Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Sept. 30

Happy Saturday! Well, it's harvest season. The big trucks and big harvest equipment are out and about here in the San Joaquin Valley. And the photo above, from just two weeks ago, is enticing:

Anonymous lurker from northern New Jersey, the Garden State...
Today's harvest of tomatoes ( heirloom varieties) and smaller peppers.
Perfect summer weather for us.

A nice time to enjoy the bounty of the earth . . .

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Squash, tomato, eggplant blossoms, lettuce and chard, fig tree taller than the lattice now. Light rain today and overcast welcome in southern Arizona. Nan in AZ

Everything looks wonderful, Nan!

Ah, Nature

I was wondering where hummingbirds sleep and found this sweet little video. Fascinating! Maybe for the garden thread, since they are denizens of the garden.
Miley, okravangelist

It certainly is a charming video. Thanks for sending it in!

Some of those hummingbirds are moving south now . . .

pic.twitter.com/QijXV7PGkm
— Respectful Memes (@RespectfulMemes) September 25, 2023

Did you know that tree sap is an excellent conductor of electricity?

This clip shows the result of a branch falling on a powerline ⚡️pic.twitter.com/ZIU6bMiaYC
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) September 25, 2023

Greetings,
Love scrolling through all the wonderful pictures submitted each week. These are some of the deer that frequent our property, have had a few more than usual, in these pics they are out in our field snacking on some peanuts. The others are those I've captured on a trail cam on a trail on the other side of our property. Anyhow, appreciate all the great photos of those with a green thumb, me not being one of those though.
Best Wishes
Sua Sponte (Professional Lurker)

We appreciate getting the great deer photos, including the night shots!

What a great variety of photos! The snacking deer, bucks at night and mom plus three fawns are standouts.

Puttering

How to make an origami butterfly corner bookmark

[📹 sharidini]pic.twitter.com/CODc69Wrl2
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) September 25, 2023

These are the autumn leaves and fruiting seed capsules of the spindle tree. In a long, warm autumn, ladybirds can still be on the look out for hibernation spots. A spindle tree can be a good harbour in the winter storms to come. From a current series I am working. #embroidery pic.twitter.com/wUNAXvJbg6
— Helen M. Stevens (@helen_m_stevens) September 29, 2023

Gardens of The Horde

Anything going on in your garden?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Sept. 23

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:22 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good, I could use some beauty from nature to gaze on today. Thank you for the gardening thread.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at September 30, 2023 01:25 PM (qPw5n)

2 Hooray for bushes!

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at September 30, 2023 01:33 PM (QbXJh)

3
The power went out at Schloss Hadrian last week. Often we think of this as an existential event but I went out and sat on the front porch to wait. Bees were buzzing around the firebushes. A cardinal was chowing down at the feeder. On a low water-filled tray a quartet of bluebirds were splashing. Regardless of my little interruption nature went on, not noticing and not concerned.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 30, 2023 01:33 PM (MoZTd)

4 forty-second!

Posted by: deep thought at September 30, 2023 01:38 PM (edU/H)

5 Looks like Bambi brought all of his friends.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at September 30, 2023 01:39 PM (QbXJh)

6 I love the way Chard looks! I've grown it purely as an ornamental a few times.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 30, 2023 01:39 PM (i9ffA)

7 Yesterday I pulled a perfect zucchini out of the garden. The plant itself looks like crap, but will not give up. It's still got blooms.

Hero zucchini.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 30, 2023 01:41 PM (Q4IgG)

8 I love a nice Chard, especially with a gin chaser.

*hic*

Posted by: Hillary Clinton, Gin Slag at September 30, 2023 01:42 PM (QbXJh)

9 {4} forty-second!

Posted by: deep thought at September 30, 2023 01:38 PM (edU/H)

Do you think you could convince my Arcturan Megadonkey to come back now?

