Showing posts with label peaches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peaches. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Wow, August Already!

August 14
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I am sorry for late postings, but I am not going to lie to all of you.  I have been blue, depressed,  trying to get things done around the house and garden since it cooled down considerably, and I mean cooler, like 20-25* cooler and evening temps into the mid 40's.  I have been elated over the main air conditioner  NOT running.  When I have been canning and working in the kitchen, I have had the small window air conditioner running, which is a total blessing.  I can work, and keep most of the trailer cool.

I am finishing up cucumbers, and my house neighbor from across the  street, brought me some small peaches from her tree yesterday.  I was so happy.  They are still a little green, but I think tomorrow, I will be able to get to them.  I think there is enough for a few pints of spiced peach butter.  They were damaged from a hail storm we had a few months ago, but I can work around the blemishes and still make a nice butter.  Like I have mentioned before, I do not turn down free fruit from people.  I have been heaping mounds of cucumbers to our local food pantry, the homeless shelter, and the senior center.  I have never had as many cukes as I did this year.  They were amazing, and even though they are winding down, they are still very crispy, sweet and juicy, but I can only eat so many cucumbers so many ways.

But unfortunately, the rest of the garden was not good, but I appreciated everything I got from it.  I am still getting hot peppers, and I am just pickling them in small jars for salsa or a few pints of hot pickled cucumbers.  My tomatoes are just very slow and creeping along.  I am going to see how they are the end of this week, and then I may pull them.. I have Roma's ripening on the bottom, but on top, the tomatoes are small, slow and will never mature in time.  I am going to pull my acorn squash vines, and melon vines tomorrow, vine borers and some other bugs have gotten to them, so it is time.  I am going to let some of the acorn squash ripen a little more, and then I may cube up these and freeze these in small serving sizes or I may pressure can small jars.  Not sure if I can process squash or not.  I am the only one who eats it so I have enough for the year.

The kittens are doing so very well.  Dexter is growing and being a terror.  Little grey girl now has the name of "Sophie".  She is a little doll and has an attitude now.  She is very independent and somewhat demanding.  But after being at Mr. Dead's doorstep, she can have all of the attitude she wants.  I will get pictures of them during this week.  I need to get some batteries and I will post photos later of them.  They have really grown since the last post. They are eating very well, and are now discovering how to get into trouble and finding places to get into where they really aren't suppose to be, like my cupboards where I have all of my canning equipment  and jars.  Sophie the other day, got into one of my large half gallon jars and was playing in it.  A few weeks ago, when she was a little smaller, she got into a quart jar and hid from me, and I was panicking as I could not find her for a while until she tipped over the jar in the cupboard and I found where she was hiding.  These sweet babies have been my bright shining light to get me though the dark mood I have going on at the moment.

Like I have mentioned above, I have been somewhat blue.  I think it  was the heat, and just a lot of general going's on here.  I have a lot going on, even though, its minor, but trying to take care of several people's issues and problems, trying to make sure bills are paid, and food on the table.  And trying to pay for everything and keep your head above water is stressful, and yes I know I am not the only one. We are all in some way, in the same boat, just floating along trying to keep from being swamped by the large waves of life.

But, as I have been going around, doing errands, I have seen a great stress upon people's faces, and people are horridly temperamental here.  We have also had very, very bad things going on in town, a lot of vandalism, breaking windows out of cars and pickups and the sad thing is, that most of the windows were broken out around town in areas where people cannot afford window replacement.  They were close  in our area, but for some reason, they did not get down to our area, but they were close. We have had several stabbings and some murders outside of our area.   We have also had many grass and prairie fires, and our farmers and ranches are stressed from the heat, and cost of feed, and no water or rain, and up north, a huge prairie fire which took out thousands of acres of grass, and several thousands miles of fencing, and barbed wire and no money to replace the fencing.

I personally am worried about the up coming election and the frames of minds of people.  All of this stress, and demands and the continuing costs of everything has really brought an ugly cloud down upon all of us.  I just do not have answers, and all I can do it just keep doing what I am doing, and preparing for something that I am not sure will come down the pike or not.  I am very concerned that "something" is coming and it may not be good for anyone or the country as a whole.  I just see the strain upon every one's faces. 
As you can read, I am somewhat babbling.  That is the way I feel at the current moment.  Almost like I'm in Purgatory, feeling like I am half in and half out and not going anywhere.  I am hoping with the cooler weather that is supposed to be here Thursday, it may help perk up people's minds.  And it would really help if we would get some rain too!

