Friday, June 12, 2020

a respite from the heat but not from the work that needs doing


I got all the Georgia peaches given away or put up, all the blueberries put up, tomato sauce made and put up. Adding all that to all the dewberries and corn that got put up and there isn't enough room in the freezer to slide a piece of paper in there so Thursday I made a trip to Lowe's for a small chest freezer cause now I have a big bag of potatoes I need to do something with. And then I didn't buy one because...covid-19. Who knew that besides toilet paper people were buying up freezers fast and furious! The guy in the appliance department at Lowe's says they get trucks in Monday and Wednesday mornings and on those days people start lining up soon after they open to be able to buy whatever small chest freezers that happen to be on the truck. There are no floor models, they aren't allowed to put anything on order because they can't guarantee an ETA, people get pissed, want their money back, yell at the managers. There were two Chinese models that I had never heard of but declined to get one of those. The guy said he didn't expect things to get back to some semblance of normal til mid July. I'll wait. Because I have the freezer compartment in our old refrigerator from the city house that's over at the shop that I can utilize in the meantime. It was nasty inside though since it's been unplugged for months so I spent yesterday afternoon cleaning the inside.

After those two brutally hot days we woke up Wednesday morning to delightfully cool air and low humidity so I got out there with the trimmer and did the yard and then around the gate to the shop yard and then around the rose bush and the banana trees and yellow bells and started on another area when I ran out of gas the second time and that was enough for the day. Today I trimmed all the way across the front of the shop (it was all about knee high) and started around the bunker but soon ran out of gas, me and the trimmer, and one tank of gas was all I had in me today (and of course no before picture because...me) (and I have once again amazed impressed the boys) but it looks really good now. I need to get out there and poison the fence line again, maybe later today, maybe tomorrow.

There's a sidewalk under there that I have yet to completely uncover.

Also Thursday Pam and I finally ventured out to an estate sale. This is the third in person one (the first one after she started up was virtual). It wasn't too crowded and 90% of the people were wearing masks but not the woman who runs them or any of her employees. It amazes me that people think the virus is over especially since we've had 32 new cases in our county in less than the past two weeks when it took months to get the first 50 or so. Anyway, we didn't stay long as there really wasn't anything of interest. From there we tried to get the freezer with no luck and then, because we were very close, we went to Caldwell's nursery where I picked up a couple of rudbeckias and Pam got the other half of my birthday present, the thing that goes in the Talavera pot she gave me, which is a yesterday, today, and tomorrow since none of the ones I tried to bring from the city house when we sold that property survived.


And the buds on the fig tree have turned into leaves and three new buds have appeared.


So what did I do this morning before I used the trimmer? Went and got more Fredericksburg peaches, though I did just get the small basket. They're small this year and have kind of a mottled and thick skin but I had one for lunch and it was the best peach I've eaten so far. So what did I do after lunch? Went and bought more tomatoes from a guy in Boling who comes to the Farmer's Market here on Saturday morning but I wanted first pick and since he also sells out of his house, I went there. Very pretty too. The tomatoes, not the house. Though the house is nice enough.


Tomorrow I deal with tomatoes. These and the ones in the refrigerator from last weekend and the ones my neighbor brought me a couple of days ago will get processed for freezing for use later in the year.



11 comments:

  1. Another thing you can no longer buy is an above ground swimming pool. I read an article about that yesterday or so. People don't go on vacation, so they get a pool. Hand weights are also sold out. Watching what becomes unavailable during a pandemic has been interesting to say the least. Costco has bison up the ying-yang but very little beef. Who knew?

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  2. How do you freeze your tomatoes? Do you make sauce and then freeze that?

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    1. I do make tomato sauce and freeze that but I also just blanch, skin, cut up, and then freeze others. I have a vacuum sealer that I use. the last couple of years the thawed out tomatoes have been kind of watery, don't know why, so this year I'm going to put the cut up tomatoes in a colander and let them drain before I seal them in bags.

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  3. David said he saw the Fredericksburg Peaches stand was opened and it was packed with people. The stand is on the way to New Braunfels and it's always busy.

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  4. OH, what I'd give for a good, fresh peach. I haven't had one in years. Hard to find in Minnesota:(

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  5. Well, I hadn't heard that freezers are in high demand, but I suppose it makes sense given the way some people have responded to coronavirus. Why not stock up on food for the end times?! Speaking of stocking up, you're definitely doing the same with all your produce! I haven't had a good peach in a while. I almost never buy them because they always disappoint.

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    1. I prefer to eat local and from people's gardens. So I put up a lot of things to eat during the year. that way I know where the food was grown and in some cases by who. corn and tomatoes and peaches, dewberries and blueberries. homemade noodles and dill pickles but I haven't seen our favorite pickle lady yet. my neighbor has a big garden and he sends some of his surplus down to me. as for peaches, when the local harvest is done I won't buy any more. usually from California and they are always mealy.

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  6. You're really in wind up and work on mode! My winder upper seems to be in reverse lately.
    I'm still waiting for the real peaches around here. Late August, early September, warm from the sun, juice down your chin and arms. Yummmmmm.

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    1. not today. today I've been moaning and groaning on the couch all day. Pizza Hut pizza for dinner last night and something was off. not enough to give us full blown food poisoning but enough to give us stomach cramps and gas all night and all day.

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  7. OK, so there's a sidewalk to uncover. Easy peasy for you, I imagine. All in a morning's work?

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  8. Yesterday Mike was talking about rudbeckias & I asked him if Rude Beckys were the new Karen. I think I'm funny :)

    I am also craving peaches after reading this. AND you reminded me that I meant to weed eat this weekend. Best get to it if I hope to get any done!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.