Gardening, Canning, etc.....

Sunday morning early - about 6:00 a.m. last weekend....  It was beautiful.... I was outside with my camera before breakfast, before getting ready for church...

What's been going on on the farm this week?  Well, the garden is progressing and moving forward quickly.  I think EVERYTHING is going to be ready to pick and put up, freeze or can THIS week.  Good grief - poor planning on my part?  I don't know, but it's always this way it seems.  We have tons of tomatoes this year as opposed to last year.  We've had  a few good rains and no blossom end rot to deal with - just hornworms, but the chickens got to eat all of those!  Salsa is going to be a MUST this summer!

I've been saving up cucumbers and put a dozen of Mamaw's spicy sweet dills, I guess you'd call 'em. They are THE BEST pickles I've ever eaten!  That's about all we make.  Tony doesn't want anything else.  I probably will do some relish with some of the too-big cucumbers.  I imagine we'll put up at least 5-6 dozen quarts of pickles for the family and close friends.  Thanks, Mamaw, for teaching me to can and for leaving me this recipe!!  My sister is coming Friday and we are going to can pickles and plum jelly all day.  

This past Friday, my dear sweet young friend, K, came over and spent the day with me.  We always do jelly together and this year was no exception.  She went home with 2 dozen 1/2-pint jars of beautiful plum jelly.  I think she REALLY enjoyed it  and we just had a great time, had lunch and then she wanted to sit out in the backyard with our lime-ade and watch the chickens!  I think we covered just about every subject under the sun!  AND solved several world problems, too!

Tony and I worked outside in the garden most of today.  We picked four quarts of pintos, seen here in the freezer. I think the rest of the plants I'm going to leave until they dry up so I can store the pintos in the pantry instead of taking up room in the freezer.  Don't you think?

We picked a second batch of green beans and they wound up filling three quart bags for the freezer after I blanched them.  We LOVE green beans.  I found some from Ferry*Morse that do really good, and claim to be stringless.  I've used them about 3 years in a row.  Of course, if you leave them on the bush too long, they'll get tough, but so far, we've been able to pick them at the right time...

  A mild winter, more rain and an earlier planting season has put us a bit ahead this year.  Kinda nice.  I'm liking my raised bed garden boxes.  They've done well, I've got watermelons in one, tomatoes in another, purple hulls peas and more green beans.  I put my onions in one, too, but I think they prefer the sandy hot soil that they're used to around here.  

Hey, what's going on at your place?  How's your garden growing?  

Hay cutting season, too... Another foggy morning that I was out early.  You know, I always heard older people can't or don't sleep later.  I wake up at daybreak - 'round here it's beginning to get light around 5:30. I'm usually up and at'em by 6.  It's so nice outside early so I usually head outside with Bug, and we let the chickens out, I check the garden, water a few flowers, and let Bug get her business done.  Sometimes, I carry my camera with me.  Gypsy meets up with us - she's usually covered with burrs in her fur OR she's soaking wet after taking a dip in the pond.  We stroll around the yard and the garden and I mentally make a note of what needs to be done.  

Couple more shots for you and I guess I'll close.  Tomorrow's Sunday and we'll be worshiping with the saints at our church.  I hope you all have a wonderful Lord's day and let's all remember to keep it holy and reverent...and ALWAYS be thankful!  May He bless you richly with His grace!