Well, I think that I have babbled enough.  I hope that all of you in the drought areas get some of this cooler air we are supposed to get.  It is supposed to be here around Thursday, with the daytime temps in the 70's.  Wow!  Haven't seen 70's since early spring. Won't know how to act. And evening temps in the 40's and 50's. Definitely something to crow about.

I wish everyone a wonderful, peaceful week.  And blessings be upon all,.
Hugs

Thursday, September 1, 2011

canning up a storm

Good Morning Everyone,

I am sorry that I have not been blogging recently, but I have been inundated with produce and fruit and I have had to get most of it process or lose it, which I do not waste anything.

An update of the living situation here:  As of now, it is very quiet.  There are the three rentals still open,  a lot of people have been by to look, and the words from the lookers were not at all nice about the property's that are  open.  I am sure that my ears will burn as most of the people looking mentioned why is the house next to the rental nice with flowers and a mown lawn and this place is a piece of s***.  I am sure that the owners are fuming at that comment.  So yesterday, very late in the day, some squirrly looking guy came over and mowed the lawn of the rental next to me, and this morning very early, the so called maintenance man was over, putting in a new interior door from the NFH when the guy was beating the old lady and put her through the door, which you could hear in my house.
Rentals here are over priced, and what is available, I wouldn't let my dog live in which is what these places are.  We are getting new people in this community from other states, and I have been told by my neighbor lady across the street, who is also a land lady, that people who are moving here are going to city hall and complaining to the mayor and city officials about the conditions of rentals.  I am standing ready as I am sure the owner of my area will surly blame me for this rush of complaints from the city officials,  he usually does.  I do hope though that his ears get tired of the insults from would-be- tenants about his properties.  He deserves every word and insult he gets, and hopefully a fine or conditions that have to be met.

My neighbor lady, the land lady, has given me a huge amount of white flesh peaches from her tree.  They are going to be gone after Labor Day, on and off until the 16th, and I have the tree to myself.  So I have been picking peaches and canning my brains out, literally.  I do not let free fruit or food get away from me.  So I have been doing this for a few days.  I have to get it done, because some strangers have been stopping by the neighbor lady asking if they can take the peaches, so I have been on to this and trying to get the fruit off of the tree.  I am for now, just processing them and freezing them in freezer bags.  I treat them with fruit fresh, sugar and lemon juice and take them over to my parent's freezer.  Mine freezer is absolutely full, and I am going to take a hint from GLD from her blog to clean out the freezer, yikes!!

So, really other than that, I haven't been doing too much.  It has been fairly cool here lately, but yesterday and today it is supposed to be up in the high 90's and then cooler weather is coming our way, which I hope will filter down to some of you south of me.  My garden is slowly fading away.  I pulled up some cucumbers, and have picked a few melons, which I am surprised about.  My tomatoes are still slow, but I am getting some.  My neighbor man across the street has been gone also, and I have been making raids on his garden for tomatoes and green peppers.  I have been waiting for some the of the peppers to turn red as I want to make a pepper spread for crackers and I need colored peppers.  I will make some mild and some a little hot.  If you want, I will try to post the recipe, it is my grandmother's so I really don't have a "recipe" so to speak, but I will keep track of amounts and post later, when I get a batch to make some.

Other than that, I have just been busy putting up some food and just staying out of every one's way.  I am also starting my fall ritual of buying things on sale to put away.  I keep a full stocked pantry for winter, but something i have noticed lately and I am now careful about buying is that the stores are keeping track of what you buy.  A few weeks ago, I bought 6 bags of sugar and the checkout lady asked why I was buying so much.  I would of just ignored this, but it was her tone of voice that alerted me to her inquiry.  I just told her I am making pickles and jellies and jams, (which I am), and she went on about checking me out.  But I am reading from other's blogs, that in some area's of the country, people are being questioned about if they are hoarding.  Top be honest, around here, it would be that no one questioned what you bought.  As we are in ranch and farm country, farmers and ranchers buy a lot especially starting this time of year for the winter, usually to get them through the winter as where these ranches are located, you may be snowed in for a month and a half or more.  Also they have ranch hands and have to feed these men and when you are located 150 miles or more from a large town to get supplies, you just can't get in the truck and go to the grocery store every day or week.
So I am now careful when I go and where.  If I have to, I split my purchases over several days, when sales are going.  And I don't make conversation about what I am buying.  I am personally shocked of this behavior now. It is now a sign of the times.

Well, I think that I had better get off my soap box.  I need to start on my peaches and later the tomatoes.
I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week and to my US readers, have a wonderful and safe Holiday Labor Day weekend.

Love and Hugs to all.
Thank you for all of your support and comments