing. It would have been hopeless.
The baby deer have been showing up slowly but surely and I've been lucky enough to see a few of them. I've seen just one spotted fawn this year but I know those mommas are out there taking care of the little ones and they'll all be up on top of the hill grazing before too long. It was just a few short weeks ago when all those pregnant deer were in the front yard - their bellies rounded and full. The youngsters I have seen are curious and playful and haven't yet learned to fear us. They just stand there looking at us like they wonder what the heck we are but they don't always run off.
That reminds me - the venison I cooked was soaked in a mojo from Winn Dixie that Kris sent me. It was juicy, tangy and utterly tender. If you're not a fan of venison - this mojo soaking might just change your mind! It was the best I'd had in a long time.
Since I didn't spend much time on food, let me tell you about the latest throw together in the way of tostadas....they aren't just Mexican food anymore! I sauteed some of the fresh spinach from the last basket and along with that some green peppers and onions. When those were softened, I set them aside in a bowl and added some chopped up shrimp to the skillet. I seasoned the shrimp with cajun seasoning, garlic powder, a little bit of salt and oregano. When that was done, I piled it all on top of the tostada that had been under the broiler for about a minute and a half. I topped it with cheese and some real bacon bits and slid it back under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese. YUMMY FOR THE TUMMY!
There's no end to what you can create with those flat little tortillas - see what you can come up with and feel free to share it with me. I'd love to try your ideas and maybe even elaborate on them to make new ones of my own! LOL
We have much to do on the farm as days go by so if you happen to call and we don't answer, it's probably because we're outside taking care of all that we can before it gets too hot and we're easily lured inside where the air conditioner beckons. It's tank tops, shorts and flip flops here and we're taking advantage of the weather when it's nice. We know all too well how quickly the winter will come take over though it seems an impossibility on days when the temps reach 97 degrees.
Feel free to come experience TN yourself! It truly is a beautiful state and I truly am happier than ever to be here.
"Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?" ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Friday, June 3, 2011
IT JUST SMELLS GOOD HERE...
I don't know what it is but when you walk outside, morning, noon or night, it just smells really good here. Maybe it's everything that's blooming (which would make some of you sneeze most likely), maybe it's that we're in a higher altitude? I really couldn't say. It's true though. It smells GOOD. It smells CLEAN and it smells FRESH. You want your laundry to smell this way :)
Even though we have had our share of hot weather these past couple of weeks, we're fortunate the humidity levels have remained fairly low. You feel the heat but you don't feel that constant dampness like you do in FL. I was on a conference call yesterday where one of my teammates asked me if I missed the FL weather. Quite frankly, no, not so much. Do I miss all of you? Certainly. But you can't have everything, right? Where the heck would you store it? LOL
There's not much to report on the garden subject other than that the flowers have dropped from the bean plants which gives me hope that beans will soon be in abundance. The Burpee Catalog people keep sending me emails so I can order more plants and seeds and all kinds of gardening supplies. Don't they realize the danger in that??? LOL For goodness sake, I've got my hands full with what I've already got planted, let alone when the canning begins :)
So I made up a new recipe. There are pictures on the flickr site but they don't do any justice to the flavor of the dish. It was so simple and could be adjusted hundreds of different ways depending on the type of vegetables you and your family prefer. For us, I decided on broccoli and snow peas. I had both of them in the freezer and I was in the mood for some green food. They fit the bill.
I had shrimp in the freezer too and what's better than pasta, shrimp and vegetables? Well, okay, lots of things but this is what I was in the mood for. I filled my pot with water and started it to boil with a little salt thrown in to season the whole wheat pasta. While that went on, I gathered the remaining ingredients; Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper and a jar of homemade salsa.
