Tuesday Tidbits

Before the sunrise yesterday.  We are getting some beautiful morning views.  

Our 20 year-old's car has been broken down for a few months, and Hubby finally go to look at it.  The part is out that needs replaced, and we hope to get it up and running.  Finally.  That's his focus.   Next focus is replacing the plastic kitchen drawer brackets with metal.  All the pots and pans are still on my kitchen table for now (I have more drawers than cupboards here).  The people prior to us, put them in that way, and they have broken now (lasted about 10 years).

I had a lot to clean up in the kitchen, including clean the coffee pot.  It hasn't been brewing quick enough lately.  I even had an order that was shipped and not unpacked.  My focus stayed on the kitchen - good advice from Hubby.  

Instead of placing some orders for items we need, I simply wrote out the list and kept my focus on the kitchen.  I went from one counter to the next vs. trying to attack everything at once.

I did not weed a thing either.  I'm waiting on the rain that is to come today and tomorrow.  That'll make weeding go so much faster.

Focusing on the kitchen was a good thing overall.  We've been talking about having Hubby's family over for a cookout (which I prefer over a breakfast gathering).  Hopefully, we can get a date set soon.

Keeping busy is a good thing right now.  I'm really having a hard time with Jesse not here any longer.  I miss him so much it's ridiculous.  I don't have my porch pal, my pal to go to the chickens, my pal period.  Sigh.  Even the little things remind me he's not here.  Like eating a piece of toast, and him sitting by my side waiting to be treated the last bite.

Since we didn't plant much of a garden, there is nothing to harvest right now.  I need to buy some zucchini and yellow squash soon and put that in the freezer.  I just need to locate an organic produce stand or get it at the grocer (they carry it this time of year).   I'll have to buy broccoli and cauliflower this year as well.  Not to mention peas and a whole lot of other produce and fruit.  We got only a handful of our red raspberries this year, and the blackberries are just now turning ripe.  

Good Gravy!

Everywhere I looked, there was a job to get done.  UGH!  It was also intern day, so outdoor time was limited (again).  Puppy duty day.

Dishwasher needed emptied and reloaded.  Laundry needed done, crockpot dinner started, yard picked up, puppy pool emptied and brought up, hose pulled in (mower guy showed up), etc.  

Bathroom needed cleaned.  Kitchen table cleaned off.  Carpets needed vacuumed.  Dog needed brushed.  Beef needed cooked for Jesse.  I needed to mail in a paper for daughter for her intern work.

Trash needed to go out.  Chickens needed tending.  I got more orders for hot pads, but need to make them also.  Library books needed to be returned.  I needed to figure out what to make and take to a cookout this weekend, and the following (when is a girl gonna get time for a motorcycle ride with all this stuff going on?  Just say no?).

Recipes needed written and filed.  Senior pictures needed taken (again, day 2).  My tote that I store my garden starts in, with shelving needed put back in storage.  Boxes needed broke down and stored to use in the garden.  Flower beds and herb garden still need weeded.  Fridge needs cleaned out still.

Cake decorating doo-dads needed put away, the rest of the radishes needed pulled....list is endless right now.

GAH!!!

I just said no after 2pm and took a long break on the porch.  Cold coffee with a splash of goodness did the trick.

Ignore.  Ignore.  Ignore that list for now.

Here is what I did get done, and it wasn't on the list.....

This is where I planted the radishes, sweet potatoes and other potatoes.  Grass is about 4 feet high.  I got half the radishes dug up.  Some are still small, so I'm weeding out the grass now.  Plants look good despite.  I got all the garlic but what I couldn't find dug up, and all the green beans weeded.  One row was a fail.  I just dug up the plants that lived (about 5 sadly) and moved them to the other row.  Hubby has permission to mow it down for me.

I got the radishes trimmed and scrubbed, and garlic in an area to dry.  Bulbs are much smaller.  

