Time for bed

It is only a little after midnight and I just finished 19 quarts of canned tomatoes. I really am not that tired and it has been a long day. I wonder if canning is becoming a lost art or will the next generation want to learn? Who knows. Anyway this winter the fall harvest will taste mighty good.

tomatoes again

Picked 2 bu of tomatoes and they are now in the final stage, but I am afraid the kitchen mess is terminal. Tomorrow is another day and I can clean it up. I should get about 18 quarts of tomatoes canned yet tonight. The tomatoes canning got interrupted by a quick trip to Minneapolis MN to do a auto dealer trade. Both Harlan and I went, it is fun and a nice way to spend time together. We do these every now and then where we take a vehicle to another dealer and pick up another one and bring it back. We are suppose to get a frost tonight, guess that will put an end to the garden-kinda....I still have 60 hills of potatoes to dig. But that is another day.

kittens anyone

these moms are tired of nursing kittens so they can go anytime. They all carry the Manx gene.

Football season

After I get off work this morning I will be picking up Austin and heading to Flandreau for a football game. I have to remember to bring my camera so I can get some shots of him playing. Friday afternoon Harlan and I went to Logans first game, he is the kicker and does a darn good job of getting the ball into the air. Now to figure how to get the pictures from the camera to the computer.

Welcome Lovey-Dovey

Joan our neighbor brought up a 10 yr old miniature mare who will be foaling in the spring. She will be staying with us this winter which means I get the fun of having a foal here on the farm. She is just a sweetie and living up to her name. In a week the stallion will join here so she will have company. It is fun going out to give her a scoop of grain in the morning and evening. She greets you, knowing darn well what she gets her grain. I enjoy it.

Freezing potatoes this time

Years ago I had a bumper crop of potatoes and figured out a way to freeze potatoes without them turning black. So Harlan peeled 40# of white potatoes and they are now cooking on the stove. Once done they go into the sealer machine which sucks out the air and into the freezer they go. This winter I just have to pull out a quart of already sliced and cooked potatoes and throw them into the frying pan ready to fry up. I have 60 hills of potatoes waiting yet to be dug so will be doing some more freezing. A good project for a rainy day. By the way I did 7.5 quarts of tomatoes again the other day. One of these days I will be able to get up to the sewing machine and start making quilts and doll clothes and jamies.

BOW is the ultimate high

This weekend I went to BOW (Becoming Outdoor Women) which was held at the Methodist Church Camp at Ponsette. Friday, Saturday and Sunday there were over 60 women enjoying classes, the wonderful food and a beautiful fall like weekend. They come from all over the state and many from other states. I took Boating Basics and yes I learned how to back up a boat and put a boat and trailer in the water ready to launch. I took Back Yards Gone Wild where we learned to identify native plants and how to use them in the landscaping. Camping was another course where we learned the ways to make a camp fire, pitch a tent and how to survive in the woods. The last course was Treats for the Tweeters. I made a wreath to hang outside and it was filled with all sorts of edible flowers and seeds for the birds. Then a hummingbird feeder was made from a glass pop bottle and copper wire. That turned out really neat. The Conservation Offices put on a wild game feed and if it is edible we had it, and that included Mountain Lion which tastes like pork and is very good. Terri Stratton my cousin from MN came and this will probably not be her last time. Next year it will be at Outlaw Ranch in the Hills. There were a lot of laughs, good conversation, boating in the water in the evening, and so many memories.

what more jelly

I picked a 5 gallon pail of golden crab apples and they are now in the drip stage. One of these days I will get my kitchen back and cleaned. But then it will be time to start the sewing.

Crazy old lady

Went to work this morning, we are getting busier than ever so putting in more hours. Came home and had coffee with Harlan. THEN I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to start cleaning the barn. The sheep left yesterday until next spring. The barn has not been cleaned since we moved in. I started and it really was coming up easy. Harlan came out to help me and within 4 hours the barn was cleaned. We opened all the doors to circulate the air. Joan my neighbor (who owns the sheep) will come down later this week and we will lay a good bed of straw down for bedding. Win the stallion and a new mare that they are buying will be here soon. It will be nice to have the horse back. Win is a miniature and just as sweet and can be. I think he may stay the winter which is fine with us. But we got a dirty job out of the way. Later today I will be going horse back riding with Joan and Bob. Am I a glutton for sore muscles? Will find out.

Good bye dear friend

I check our old home paper on line frequently, keeps me caught up with the news even tho we have been gone for 20 some years. That is how I found out that our neighbor Grandma Vi
(Violet Strand) had passed away. Vi became the Grandma to my kids when we moved to Lindstrom MN when Kathy was just starting Kindergarten. Age does not matter between friends and that is what Vi and I became, close friends. When we had the chimney fire, Vi was right there to answer the door and take in 3 frighten kids and get them back to sleep. The memories of her wading though knee to hip deep snow to spend Thanksgiving with us because there was no way she was going to drive to her family to spend the holiday. We would hike and ski the woods we so dearly loved. Even tho we had to move to Texas and then back to MN and then to SD we kept in contact. The last years were not kind to Vi as she came down with Alzheimer's like so many have and so many of us will. All of our secrets, the memories we shared became locked away. Good bye dear friend, you taught me so much and I loved you as if you were my Mom.

New plants

I answered an ad and will be getting new prennials for the garden today. Slowly my garden is taking shape. We really need the rain. Will have to do some deep watering this afternoon after I get everything planted. Next year should really show the results of all the hard work and planting of this year. I am hoping that the sedum will take off and cover alot of the bare ground in the shade gardens. Mom used to say the First year they sleep, the Second year they creep and the Third year they leap. Which is about right for prennials. It usually takes about 3 years before they are looking good.

I am working a 4 day shift at Caseys, so back to setting an alarm.

It is canning season

First Judy (a girlfriend)_ and I made 41 jars of apple jelly, apple mint jelly, apple cinnamon jelly, so today I canned 11.5 quarts of tomatoes. Strange how gratifying it is to look at all the shelves with canned food on them. Mom used to sit at the bottom of the steps and just admire her work, I understand now what she was thinking. Thanks for teaching me Mom.

it is fall

My favorite time of the year. The leaves are starting their gradual turn of color. The garden is winding down, hopefully we will get tomatoes as the black corn bugs are beating me to the pickings. They are even eating the green tomatoes. I think it is due to the lack of moisture. Yesterday I met with 3 other Master Gardeners and we will be re-vamping the Native Prairie Garden at McCory Gardens. It will be a big undertaking but once done will be something to be proud of. This Saturday I will be working with a large group of Master Gardeners and 4-H kids at the county extension office. We have set out a landscaping plan and it will start coming together Saturday when the big machines come in and they lay the new landscaping curbing. We have some really neat ideas that will feature a water feature and water barrels. Come and check it out once it is all done.

we are home, anyone miss me???

Branson, MO to Brookings SD (actually Sinai) in one day 600+ miles on the GoldWing. We went down to Branson MO to just take a few days off and enjoy some shows and the beautiful scenery. We of course went to Dixie Stampede-highly recommend to anyone heading there. Do not recommend seeing Tony Roi a Elvis tribute-he is in love with his movements and they were less then desirable. But do go to the Mall as they have free shows of upcoming stars and they work their hearts out for the tips. Johnny Rogers is really one that will not be performing for free much longer. The weather was cool, some rain and of course the food was top notch. So now I am home to reality. Tomorrow I have an eye apt to recheck the eye surgery-and yes it is still doing wonderful. Laundry is caught up and now have to catch up on my computer.

Glad to be home.