It's August and it's canning season. Stacey has canned 20 or so pints of corn, quite a few quarts of green beans and a batch or 2 of salsa. We're doing tomatoes now. We started with all the heritage tomatoes that we couldn't eat before they would spoil. That gave us about 10 quarts of juice. Then we canned half the bushel of paste tomatoes that we picked as chunk tomatoes. We're turning the other half bushel into our own tomato paste. There's at least 3 bushel still on the plants so we'll have plenty. Stacey wants to try canning mushrooms and asparagus this year. She thinks that will make a good impression at the fair.
Speaking of the fair, Stacey took Grand Champion-Best of Show for a Blueberry-Rhubarb Pie. She had entered a Fruit of the Forest Pie but it had a crumble crust and the judges just don't like those. She entered B.Caruso's Maple-Pecan Sweet Rolls but it's the first time she's made it and didn't get the topping right. I entered for the first time with Helen Lynch's Rolls and came in fourth in a field of 3. I'll have to practice a bit more.
We had a couple of lambs in the Babyland exhibit. We hadn't planned on it but decided to anyway. When the fair closed, we brought home 2 lambs, 2 pigs and 8 ducklings. I'm still trying to build a proper duck house.
I still have a spare steer. I'm thinking of sending him to auction but the thought makes Stacey nervous. She says that we've eaten half of the one we butchered and wants to keep him in reserve. I want to keep him from tearing up my fences and I could use the money. There's a limit to how many freezers we can run.
I've been sick. Nothing important, just a cold. It's really kicked my ass, though. I didn't realize how bad off I was until I found myself kneeling on the shop floor unable to see for the tears from a muscle in my neck that I had pulled while coughing. I went home and have spent the last two days just trying to rest and clear my lungs. Tomorrow is Friday and I'm going to give it another shot.
Day 14 of the cold and I think it's finally dead. I fell pretty good again. Canning is continuing. We have about 50 pints of chunk tomatoes put up. Stacey bought 2 bushels of Red Haven peaches and we're waiting for them to ripen fully before canning. Stacey is doing Plum Jam today.
I have to mow the lawn. Stacey didn't want me to disturb the quail. I have to admit it was very cool to watch a covey of Bob Whites work their way through the grass but we just have to bite the bullet and mow. I'm sure there are enough weeds around to shelter them.
I got the duck house built. It looks like something from a Terry Gilliam movie but the ducks can't get out. Now, Stacey wants me to put in a pool for them.
The pictures at the start are of the back garden.