I am mowing down the garlic bed and saying goodbye to it.  We will not be using it, and downsizing.  I'll plant the garlic in the other garden.  We have plans to rip up all the raised beds and rebuild and do it differently as well.

A tractor just went to the top of the wish list.  If the pasture isn't mowed down, we have this issue every year, and the spring rain made it worse this year.   We may look to hire someone this year though.

Rainy Day Work ~ Flooded Out

Dirty dish pile started early Thursday morning.  Sausage/potato egg burritos with cowboy candy.  

I canned more strawberry margarita jam.

Froze more strawberries.

The rain just poured down on us.

I also diced up a bunch of onions and popped them in the dehydrator - homemade onion powder.  My supply is getting very low.  Also for winter, when I we get a lot of snow and I need onions to cook with.

I had herbal infused oil to strain, and a tincture to strain.  I had dishes to wash of course too.

I made an iced coffee for an afternoon "pick me up" since Hubby gets home so late now.  It was organic brewed coffee, cooled, a bit of milk, a splash of Bailey's and ice. Mmm!

It' literally poured and poured all afternoon.  I had to turn the dehydrator off until the thunder and lightning stopped.  I also couldn't feed the chickens until it stopped.   The front of our yard flooded and the field across the street.

When I did get out to the barn, and to the mailbox, my heart sank.  My potatoes and radishes were completely underwater.  By evening,  the field east of us flooded, spilling over the highway and into our front yard, flooding the road.  City crew came out with signs, just as I was calling them.  Didn't matter though.  I literally poured a glass of wine and sat on the porch.  I thought I would be calling 911, since idiots ignored the signs.  I saw a truck fish tail and a jeep just about wipe out.  Just a few people slowed to drive through it, but almost every other one plowed through it, throwing water twice the height of their vehicle.

Friday morning, the sun came up brightly, and we had zero rain.  Whew!  I checked on the potatoes when I fed the ladies.  Oh, speaking of the ladies, I am pretty sure out of the 7 chicks I bought, I have 2 ladies and 5 gents.  So, I'm planning on keeping two, giving one to a friend, and offering 2 to a family member who mentioned they want to start raising chickens.  We'll see how it goes I guess.

I got the new grill parts were installed and we fired it up for dinner Friday night.  What a beautiful day!!  The weekend will be dry, sunny and beautiful!  

Puttin' Up Strawberries and other Tidbits ~ Fun in the Run

Hubby tried the strawberry margarita jam and gave me the green light.  He loves it.  Said it was "amazing."  I will be making more if the strawberries are available again.  I do have to say though, it has a lot of foam that needs skimmed off, more so than any other jam I've canned.

Canned another batch of reduced sugar strawberry jam. Froze one quart.  Saving the last qt. for a surprise dessert for the family.

Washed two mountains of dirty dishes.  Only to start to dirty some to prep dinner.

We had a good dry and surprisingly sunny day.  I got the potatoes hand hoed, all but two rows too wet yet.  Green beans are starting to come up - so happy about that.  Two zucchini plants sprouted, along with the greens, and all the grow bags.  Radishes look great, so I hope the sunshine will speed up the process.  I'm hankering for garlic scape - radish spread, radish hashbrowns, and simply eating them.

Filled the clothesline up too, and it was a glorious feeling.  Got the coop mucked (not so fun with the heat now) and deadheaded the petunias I swore I'd never buy again.

Aurora, our only barn cat, brought us a gift to the porch.  Twice.  Two days in a row she has brought baby rabbits.  I guess she found a nest.  Good rodent control, but the front porch? Sigh.

Our 19 year-old came out for another "Father's Day" dinner.  Sigh.  

The meal?

Fried chicken
Mashed tades
Baked Mac n' Cheese
Jalapeno creamed corn
Homemade rolls
Homemade brownie Sundaes with whiskey butterscotch sauce

I would have had a photo, but we were all licking our fingers and Hubby and I were so tired.  Daughter showed up late and brought a friend and stayed a while.  We literally, went to bed afterwards and left the dirty dishes for morning.  All I can say is Mother's Day next year better rock all week long.  I haven't made fried chicken in over 12 years or more.  