Posted by: Great Hyperlobic Omni-Cognate Neutron Wrangler at September 30, 2023 01:43 PM (qPw5n)

10 There were a lot of hummingbirds around our feeders up until a week ago, and suddenly they were all gone. I think they're all headed to Mexico.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 30, 2023 01:44 PM (i9ffA)

11 hiya

Posted by: JT at September 30, 2023 01:45 PM (T4tVD)

12 That video of the hummingbird sleeping upside down in a state of torpor was very cool. It's somewhat reassuring to know that my lurch-like groan of "coffeeeee" in the morning has a parallel in nature.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at September 30, 2023 01:45 PM (qPw5n)

13 I had a couple days off last week and had grand plans for yard work and it rained/stormed the entire time.
Didn't even mow.
SC WI.

Posted by: LenNeal got rained out at September 30, 2023 01:47 PM (43xH1)

14 Just saw a report on Knoxville TV that Lantern flies have been spotted in Northeast Tennessee and in Nashville. Anyone else seeing these invasive, tree destroying pests?

Posted by: Beverly at September 30, 2023 01:51 PM (Epeb0)

15 Honestly, I would have thought that sleeping hummingbird was a bat.

Posted by: LenNeal might have poked it to see but then went nah at September 30, 2023 01:55 PM (43xH1)

16 Pulled the tomato plant last week. I blanched, peeled & froze all the ripe ones and put the biggest (2" or more) green ones into a box to ripen.

Planted garlic in its place.

Posted by: JQ at September 30, 2023 02:01 PM (njWTi)

17 We just had some overgrown shrubs and growth, including poison ivy removed. I hated to see the redbud go but it was taking over the front yard and some of the stumps left behind are 3 inches across.

Question: to keep the poison ivy from coming back I've read that water, salt and white vinegar sprayed on it will kill it. Might take several applications. It isn't a big patch, mostly along an old chain link fence. Any experience trying this vinegar method?

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 02:08 PM (7EjX1)

18 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 02:10 PM (fwDg9)

19 That's an interesting hummingbird page! We are blessed with hummingbirds daily here, almost year 'round.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 02:10 PM (MeG8a)

20
"Where does a wise man hide a leaf? In the forest. But what does he do if there is no forest? He grows a forest to hide it in."

G.K. Chesterton

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 30, 2023 02:11 PM (NBVIP)

21 We got some San Marzanos from cousin's ranch and Mrs. F. made tomato sauce with no added salt or sugar just lots of garlic and basil.

Robust is not the right word for how much flavor...

Posted by: San Franpsycho at September 30, 2023 02:13 PM (RIvkX)

22 Lovely photos and post always fill me with nostalgia for the farm and garden... echoes of the past.

Posted by: Mister Ghost at September 30, 2023 02:28 PM (TGPs7)

23 I know envy is wrong, but I sure envy those who can grow their own food. Every time I try, critters eat it before I can harvest it.
I've got some basil on a window sill, that's about it, LOL.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 02:29 PM (MeG8a)

24 Anomymous Lurker has rh makings of some killer salsa.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:30 PM (KiuiP)

25 Hummingbirds are very territorial and we see hummingbird wars all the time here. I have 3 feeders on the back porch (one of them has 8 holes), but apparently someone just doesn't want to share.

This morning there was a little guy drinking from a feeder, and out of nowhere Mr. Territorial came swooping into the porch area. The other guy panicked and tried to avoid him but ended up with his beak stuck in a screen. Never seen that before! He managed to get loose in a few seconds. Hope he didn't injure himself.

Posted by: Zelenskyyyyyyyyy at September 30, 2023 02:35 PM (Mzdiz)

26 Finally settled down, getting fewer tomatoes now but still lots of hotter peppers in my mini greenhouse, they are protected from any frost for awhile, just wish it got more sunlight.

