August 19, 2011 Brother John is Waking Up

 The bon voyage party for our friend Stephen was great fun!  He's the guy in the yellow shirt who is off to teach physics in Kazakstan. His wife, Dominique (black jacket), will join him in January.  I can hardly wait to hear what it's like living in Kazakstan.  It was a calm and rather warm night on the shores of Lake Superior.

 Dog training 101.  Selke, the 1 year old golden retriever, is finally retrieving the big dummies.  For a long time she wanted to bring them in by the string.  Now she will even switch directions, while swimming after a dummy,  and retrieve the other dummy, with just a whistle and a point. She will really get to prove herself this duck hunting season.

Can you see it?  A pumpkin!  Rose can you believe it!  And it's really big!  Just wait till it turns orange!

 While Dave was cutting down another section of the invasive caragana he also cut a pin cherry tree.  I harvested the fruit and will make jelly from the juice.  The caragana tends to spread everywhere so every year we fight the spread by taking back the land a little at a time.  OK, so I need 12 cups of pin cherries and I only have 6.  I went searching for more pin cherry tress and couldn't find a one.  Maybe I'll combine them with...

 Blueberries!  My friend Dominique, whose husband is going to Kazakstan, and I went blueberry picking up the Trail yesterday.  "Up the Trail" meaning an hour up the Gunflint Trail, the longest bus ride in the state, to the primo local blueberry picking site.  A result of the 2007 Ham Lake Fire which burned a total of 75,000 acres and left conditions welcome by berries enjoyed by bears and people alike.

 I pick berries quickly which means they need picking over before they are washed and eaten or frozen.

 Our pretty kitty who adopted us.  Rose really, really wanted a kitty!  We were determined not to have a cat until this one moved in to the unfinished barn.  I'll tell you the story later.

My brother John is finally waking up!  His recovery from the July 31st motorcycle accident has been complicated and of course there is lots of recovery ahead. My brother Terry knows all about this as he is three years out from his equally serious motorcycle encounter with a guard rail accident.  Thanks to doctors and nurses everywhere who make the difference between life and death for so many, but especially my brothers.

Harvest Has Begun

 I have never harvested the gooseberries growing out back until this year.

 The raspberry/gooseberry jam, I guess that would make it "rooseberry jam" is way better than plain old raspberry.  John, I will bring some out when I come to keep you company once you are home from the hospital.

 Fresh parsley has taken the place of oregano drying for winter use.

 Beans, beans, beans! Every day I'll be picking beans, blanching and freezing.  Of course you miss some every day.  Those get cut up, blanched, frozen and finally used in soup.  I steamed some tonight to use in a cucumber, onion, tomato and bean salad to take to Stephen's going away party at the beach.  We're skipping the kayaks and taking chairs!

I'm not sure you can see the "harvest" of dog hair!  Thanks to Karl, Lady will be just a little bit cooler in the days to come.  Lady is a mix of Australian Shepard and Golden Retriever.  She is my pay and does all the chores with me as well as being my companion of every neighborgood horsey ride. 

Off to the party!

Home Again

Awaiting my return, my husband, the garden and the critters.  After picking produce, primarily green beans but also a beautiful cabbage, a few carrots and cherry tomatoes and funny looking cauliflower, I spent the night freezing the beans and watching, sort of anyway, a netflix movie.

 My young layers, normally quite shy, approached with quite a bit of interest as I sat in the grass to get a photo of them.  They are one of my favorite breeds, Silver Laced Wyandottes, the original Wyandotte.  It's an American breed with a close-fitting rose comb which doesn't seem to mind the cold winters.

 Phantom, the gray Welsh Pony, and Zan, the bay Quarter Horse, always greet me with expectations of food and, or, bug dope.

The four and a half week old "meat birds" are happily settled in their chicken tractor.  Having only a dozen this year will make butchering day a bit easier.

Dave thinks we have many years worth of beans frozen already.  I'm just thrilled to be caught up!