Fun in the run, is chasing chickens.  My newbies are too dumb to go up and out the run.  I have to literally put them out, and chase them around and put them in.  I'm thinking I need two new runs with bigger rungs on them.  I know I at least have one hen out of the 7.  Not sure yet on the rest.  I can see 2 roosters though.

Bad news.  Rain arrives tonight, and with a vengeance.  Just what we don't need.  Possible severe storms with it all too.

Strawberry Margarita Jam

Saturday the rain  came back again with a vengeance.  I forgot one item at the grocery store - limes.  I had planned on canning jam first thing, but had to go back to the store first.

However, on Friday, I picked up a flat of locally grown strawberries.  Hubby got his cold strawberry pie for Father's Day, and I got some to can jam. 

 

I made strawberry margarita jam for the first time. I did an immediate taste test -  super sweet but very good.  Just a dab ol' do ya'. The recipe is in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication:  Canning, preserving, and freezing and drying (Sept. 2013).  The recipe is also online.  

With all the rain coming, we forfeited the last of the sweet potato slips.   I hate to do that, but it's a weather crisis, and I don't want to spend the extra cash on buckets and a truck load of dirt.  Did you know organic soil for vegetables is $6.77/bag (2 cu. ft.)?  I am hanging onto about 6-7 to plant if I can, but that's all the tilled space I have, and we are running out of time.  They take much more time than regular potatoes.

We are getting more rain today.

Plan H ~ Grow Bags ~ Windshield wiper warning

We had a dry day yesterday, so I backed the truck out yonder and planted my 15 grow bags - carrots, beets and 3 more sweet potato slips.  The remaining are in plan I.  Our future 7 days of rain increased to 16 days of rain now (which we know can change).  All other plans are now off the table.  I tossed seeds into a till row, as it was the only area tilled, and my last chance to get greens in Thousandhead kale, Russian red kale, orange and red chard.

It's the first year to use grow bags, so I'll update as we experiment.  I may need to invest in more for next year.  I hope they do well and we have food in the freezer this winter (and canned too).

Since we couldn't plant popcorn, I will be making a trip to Amish country this month to purchase organic for the winter.  I also have another produce source not far that grows their own popcorn.  If they are not flooded out anyway.  Everyone who plants any sort of garden is struggling right now.

I spent some time writing out a shopping list for the other "Big City."  I saved those errands for rainy days.  I also placed orders online etc.  I had to buy a replacement kit for grill grates for the grill.  No more grilling until they arrive.  I love grilling, as I don't have to turn on my electric stove.

Speaking of electric, since the weather has been unseasonably colder for June, we haven't put in the air conditioners, so that is saving us some money.  It's been too moist to paint the doors though.

I've written out a weekend list, but Sunday is iffy.  It's not only (just maybe) Hubby's only day off, but it's Father's Day also.  Hm.  Not sure what'll get done or not with the rain and Hubby's work schedule.

errands in the other "Big City" - many stops with more lists (TSC, Wal-mart, Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, Produce Stand)
bake peanut butter cookies
can jam
Visit Dad, and take him jam
can BBQ sauce
weed herb garden
muck coop
laundry
sweep and mop kitchen
dust
clean up office area
weed un-mulched flower bed areas
put down 453# of mulch
drop screen to be repaired, get quotes for some windows
bake bread
update homesteading journal
work on unfinished projects (another long list of it's own)

Our "handy man" biker friend came over and worked on the mower, changed the oil in it, and weed whacked everything!  So thankful we can afford to hire him right now.

One last ditty bit before I sign off.  This happened to me at the grocery store in a town close to us, that is notorious for drugs, break ins, you name it.  My daughter and I were "rushed" in an aisle there by Gypsies several years ago (I was aware and got her and I out of the aisle quickly, so no worries).  Anyway, it's a scary world we live in now.