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 02:35 PM (fwDg9)

27 Making chili today with roasted tomatoes and jalapenos from our little container(s) garden.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 02:35 PM (ju2Fy)

28 We have had Lantern Flys here for a few years, kill them with extreme prejudice

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 02:36 PM (fwDg9)

29 Rough summer for tomatoes here in KCMo.
Usually, we plan on tomatoes til a hard frost, but we're thinking we're just gonna pull the plants and plant clover for the winter.
Peppers just won't quit. New crop of green beans coming. Still getting cucurbits of all sorts.
I'd rate the year as a B-.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 02:39 PM (cPGH3)

30 Here is a fall migration map (delete spaces)

https://www.hummingbird-guide.com/ hummingbird-fall-migration- map-2023.html

Posted by: Zelenskyyyyyyyyy at September 30, 2023 02:40 PM (Mzdiz)

31 /off stupid Zelensky sock

Posted by: Zelenskyyyyyyyyy at September 30, 2023 02:41 PM (Mzdiz)

32 I know envy is wrong, but I sure envy those who can grow their own food. Every time I try, critters eat it before I can harvest it.
I've got some basil on a window sill, that's about it, LOL.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 02:29 PM (MeG8a)

One word: electric fence

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:42 PM (Mzdiz)

33 I forgot okra. Okra, with one less row, is still supplying us fresh. Wife already pickled all we need.
What a pretty flower!

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 02:44 PM (cPGH3)

34 We have 4 hummingbird feeders, 3 of the dish-type and one that looks like an upside down old bottle.
The hummingbirds like them; but, the flickers get on the feeders, often hanging upside down, and just suck them dry.
I've seen 5 flickers in the trees waiting for the current feeding birds to finish so they can swoop in and help empty the feeders.
We'll probably start filling them again after it gets chilly as there aren't many flowers for the hummers; but, not until then.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at September 30, 2023 02:45 PM (EGib+)

35 No lanternflies here, but last years one of chimneys is invaded by stink bugs. Turn on the gas logs in evening and stand guard as they drop down into the flames.

And I thought the Asian lady beetles invading the back screened-in porch was bad. Sheesh.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 02:47 PM (ju2Fy)

36 Miley, do you can okra and tomatoes in the same jar?

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:48 PM (KiuiP)

37 One more word: Raccoon traps

Oddly, we had no raccoons raiding our corn this year. And we had TONS of corn. Publius was a corn-planting maniac this spring.

I planted some heirloom corn on the opposite end of the garden. Obviously it doesn't produce like hybrids, but I wanted to be able to collect seed. We tried a few ears and it was pretty good. Left the rest for seed and I've got about 5 lbs.

The hybrid stuff has dried out in the field - I wish someone would take it to use as animal feed.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:48 PM (Mzdiz)

38 I forgot okra. Okra, with one less row, is still supplying us fresh. Wife already pickled all we need.
What a pretty flower!

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 02:44 PM (cPGH3)

Try red burgundy okra. Pink flowers!

We're still harvesting the okra, too.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:50 PM (Mzdiz)

39 Miley, do you can okra and tomatoes in the same jar?

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:48 PM (KiuiP)

YES!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:50 PM (Mzdiz)

40 Miley,

For your amusement. Our niece (just retired from the Army) and her husband started their first garden. She sent us a text proudly showing her first three okra pods.

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 02:52 PM (7EjX1)

41 I replanted dill, just shook off seeds from the seed heads about a month ago. So, fresh dill again. I need to score some smoked whitefish. Serve with mayo and dill on Carr's water crackers. Yum!

This weekend, I'm planting some mesclun lettuce and spinach for a fall crop.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:52 PM (Mzdiz)

42 Japanese beetles completely devoured my Brussel sprouts but they left my eggplants and squash plants alone. Summer squash plants have died back but eggplants are still producing. Now I need to dig in the potato area and see if I have some tubers.

Posted by: Beverly at September 30, 2023 02:52 PM (Epeb0)

43 We add onions to the okra/tomato mix, for excellent soup starter, Miley.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:53 PM (KiuiP)

44 Love the tree sap video.
Explains Hawaii fires a bit.

Posted by: From about that Time at September 30, 2023 02:54 PM (4780s)

45 Haven't noticed Japanese Beatles in last few years, they attack a Rhododendron I have that losses its leaves yearly. Have others that are evergreen.