While the pasta boiled, I peeled the shrimp and broke out about 8-10 spears of the frozen broccoli. When the pasta was about half done, I added the broccoli and brought it back up to a boil so they could finish cooking together. I poured them off into a colander but saved the hot water and poured it back in the pot. When it came back up to a boil, I added the snow peas and the shrimp. Those only had to cook for like 3 minutes and they were done.
I drained them in the same colander as the pasta and broccoli and I was just about set. Everything went into a bowl where I added the jar of salsa, the crushed red pepper and the cheese. I gave it all a good stir and scooped a big spoonful into my bowl. Talk about easy, fast, tasty and pretty darn healthy to boot! I couldn't find one ingredient that was unhealthy...can you? Maybe the fat from the cheese but there wasn't that much cheese in it - just enough to add a little extra flavor. hmmmm what do you think?
Folks I do believe that rabbit season is upon us....the little hoppers are everywhere! It doesn't matter what time of day it is, if you go outside, you're going to see at least 2 or 3, possibly even more. When I left the house this morning, there had to be at least 15 of them hopping around the property, up along the driveway and everywhere in between. It's a good thing they're quick to get out of the way because with as many of them as there are, it would be hard to miss hitting them if they weren't. No wonder they don't have a rabbit season...they would over-populate in a seriously bad way if people couldn't hunt them all year. Not to worry, as I said before, I'm done with trying to like rabbit meat. If it was all there was to eat, yeah, I'd eat it but it's not top on the list.
Just before Wally left for FL, he noticed that Ruger had a bad spot on his throat where it looked like his fur was pulled out and it was all red and inflamed looking. Well, after a day or so it appeared to be getting better and then I noticed he got another spot just like it on his back - right up by his neck. This sore spot was about as big as my palm so it worried me. I called Wally and he had me pick up this medicine at the co-op that's like a topical antibiotic for animals. I brought it home and sprayed it on his sore spots and within a few days the spot on his neck was completely cleared up (although the fur is still missing) and the one on his back was starting to get better. Meanwhile, this stuff is dark purple. When I sprayed it on him, some of it over-sprayed onto me...all over my legs and hands. I knew it was on my hands because I could see it, of course. But I never looked at my legs. The next morning in shower I freaked out for a second there wondering what the heck was all over me...lol oh, it was pretty funny!!
I scrubbed and scrubbed and most of it came off but I still had some purple speckles between my knees and ankles and I was wearing my white capris...LOL it showed up really well against those white pants!! hahaha no one said a word...now, I know if I was in FL, y'all would be saying all kinds of stuff. You would have at least asked what the heck happened to my legs...lol Not here - not a word. Funny, huh?
After a couple more washes the purple came off...and Ruger's back has healed up nicely. I'm watching for his fur to come back in but so far it hasn't. I don't know what the heck it was, some kind of skin irritation is all I know.
On the subject of the puppies - it's hard to call them that now that they are so HUGE - but age wise they are still puppies. They continue to delight me with their antics - they chase butterflies and rabbits but never catch a thing...except the one time Colt caught the rooster. I doubt he'll do that again after the trouble he got in. Mostly they catch each other and then come running back to me to be petted, rubbing on me with their slobbery fur. I don't know that they'll ever stop growing...I'll get new pictures for you this weekend. You won't believe how big they are now.
It's festival season here in TN. I don't know that we'll make it to any of them - too crowded for my liking but if you were in search of something to do...now would be a good time to be here! There's so much going on, it gets mind-boggling. Some things are free and others will cost you but all of them have to do with music or food or both. There are garage sales galore - signs dotting every corner - tempting you to turn in and check out the junk other people are selling...I'm pretty well stocked up on junk so I just drive on by....lol! We'll stop every now and then...sometimes you just can't resist a good garage sale, right?
The cicadas have arrived and so have the lightning bugs (aka June bugs) and together between them there's enough noisy clacking and little, blue lights flickering that it seems you could be at a really bad outdoor concert. LOL Thankfully the cicadas only come from the ground in swarms every 13 years so this won't happen again for long time. The lightning bugs are quiet and really cute with their little lights blinking all the time. I read in a magazine (Southern Living?) that you can catch them in a jar, cover it with a breathable fabric and set them on your picnic table for muted lighting in the evening. You have to let them go after a couple hours but that's kind of a cool idea.