While I was in grocery shopping, someone put this torn paper, folded up, which appears to have something inside it, under my driver's side windshield wiper.  

I drove off, and let the windshield wiper throw it off, then washed my windshield with wipers and solution to clean off any possible anything.

There has been warnings around that this is being done, with a dollar bill of some sort inside, laced with drugs.  Also, it's used to make you put your purse inside, see it and get out and remove it, and while removing it, they hop in steal your vehicle purse etc.

Either way, I wasn't taking a chance, but curious minds wanted to know.  If it happens to me again, I'm driving to the police station and letting them check it for me.    I mean come on. I parked way out in the parking lot, no one next to me, and I looked over the truck (no dents etc).  I'm sure they were trying to steal my truck, drug me or kidnap me and the truck.  It's a nice truck.  Anyway, a bit of warning to you all about this.  Don't get out and remove it, nor touch it.  I need a new place to shop. Sigh. 

Oh, I was totally aware of my surroundings as well.  First, while shopping I noticed sketchy people walking around, no cart, no items, then leave.  As I left, I noticed a car, one SUV, and another car, all way out at the very edge of the lot with someone in them.  One guy looking at me.  Don't worry, "Gladys" was keeping an eye on everyone on the way to the truck.  I also carry my purse over one shoulder and across chest and under the other arm.  

Now I just want to clean out my garage and start working out on the heavy bag and speed bag again.  

Rain just keeps coming . . .

Thursday the rain fell hard again.   Temps were much cooler for June as well - 60's.  

Youngest Daughter had intern day, and her step-sister made an appt. for manicures with a friend, and I believe their daughter's too.

Dirty dishes multiply like rabbits at the homestead, so I figured I'd dirty more on a rainy day.  

I made blueberry buckle.  I wasn't feeling like baking, but I did.  I also cut some garlic scapes, so I whipped up some garlic scape/spinach pesto too.

I'm missing my husband more and more.  It's getting so hard to get through the week anymore.  We've now hired someone to cut down some trees.

More Rain ~ Tornado

I took advantage of a day with a vehicle and headed to the "big city" to grocery shop and run errands.  Mulch and dirt has to wait.  It rained early morning, but tapered off about 8:30am.  

It sure was nice to put away groceries with a clean fridge.  I got a trip in to the library, gassed up the truck, and other needs.  

I'm so glad I moved a lot of stuff out of my walk-in closet the day before.  Someone was sending me a message that I'd be sitting in it.

Rain was due back again about 3pm, and the forecast was possible severe thunderstorms.  Again.  And we did indeed get them, along with a passing tornado that was heading towards our town. 

(sauce contains wine)

I was literally stirring homemade meat sauce on the stove when I got the warning.  I quickly turned the stove off.  If this sauce is good, I'll share a post about it in the near future.  You bake a double batch, and freeze one.

Anyway...

I got the warning on my cell phone, and as I was running out to shut up the chickens I heard the siren.  Thereafter, I got calls and texts from family warning us we were in it's path.

I was home with our 17 year-old daughter.  We, along with the cat and dog went to my bedroom closet (best place without a basement).  She was very stressed about this tornado.  We kept the radio on and waited it out.  We made it through it safely.  Just lost a limb off one of our trees.

We had more thunderstorms after that, and rain the rest of the night.  Yard is once again flooded.  There's no telling how long it will take to dry out again.

Cold Front

Sunday we got on the Harley and headed to meet up with some friends to head to the very last day of Ohio Bike week.  We got as far as the gas station meet up point, and turned around and went home.  First we waited 1 1/2 hours for our friends, and in that time watched the dark skies to the east, and the wind pick up, and that time gave us time to change plans.  