Posted by: Skip at September 30, 2023 02:55 PM (fwDg9)

46 Miley,

For your amusement. Our niece (just retired from the Army) and her husband started their first garden. She sent us a text proudly showing her first three okra pods.

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 02:52 PM (7EjX1)

Good to hear! It's extremely nutritious.

We had a double-headed okra stem as the ring bearer at our wedding last fall :-)

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:55 PM (Mzdiz)

47 We add onions to the okra/tomato mix, for excellent soup starter, Miley.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:53 PM (KiuiP)

That's a great idea! We haven't used ours from last fall yet, need to try it. Vegetable soup, or do you add any meat?

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:57 PM (Mzdiz)

48 Love the tree sap video.
Explains Hawaii fires a bit.

Posted by: From about that Time at September 30, 2023 02:54 PM (4780s)

Not really. Cars burned and melted, trees still green. Those are the kind of things they don't want us to know about, hence the fences and video bans. The evidence is out there, should you be curious.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 02:59 PM (Mzdiz)

49 I experienced the lantern flies when I was in PA in the summer of 2018. I can tell you that they ruined my deck experience. They are awful.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:00 PM (Mzdiz)

50 Now I need to dig in the potato area and see if I have some tubers.
Posted by: Beverly

I forgot! We harvest sweet taters tomorrow!

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:00 PM (cPGH3)

51 Electric fence, great idea. With my luck I'd end up peeing on it...

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:03 PM (MeG8a)

52 Probably more a food thread comment, but what the hell, I either grow the tomatoes or buy local.
I've been skipping the L in my BLTs because a pain to keep on hand, and I find I'm really not missing it.

Posted by: From about that Time at September 30, 2023 03:03 PM (4780s)

53 I need to pull my mostly-gone tomatoes, collect the plastic clips and clear out the areas by the support fences. My garlic and shallots will be planted there in November (in between where the spring tomatoes will go).

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:03 PM (Mzdiz)

54 46 ... Miley,
Do you grow okra from seed or plants? If we can have more than an herb garden next year, I might include a little bit of okra. Never liked it when younger despite the many attempts by dear friends from the Shenandoah Valley to inculcate me into The Pod. But I had some recently in a tomato-based chicken soup and it was delicious. Not sure if I've become wiser or if my tastes changed as I got older.

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 03:05 PM (7EjX1)

55 Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:03 PM (MeG8a)

I think every boy with access to an electric fence is driven to pee on it.

Just to see.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:05 PM (Mzdiz)

56 I need to pull my mostly-gone tomatoes, collect the plastic clips and clear out the areas by the support fences. My garlic and shallots will be planted there in November (in between where the spring tomatoes will go).
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist

Do you rotate your tomato areas, Miley?

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:06 PM (cPGH3)

57 I've been skipping the L in my BLTs because a pain to keep on hand, and I find I'm really not missing it.
Posted by: From about that Time

I'll even skip the T in the BLT in the winter! Cheese, onion, good bacon... what's not to like?

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:07 PM (cPGH3)

58 Try a BLAT.
Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato.
Yum!

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:09 PM (MeG8a)

59 Do you grow okra from seed or plants?

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 03:05 PM (7EjX1)

Seed. I've never seen okra plants for sale here. They seem to do best when sown directly. A few attempts at sowing white okra in pots failed miserably.

