And Autumn Begins...

I did have a lot of energy today. Probably this is due to my hope of it not being too cold to take a buggy ride. The first thing I did was to bake some raisin/walnut cookies. That warmed it up a bit in here. I love sharing my baked-from scratch products, even though the cleanup can be time consuming.

Then I went on a mission to see if the elderberries were ripe for picking. The road where I found a large bush leads to a friend's home so I went there right after having a difficult time cutting down some. It seems that the wind and rain have taken them away from other bushes! BUT this bush was accessible and it had a few. No one was home so I checked out the garden after seeing squash on the patio picnic table.

The Rose of Sharon bush was in full bloom and very beautiful. The last rose of summer?

As I rode further over the property to the garden area, I am now convinced that summer is really over. 

These are the leavings of the elderberries after I rinsed and plucked them off. Hint: A fork is used for easy plucking.

My yield is only about one cup. At least I have a few! I will refrigerate them and decide what to make with the ones I waited all year for. I'm thinking syrup. It won't be as labor intensive as adjusting my recipe for jelly. I have made jelly for so many years and never had a problem finding enough for the task. If you have them - treasure them! They are good for you!!!

This is What Happens...

...when I go for a buggy ride in the neighborhood....(my story in pictures)

Fern very nice this year

Elderberries ripening

Invasive Honeysuckle???

Daylily

Yardman— AKA > Rock Wall Builder

New project work

Home patio base

Garden Wall

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

And I returned home with a zucchini and cucumber from his garden so I baked zucchini bread the very next morning.

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Darn Humidity!

The old log cabin is like a sponge! It absorbs the moisture in the air especially in the summertime. The toilet is flushed only if 'necessary' as the exposed pipes and tank sweat terribly. I run the A/C on low to help keep the front rooms drier than they would be if I didn't. The two bedroom doors and the bathroom door are kept shut even though the ceilings are open to the rafters. The tile on the floors is glued down over the concrete slab. The floor is ALWAYS cold. Now cold and damp.

Years ago there was a VERY old dehumidifier in the bathroom that had a pipe draining into the ditch behind the cabin. The ditch was usually very wet and soggy so when the old appliance died, I bought a new one and plugged the hole in the log and just take the container out every morning and dump it into the toilet. That container is heavy! It doesn't tell in the manual how much it holds, but I'll bet at least two gallons! Now the container, which slides in and out like a drawer is giving me grief. It comes out OK but doesn't want to go back in with ease. Wiggle, jiggle, jam, kick, finally in! Next year I hope to have a new dehumidifier. P.S. My electric bill will jump up really high due to both of these darn damp retarders! Oh well.

I have the manual and sales slip too! Purchased July 8, 2008 at Walmart. Used 13 years. Price $176.44 + tax. I'm leery of checking prices for today! 

I'm not complaining and have NO desire to live anywhere else. I'm surrounded with memories and love.

Ah! Summertime...

Really warm and humid here. We went to the library and then rode out to our favorite farm market. They open at 10am and we arrived at 9:55. Parking lot was full; inside there were already many shoppers. This is the place to go! We watched the unloading of a heap of corn from a box that was on the back of a ATV. When we put it in a bag it was still very warm from the sun! How fresh is that!! The cantaloupe bin was full and those were also a bit warm. A young girl was still packing the beautiful string beans into aerated bags. They went fast. Of course there were tomatoes, peppers, beets, squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers of all sizes, and I forget what else. We went for corn. I can only do so much now. 

Field to freezer in 7 hours!

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I can hardly wait to open the cantaloupe!

Summer's End

The fair is over. The local kids return to school in eight days. The weed seeds are permeating the air and the lake is cooling down. Soon leaves will fall. Already the hummingbirds have left and their home-made nectar sits untouched in the feeder. It's coming - Autum. I need to change James' attire. Darn, I knew it would arrive,  it always does, but the realization has just in set in with a bang. I've been having too much fun with food projects this season, BUT apples will soon be ready so I have to look forward to sauce and more pies!

click to see the mist

Warm and Sunny Summer Day

I want to remember the nice summer days with this writing and with these photos. Sometime this winter, when things are either bright or bleak I might wish to look back on the nice summer days and be reminded of why I love it here. Yes, they are repetitive and may bore you, but I put them here for me. If you like what you see, fine -  maybe you can remember your summer in a similar way when the season is so different.

 Yes, I crocheted the rag rug in 1990. It has survived and in continuous use.

 James still awaits his summer attire! I've been negligent. He stands so stoically.