We headed home, waited the weather out, and ended up staying home.  Too many flooded roads in every direction.  On Hubby's only day off, we ended up playing cards on the porch and retiring early. 

Monday morning we woke up to weather in the chilly 40's, but dry.  We had more thunderstorms Sunday night too.  

I decided, after 4 days of sinus pressure to see a doctor.  I tried everything in the book first.  All this moisture is putting havoc on my sinuses despite using a dehumidifier in our bedroom.   I drove home with a diagnosis of an eye infection in one eye and a sinus infection.  Driving was no fun.  I high tailed it back home to apply a warm compress and text Hubby a very short grocery list.  My to-do shopping was halted.  I'll have to get mulch, a load of dirt, and youngest daughter's nail supplies another day.  I wasn't up to it with one eye functioning and the left side of my face feeling like it'd explode.

(had a visitor in the tomato patch)

Today it'll be up in the 70's.  My sweet potatoes that I planted in the garden look better than expected.  I maybe lost one.  The tomatoes look okay and so do the jalapeno plants.  I'm just not going to be planting the green bell peppers very soon.  Radishes have even sprouted.  Praying for enough dry time to till and possibly plant again.  

On the Upside of things. . .

We had a very bad night of thunderstorms and hail Saturday night.  The most rain (5 inches) and hail I have ever seen in our area, the rain finally let up on Sunday and as of now, today.  Fields are now lakes, but the rain has stopped.  I will wait a few days to check my smallish garden for damage.

I harvested a bunch of plantain (before the rain) since the yard was so tall.  I dried some, and started an infused oil for salve making.  I found a recipe to make plantain "chips" and may try it this year.  Has anyone eaten plantain and has a good recipe to share?

I started my horse chestnut tincture too.

I baked a peach pie.  Hubby's request, and boy did he deserve it.  

Our mower was finally returned on Saturday about noon.  

Random Tidbits

Wed. night Hubby, tired as he was tilled a small bit of the garden for me (for potatoes).  I yanked out one section of last year's plastic we had down for peppers, but left the rest in.  It's too wet to work in.

(That's puddle of water, and it's way too wet to till)

It's saturated in most parts yet.  We were to get rain all night, and did not thankfully.  Rain was 80% at 6am Thursday morning, but quickly changed to 50% at 7am.  Then it stopped early. 

Although it was a muddy mess, I planted 17# of red and white potatoes (90 starts).   Took a break, and headed back out to plant 53 sweet potato slips but only had room for 26.  I managed to plant a row of radishes too.  

We are really hurting in our area, farmers included.  Not one farmer has been in their fields this year other than to do soil tests.  Organic farmers may be having the same issue.

Our plan is to take it one day at a time, and then decide what's to be planted.  We will attempt fall planting of radishes, kale etc.  If I can manage it by myself, I plan to pull the pea fence and roll it up until fall.  It'd make tilling a bit easier since we can't plant any pea type at all now.

The weather changes by the hour, so it's hit or miss this year.

Allergies are at their worst ever this year.  I've relied on nettle for years, but I'm now mixing it up with mullien.   I'm also using oregano oil this year.   The diffuser is going at night, but that means turning off my dehumidifier and it's still raining here.

Goldenrod is not in season yet, and I don't have horehound.  If you have a tea remedy that works better, please share.

To relieve sinus pressure I did some essential oil steams the other day too.  I also decided to take my worries away with a long hot soak in the tub with essential oils.

I'll be looking through my herbal recipe books to see if I can find another tea alternative.  If there is nothing new in my own books, I'll be ordering some from the library.

Aurora gifted me an early morning treat on the porch.  Then proceeded to play with it, to the point I had to switch rockers for her to have more room.  Good kitty, but on the porch?  Really?

I was chilling on the front porch with a wine slushy, when I saw something move out in the field across from us.

I then remembered my chickens were out in their run, and ran out there to check.  Whew.  All accounted for, but not the barn cat. Found her later.