Publius uses a seeder, so they can sprout pretty densely. I would thin and leave at least 3" between plants.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:09 PM (Mzdiz)

60 Not sure if I've become wiser or if my tastes changed as I got older.
Posted by: JTB

Try them roasted or grilled. Unbelievable. Converted many a skeptic both ways.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:10 PM (cPGH3)

61 Not sure if I've become wiser or if my tastes changed as I got older.
Posted by: JTB

Maybe and yes.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at September 30, 2023 03:12 PM (EGib+)

62 Do you rotate your tomato areas, Miley?

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:06 PM (cPGH3)

Now that I have a permanent tomato fence, no. One is 50 feet and the other is 100 feet (the long one has 2 five-foot openings). Allows for 56 plants. I will not try to care for more than that. They exhausted me this year and shamed me.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:15 PM (Mzdiz)

63 Miley@ 47, we have a freezer full of deer and wild hog so pretty food selection of meat. Just add potatoes, beans, and such. Or if you want fish chowder (red), skip the beans and throw in some turbot or halibut towards the end.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 03:15 PM (KiuiP)

64 Try a BLAT.
Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato.
Yum!
Posted by: gourmand du jour
------------

I prefer BELT's.
Bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato.

Posted by: olddog in mo at September 30, 2023 03:16 PM (ju2Fy)

65 Try them roasted or grilled. Unbelievable. Converted many a skeptic both ways.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:10 PM (cPGH3)

Ladyl helped me harvest some this summer, and we grilled them fresh. Awesome! Maybe a nice mayo-garlic sauce on the side. I'll try that next year.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:17 PM (Mzdiz)

66 Miley, we switched to mats and drip. Made life much easier.
The majority of my weeding was in the paths, so next year, the paths get mats.
We rotate, just to minimize the fungi. This year was no help. Just got hammered by heat, then the fungi took over.
Since we're gonna only use 2/3 the garden area next year, we're rotating with cover crops. This year, clover.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:18 PM (cPGH3)

67 Miley@ 47, we have a freezer full of deer and wild hog so pretty food selection of meat. Just add potatoes, beans, and such. Or if you want fish chowder (red), skip the beans and throw in some turbot or halibut towards the end.

Posted by: Eromero at September 30, 2023 03:15 PM (KiuiP)

I'm jealous of the deer, but we do have grass-fed beef from a family friend.

I've never made a fish chowder. May have to try that.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:19 PM (Mzdiz)

68 Edamame beans is another candidate for cover crop.
And I read buckwheat pulls up phosphorous (I think it was). Anyway, bees made a nice, dark honey from the buckwheat.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:21 PM (cPGH3)

69 I've never made a fish chowder.

Make sure not to pronounce the last "r". Makes it taste more authentic.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:24 PM (cPGH3)

70 68 ... "bees made a nice, dark honey from the buckwheat."

If I kept bees I would grow buckwheat for them. Love the richer, darker taste of buckwheat honey. Drizzle a little on toasted and buttered crusty bread. A dish suitable for a hungry Hobbit.

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 03:27 PM (7EjX1)

71 Miley, we switched to mats and drip. Made life much easier.
The majority of my weeding was in the paths, so next year, the paths get mats.
We rotate, just to minimize the fungi. This year was no help. Just got hammered by heat, then the fungi took over.
Since we're gonna only use 2/3 the garden area next year, we're rotating with cover crops. This year, clover.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:18 PM (cPGH3)

I was thinking about that. I've purchased 2500 feet of mulch cloth for next spring, and we'll be planted a lot of flowers in the rows in between, for pollinators. Nice for cut flowers, too. My brother collected tons of flower seed this year.

Weeding just about killed me this year. Close to 1500 row feet of corn, 250 feet of okra, 250 feet of green beans, 350 feet of peas. Then of course other stuff like squash, peppers, eggplant. I just can't do it anymore! I'll be using a lot of straw for mulching the actual rows as well.

When you spend that much time weeding, it's hard to keep up with pruning and harvesting, and keeping an eye out for pests and disease. Not to mention the canning and freezing.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:28 PM (Mzdiz)

72 69 ..."Make sure not to pronounce the last "r". Makes it taste more authentic."

Grew up in Rhode Island. I think I was a teenager before I learned that the word ended with an 'er' not an 'ah'.