I have no idea how to catch them so you won't see them adorning my table but the pictures in the magazine were neat looking. They tend to fly close to the woods so I see them when I'm on the porch just before and right after it goes completely dark out there. The woods just light up!! June Bug is a good name for them for it's the only month they are here. I don't know where they are before or after June but they're gone just the same.
Who knows how long those noisy cicadas will be around...? They're an ugly bug, that's for sure. There's a guy in Nashville who dips them in chocolate for people to eat...hmmm enterprising, I guess, but I don't see the attraction. They're about the size of a big cricket...you can look them up on the internet and see what I mean.
It's graduation day for Britney Pattishall. WAY TO GO BRITNEY!!!! We're very proud of you!! Britney is Ernie's youngest daughter - I know you know Ernie :) For those of you who haven't met Britney or haven't had the chance to really get to know her, she's a very special young lady. While attending high school and making good grades there, she also attended Westside Tech school where she has completed studies to earn her Veterinary Assistant Certification. She graduates from there today as well. Britney is a sweet, fun-loving teenager who has her sights set on being a Veterinary Technician. She'll do it too - she's that kind of person! While her father (William Pattishall) won't be here in person to witness his daughter's graduation, we all know he'll be watching from on high as she takes that walk across the stage to accept the diploma she's worked so hard to get. May he rest in peace with a big smile knowing she did it!! We love you Brit :)
Well, the weekend is upon us and the farm beckons us outdoors...weather permitting I'll be planting the 8 tomato plants I picked up at the co-op earlier this week. It's not like I can just wander out to the garden, dig a little hole and stick the plant in...nooooo, not by far. Remember the rocks? Yeah...there's that. So while I will be digging holes, I'll also be redistributing rocks (aka throwing them over the fence into the woods) and clearing away the weeds that have taken over since last weekend. I can't even tell I pulled a single weed lol!
I should go into the business of growing rocks and weeds instead of flowers and food...lol!! There's a good two hours worth of work before the first tomato plant gets sunk into that cool, moist earth of ours and I'm looking forward to every minute of it. I enjoy the exercise and I enjoy looking out there and seeing the fruits of my labor. The part I love best, of course, is eating those yummy vegetables and knowing that I grew them myself.
Since the heat replaced the rain, the garden has been a few days without a drop of water. It's a good thing the soil holds moisture so well. When I dug it up to test for moisture, it was plenty damp under that first layer of dryness. All is well on the watering front but I'll still give everything a drink since new plants will be going in the ground and I'll have the hose out there anyway....Pictures will be posted come Monday. Hopefully, we'll have beans!!!! The suspense must be driving you crazy...I know it is me :) :) :)
Have a great weekend - plant something would ya?? LOL!
"The trouble with, "A place for everything and everything in its place" is that there's always more everything than places." ~Robert Brault, http://www.robertbrault.com/
Even though we have had our share of hot weather these past couple of weeks, we're fortunate the humidity levels have remained fairly low. You feel the heat but you don't feel that constant dampness like you do in FL. I was on a conference call yesterday where one of my teammates asked me if I missed the FL weather. Quite frankly, no, not so much. Do I miss all of you? Certainly. But you can't have everything, right? Where the heck would you store it? LOL
There's not much to report on the garden subject other than that the flowers have dropped from the bean plants which gives me hope that beans will soon be in abundance. The Burpee Catalog people keep sending me emails so I can order more plants and seeds and all kinds of gardening supplies. Don't they realize the danger in that??? LOL For goodness sake, I've got my hands full with what I've already got planted, let alone when the canning begins :)
So I made up a new recipe. There are pictures on the flickr site but they don't do any justice to the flavor of the dish. It was so simple and could be adjusted hundreds of different ways depending on the type of vegetables you and your family prefer. For us, I decided on broccoli and snow peas. I had both of them in the freezer and I was in the mood for some green food. They fit the bill.