Just before that, our biker friend arrived to mow.  No mower.  Grr.  He has plans on Friday, and it's the only dry day for a while.  

Changing Plans ~ Weather Crisis

Horrible thunderstorms woke us up Tuesday morning, and later I found out there were tornadoes that touched down within an hour of us.

Youngest started her internship, and with the rain constant along with Hubby's work schedule, it's been indoor work for the most part.  

I broke down, did some research, and ordered us some reusable potato grow bags.  I just need to get the dirt and give an update on that.  I could not find one person with experience or a resource for bags, so I went with what my out research did.  It can't hurt at this point, as we are as desperate and desperate can be.

I sort of have a plan for the 54 jalapeno plants, but not for the 54 plus green pepper plants.

Rats chewed another hole in the chicken coop.  We patched that and built a rat trap, but noticed a crack in the bottom of my 5 gallon bucket.  We'll buy a new one and reset it.

As for the ants in the herb garden, I sprinkled grits on the hill.  So far, no ants.  You just need a dry day to do it, so they eat it.  Not sure on my weed killer yet.  No good dry days to use it.

Of course we got more rain, and major storms were in the forecast.  Thankfully most went past us giving us less rain.

Wednesday morning it was calm with no rain, but still in the forecast.

I made a sausage and kale millet skillet (recipe is online, but with ham and cheese), considering I couldn't do a thing outside.  The humidity is bad here too.  So bad, I have sinus issues and have been downing tinctures and teas to relieve the pressure.  When that failed to do it's job, I remembered a trick my Dad taught me a long time ago - add one drop of oregano oil (talk to your health store professional) to a teabag and make hot tea.  Worked like a charm.

I'm also having to run our dehumidifier and empty it often.  So this means no painting of anything either.   When I first turned on the dehumidifier it read my bedroom was 85% humidity.  windows in the kitchen and front room have been closed for that reason.

Which leaves me to cleaning.   Cleaning, organizing, and it's driving us all mad.  The rain that is.  We are all literally in bad moods.  The rain has made our "can't do" list so long it's frustrating and downright maddening.  We are all grouches and argue a lot lately.  Hubby's work schedule is also draining him and the rest of us, also adding to the "can't do" list.

The old truck is still broke down, one daughter's car remains in the driveway broke down, the septic not dug, bathroom remodel halted, chimney not swept, garden not tilled nor planted......

On top of that, we kind hearted people let one nephew borrow our mower for his house lot, where we have 6 acres.  He borrowed it Monday morning, and we even had a cookout there the same day, and I don't remember seeing the mower there.   He wasn't answering his phone either.  We only have short windows of opportunities (mostly dry times when Hubby's at work) to mow our own grass.  I have a biker friend we can hire to help me, but we can't do it without our mower.  The mower was to be returned last night, but they never showed up, so mowing didn't happen.  We are pretty upset considering we actually got in touch with them too.

We also went out of our way to locate hay for the nephew's horse.  It's very difficult to find right now, and with the rainfall there is a huge shortage.  The friend was willing to sell a few bales and as of we know, he hasn't gone to pick it up.

If by luck, you may see a "gratitude" post soon, just to try and shift my thinking lately.  It's been pretty depressing.

We didn't get too much rain on Wed. but we will get buckets of it again today (if the weather man is right).  I really, really need to find my "happy" place again.

It's Bad....just Bad.

We got massive amounts of rain.  Sadly, we will not be planting popcorn, squash of any kind, beets, carrots, cucumbers, greens and more.  We may not even be able to get the sweet potatoes, potatoes or green beans in either.  No way to till, and more rain in the forecast.  It's going to be our biggest loss ever.  Almost makes me want to cry, but there is nothing we can do about it right now.

I could buy buckets for the potatoes, but the cost for them and dirt would out way having to buy them.   The fate of our 100 plus pepper plants has yet to be decided.

It rained all night and it's raining this morning, and rain all day again tomorrow.