Posted by: JTB at September 30, 2023 03:30 PM (7EjX1)

73 Make sure not to pronounce the last "r". Makes it taste more authentic.

Posted by: MkY at September 30, 2023 03:24 PM (cPGH3)

Chowda! Yep, I grew up as a Masshole, but my mom threatened to beat me if I ever talked like those people. LOL!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:30 PM (Mzdiz)

74 Good afternoon! It's a warm and humid 90 something on the patio under the fans. I got into something that gave me a poison ivy like reaction. It's a tall free standing weed with lobed shaped serrated edge leaves. Pretty sure the sap is what does the magic.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at September 30, 2023 03:34 PM (YRsIm)

75 I finally got rid of all the dead, matted crabgrass.
Turns out, AOC was right. I bought a pick axe, chewed it up with that. Damn near killed me, because I am 29 and all... I could only do about 2 sq. ft. per day. A month later, it's all gone.
However, I am now ripped, for an old guy.
No shirt, no problem.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:35 PM (MeG8a)

76 Pets are upstairs!

Posted by: nurse ratched, otter 841 superfan, she's still free! at September 30, 2023 03:35 PM (RzvAh)

77 What did AOC say about crab grass? I missed that.

Good for you!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at September 30, 2023 03:39 PM (Mzdiz)

78 We're in Third Summer this week.

I've been busy seed saving from my flowers and seed rustling from flowers in our parks' pollinator gardens and the surrounding expanses of wildflowers.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at September 30, 2023 03:40 PM (8qu4N)

79 I was gonna use a disc rototiller to kill it, which I tried, but it killed the rototiller. AOC told me to get after with a pick axe, which I was loathe to do because it resembles actual work. But, he was right.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:41 PM (MeG8a)

80 Eromero at September 30, 2023 02:53 PM

I like okra, tomato and onion without even adding other stuff for soup. Maybe some bacon.

Posted by: KT at September 30, 2023 03:48 PM (rrtZS)

81 Alberta Oil Peon, not AOC, sorry.
My bad...

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 30, 2023 03:49 PM (MeG8a)

82 From Boise area: Lows 43-55, highs 68-88. Light rain last night and today. Our HOA irrigation ends Oct. 9th.

I stewed down a pot of Seckel pears trying to make pear butter - I don't know what product I ended up with, but it's pretty darn good. I'm just eating it instead of canning it. Probably time to pick more pears so Husband can try perry (hard pear cider).

Also almost time to pick apples - we hope to have 4-H kids come over, rake leaves for their service project, then pick apples, and learn how to make cider if they're interested. They can take apples and cider home.

We did harvest half the remaining potato bags - 2 pounds 13 of russets, 13 pounds 8 of fingerlings! The switch to drip instead of sprayers is paying off!

Today it was canning 6 half-pints of tomato sauce (San Marzanos and Romas). Any tomatoes I pick from now on, just get frozen and will wait to be processed until well after my knee surgery. (Next week will be my last post for a while - Husband will fill in while I'm recovering.)

Yesterday we put up some additional gutter screens (an ongoing project) - just in time for today's rain!
(part 1)

Posted by: Pat* at September 30, 2023 04:26 PM (9vW5k)

83 Note: Annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14th! Goes over part of the USA! Alas, not Boise. And my upcoming knee surgery will mean we can't travel to see it. Ah, well.
(part 2/end)

Posted by: Pat* at September 30, 2023 04:27 PM (9vW5k)

84 Note: Annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14th! Goes over part of the USA! Alas, not Boise. And my upcoming knee surgery will mean we can't travel to see it. Ah, well.
(part 2/end)
Posted by: Pat*

We'll be missing this one, hope we can get somewhere nice for the one in Apr '24

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at September 30, 2023 04:33 PM (6Zm3x)

85 Please circle back tomorrow and send us pics of the deer after they've been shot and cleaned.

Posted by: I Hate the Devil's Ponies at September 30, 2023 06:11 PM (Eqssc)

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