I had shrimp in the freezer too and what's better than pasta, shrimp and vegetables? Well, okay, lots of things but this is what I was in the mood for. I filled my pot with water and started it to boil with a little salt thrown in to season the whole wheat pasta. While that went on, I gathered the remaining ingredients; Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper and a jar of homemade salsa.
While the pasta boiled, I peeled the shrimp and broke out about 8-10 spears of the frozen broccoli. When the pasta was about half done, I added the broccoli and brought it back up to a boil so they could finish cooking together. I poured them off into a colander but saved the hot water and poured it back in the pot. When it came back up to a boil, I added the snow peas and the shrimp. Those only had to cook for like 3 minutes and they were done.
I drained them in the same colander as the pasta and broccoli and I was just about set. Everything went into a bowl where I added the jar of salsa, the crushed red pepper and the cheese. I gave it all a good stir and scooped a big spoonful into my bowl. Talk about easy, fast, tasty and pretty darn healthy to boot! I couldn't find one ingredient that was unhealthy...can you? Maybe the fat from the cheese but there wasn't that much cheese in it - just enough to add a little extra flavor. hmmmm what do you think?
Folks I do believe that rabbit season is upon us....the little hoppers are everywhere! It doesn't matter what time of day it is, if you go outside, you're going to see at least 2 or 3, possibly even more. When I left the house this morning, there had to be at least 15 of them hopping around the property, up along the driveway and everywhere in between. It's a good thing they're quick to get out of the way because with as many of them as there are, it would be hard to miss hitting them if they weren't. No wonder they don't have a rabbit season...they would over-populate in a seriously bad way if people couldn't hunt them all year. Not to worry, as I said before, I'm done with trying to like rabbit meat. If it was all there was to eat, yeah, I'd eat it but it's not top on the list.
Just before Wally left for FL, he noticed that Ruger had a bad spot on his throat where it looked like his fur was pulled out and it was all red and inflamed looking. Well, after a day or so it appeared to be getting better and then I noticed he got another spot just like it on his back - right up by his neck. This sore spot was about as big as my palm so it worried me. I called Wally and he had me pick up this medicine at the co-op that's like a topical antibiotic for animals. I brought it home and sprayed it on his sore spots and within a few days the spot on his neck was completely cleared up (although the fur is still missing) and the one on his back was starting to get better. Meanwhile, this stuff is dark purple. When I sprayed it on him, some of it over-sprayed onto me...all over my legs and hands. I knew it was on my hands because I could see it, of course. But I never looked at my legs. The next morning in shower I freaked out for a second there wondering what the heck was all over me...lol oh, it was pretty funny!!
I scrubbed and scrubbed and most of it came off but I still had some purple speckles between my knees and ankles and I was wearing my white capris...LOL it showed up really well against those white pants!! hahaha no one said a word...now, I know if I was in FL, y'all would be saying all kinds of stuff. You would have at least asked what the heck happened to my legs...lol Not here - not a word. Funny, huh?
After a couple more washes the purple came off...and Ruger's back has healed up nicely. I'm watching for his fur to come back in but so far it hasn't. I don't know what the heck it was, some kind of skin irritation is all I know.
On the subject of the puppies - it's hard to call them that now that they are so HUGE - but age wise they are still puppies. They continue to delight me with their antics - they chase butterflies and rabbits but never catch a thing...except the one time Colt caught the rooster. I doubt he'll do that again after the trouble he got in. Mostly they catch each other and then come running back to me to be petted, rubbing on me with their slobbery fur. I don't know that they'll ever stop growing...I'll get new pictures for you this weekend. You won't believe how big they are now.
