A Bunch of Things
September 11, 2007
It’s pouring. It’s been pouring since late Saturday. This is good because we need the rain, but enough is enough already!
I just got back from the farmer’s market down in Franklin. There weren’t many customers and most of the vendors were absent as well, due to the rain. I talked with the people from King Road and they said they’ve already gotten frost up on the mountain. Frost already! Three weeks early! Can you believe it? And here I have tomatoes ripening and cucumbers still growing, and I live only live a few miles away, although down in the valley and not on the mountain.
Fall is coming too quickly for my taste.
I picked up an eggplant which I’ll make like Farm Mom did. I’m not a fan of eggplant, but Wolf loves it so cutting it, frying it, and freezing it won’t be a big deal. Especially now that we have a freezer chest. Speaking of the freezer chest, it will be filled with a 1/4 pig in the next week or so. Jennifer from Twist of Fate Farm called to talk to Wolf about the pig. Next week I’ll pick up some chickens from a different farmer, one in Sanborton, which is the next town over.
Guess I’m not a vegetarian anymore, hu?
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On a semi-related note, not really, Cheryl from Free Range Living has solved one of life’s little mysteries: how to seed tomatoes.
tomato seeds are easier to dry if you soak them in water for several days until the gelatinous coating on them dissolves
Such advice tells me I’ve been making it far too difficult for myself. But what else is new?
On the topic of seeds, can you still use moldy seeds? I took a bunch from a nice stripped zucchini and put them on the counter for a week or two, then put them in a small plastic bag. Low and behold, there’s mold on them now. I don’t want to throw them away, but, you know, they’re moldy. Still good or should I chuck them?
Seed Swap
September 10, 2007
Last year I started a seed swap and I want to continue it this year. If you want to sign up, leave me a comment and I’ll email you for your address.
It’s Raining
September 10, 2007
Again.
The rain started on Saturday, which was a nice break from the hot humidity we had been suffocating in on Thursday and Friday. We had some fierce thunderstorms, which was pretty cool.
I’m not really complaining about the rain, we really really really need it. It’s been very dry here for the last couple weeks. While I will use the hose to water the garden, I fear doing so too often because I don’t want our well to dry out. And for some reason, we really need to find out the reason, the well stream isn’t flowing despite the rain.
The garden has perked up during the last two days, which is great. While everything is definitely winding down, some vegetables are still growing strong: cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, pumpkins, and the tomatoes are finally starting to redden. The zucchini is still producing, but at a much slower rate.
Oddly, the catnip and basil have rebounded. Definitely not complaining about that! I harvested the oregano the other day and brought some down to Wolf’s mother’s and hung the rest to dry. I did leave some in the ground, that which is about to go to seed.
I’m not ready for fall. I want summer to start over again. Now, not next year.
Canning Mayo
September 10, 2007
Does anyone have a recipe on how to can mayo? I have recipes on how to make it, just not how to can it.
Wheel Turns
September 4, 2007
Summer has passed in these parts. The leaves exhibit the beginnings of change from lush green to brilliant reds, golds, and browns. Air is cooler during the day and Wind has picked up a bit.
Earth is turning toward her sleep time. Am I ready for the upcoming winter?
This weekend I spent it canning tomatoes into stewed tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. I also made a bunch of pickles, both zucchini and cucumber, in hopes of holding me until next summer, but I know what I canned isn’t enough to get us to December, much less next spring. Next year we hope to grow more and be in a better financial position so I can buy what I can’t grow to can.
I am feeling myself start to wind down, start to journey to that dark, cold, lonely place I go in the winter. Instead of fighting winter as I usually do, I am going to embrace it this year. Instead of trying to combat the debilitating depression, I am going to accept it and embrace it. It’s all part of the balance and pace I discussed in my last post, and about accepting myself for who I am, not what I want to be.
Tipper Gore once said something like “Once I hit 40, I just didn’t care what others thought.” While I’m not there yet (nor am I 40 yet), I can see myself embracing such a belief.
Weather and Garden
September 4, 2007
For the last couple weeks the weather has been *perfect.* It’s been warm/hot, no humidity, sunny, bright blue skies.
Overall this summer hasn’t been very hot, muggy, or buggy. It’s been a wonderful summer, but now it’s over. I already posted about the season shift, but now it’s more pronounced: the leaves are starting to turn, something I noticed about ten days ago.
The garden is winding down but still we have zucchini growing. I am waiting for the pumpkins and tomatoes to ripen. The cherry and grape tomatoes have been ripening up fine, but the other ones are just taking forever. They’re green and hard and if not starting to ripen by next weekend, I’m making green salsa with the whole lot.
Jaxsun has perked up a bunch now that the mornings are cooler. He’s getting more energy and wants to be out more, all which is good. Even Harley and Francesca seem pleased with the weather change. Both have been hunting up a storm while Jaxsun smells the tracks left by critters.
It’s fall here in Central New Hampshire. The days are shorter and cooler, Sun lower in the sky. Time to start fall cleaning in preparation for winter.
Canning My Heart Out
September 1, 2007
I can see why our grandmother’s stopped canning and started buying food. I mean, damn! Canning is messy and painful. My fingers and thumbs are burnt to shit.
I screwed up the sour pickles. I forgot to flip the wire thing after I took the jars out of the water bath. I just flipped them up a few minutes ago, after they’d been sitting on the table for an hour cooling down. I don’t have any more cucumbers to make more, and no money to go and buy more.
Crap.
Right now I have zucchini pickles in the bath. After the zucchini I’m going to eat breakfast then get started on spaghetti sauce. After spaghetti sauce it’s green salsa. Most of the tomatoes I grew didn’t turn red, they stayed green and hard, so I thought I’d make green salsa.
Busy day today!