It's festival season here in TN. I don't know that we'll make it to any of them - too crowded for my liking but if you were in search of something to do...now would be a good time to be here! There's so much going on, it gets mind-boggling. Some things are free and others will cost you but all of them have to do with music or food or both. There are garage sales galore - signs dotting every corner - tempting you to turn in and check out the junk other people are selling...I'm pretty well stocked up on junk so I just drive on by....lol! We'll stop every now and then...sometimes you just can't resist a good garage sale, right?
The cicadas have arrived and so have the lightning bugs (aka June bugs) and together between them there's enough noisy clacking and little, blue lights flickering that it seems you could be at a really bad outdoor concert. LOL Thankfully the cicadas only come from the ground in swarms every 13 years so this won't happen again for long time. The lightning bugs are quiet and really cute with their little lights blinking all the time. I read in a magazine (Southern Living?) that you can catch them in a jar, cover it with a breathable fabric and set them on your picnic table for muted lighting in the evening. You have to let them go after a couple hours but that's kind of a cool idea.
I have no idea how to catch them so you won't see them adorning my table but the pictures in the magazine were neat looking. They tend to fly close to the woods so I see them when I'm on the porch just before and right after it goes completely dark out there. The woods just light up!! June Bug is a good name for them for it's the only month they are here. I don't know where they are before or after June but they're gone just the same.
Who knows how long those noisy cicadas will be around...? They're an ugly bug, that's for sure. There's a guy in Nashville who dips them in chocolate for people to eat...hmmm enterprising, I guess, but I don't see the attraction. They're about the size of a big cricket...you can look them up on the internet and see what I mean.
It's graduation day for Britney Pattishall. WAY TO GO BRITNEY!!!! We're very proud of you!! Britney is Ernie's youngest daughter - I know you know Ernie :) For those of you who haven't met Britney or haven't had the chance to really get to know her, she's a very special young lady. While attending high school and making good grades there, she also attended Westside Tech school where she has completed studies to earn her Veterinary Assistant Certification. She graduates from there today as well. Britney is a sweet, fun-loving teenager who has her sights set on being a Veterinary Technician. She'll do it too - she's that kind of person! While her father (William Pattishall) won't be here in person to witness his daughter's graduation, we all know he'll be watching from on high as she takes that walk across the stage to accept the diploma she's worked so hard to get. May he rest in peace with a big smile knowing she did it!! We love you Brit :)
Well, the weekend is upon us and the farm beckons us outdoors...weather permitting I'll be planting the 8 tomato plants I picked up at the co-op earlier this week. It's not like I can just wander out to the garden, dig a little hole and stick the plant in...nooooo, not by far. Remember the rocks? Yeah...there's that. So while I will be digging holes, I'll also be redistributing rocks (aka throwing them over the fence into the woods) and clearing away the weeds that have taken over since last weekend. I can't even tell I pulled a single weed lol!
I should go into the business of growing rocks and weeds instead of flowers and food...lol!! There's a good two hours worth of work before the first tomato plant gets sunk into that cool, moist earth of ours and I'm looking forward to every minute of it. I enjoy the exercise and I enjoy looking out there and seeing the fruits of my labor. The part I love best, of course, is eating those yummy vegetables and knowing that I grew them myself.
Since the heat replaced the rain, the garden has been a few days without a drop of water. It's a good thing the soil holds moisture so well. When I dug it up to test for moisture, it was plenty damp under that first layer of dryness. All is well on the watering front but I'll still give everything a drink since new plants will be going in the ground and I'll have the hose out there anyway....Pictures will be posted come Monday. Hopefully, we'll have beans!!!! The suspense must be driving you crazy...I know it is me :) :) :)
Have a great weekend - plant something would ya?? LOL!
"The trouble with, "A place for everything and everything in its place" is that there's always more everything than places." ~Robert Brault, http://www.robertbrault.com/
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