The New Year Begins

The lettuce.

Little tomato plant.

A little beet spout.

Another little beet sprout.

CABBAGE!

More CABBAGE!

Oh, and some beans.

Fat Toes on the deck.

Baby on the compost bin.

It’s the carrots.  There are some smaller sprouts and I planted some more seeds.

I’ll add more later.

 

My Camera Has Died, But I’m O.K.

Looks like I will be searching for a new non-Chinese made camera now.  Wish me luck!

I wanted to take pictures of the sweet potatoes I dug up this morning.  Ever reliable Roberto came along and took some on his phone, so I will post them when he gets them to me.

I apologized to the lovely sweet potato plant as I cut off its vines and dug up its roots.  It had been a real trooper — the only plant that had survived the heat of this past summer, the drought, and the fence falling on it.  It had even bloomed some perfectly beautiful purple flowers.  However, it was time.  The slightly cold weather the past week had turned its leaves brown, and though I hated to do it, I had to get the potatoes out of the ground.

There were more of them and of a larger size than I had expected.  It took me a while to carefully extract them, but it was a great experience.

They sit in a bucket in the kitchen now.  I’ll clean them up and put them in a box or two to cure tomorrow.  I’ll make some yam casserole for Christmas dinner!

Roberto and I planted some beets and carrots, and composted the sweet potato vines that I didn’t bury.  Then we had some borscht I made with the beets from last winter.  Tasty!

I’m going to focus on beets, lettuce and carrots this winter/fall since I had success with them last year.  If the squash I planted do well, then that’s all the better.  I’ve got four plants going now.  I also planted some fennel.  I’ll work with them better this year than I did last.

I’m going to start onions in the utility room — bulb, multiplying and leeks — perhaps I will have success.  I’d sure like some to make so I can use them for soup.

The next few days are suppose to be rainy and cold.  I’m good with that.  I’m dehydrating fruit to make little bags for my co-workers, like I did last year.  The cool thing is that the dehydrator is a pretty good heater as well.  And yes, I planned it that way, just like I planned to make puppy cookies while it is cold, so the oven can heat up the house.  I hope to bake those cookies all winter long and freeze them in batches.  I don’t know if I can keep up with the pups’ appetite for them, but I will try.

Today was a good day.  Tomorrow will be too.

It’s rained all day

and it was great.  The pups . . . all of them . . . have been very good.  I am currently filling Tammy and Murphy with their cookie quotient.

Little Bit was laundry girl today.  She definitely didn’t like the dry when it squealed its complete cycle.  The washer only bothered her a bit.  We went out for three walks — always when the rain had let up.  She’s even improved on her crate housekeeping.   By this evening, she wasn’t wet with her own pee (nor was anything else — she managed to pee in a laundry basket earlier).

Murphy danced in the rain yesterday evening and every time I let him out today.  He’s the ultimate all-weather pup, even though he was a bit jealous when he saw me walking her.  He’ll get over it.

I planted beets, onions, carrots, and rutabagas yesterday.  The lettuce I planted last Sat. has already come up.  Perhaps this fall/winter will be better to the garden than this past summer.  It wouldn’t take much.

Picture of the New Fence

I love my new fence.  As I said to David, the guy who built it, I just gave my neighbor a really nice fence, since the “pretty” side faces his yard.  For me, it’s sort of the opposite of what most want.  I like the “other” side facing my yard.  It is an enclosure that I can see and feel.  It gives me comfort and a sense of security and privacy.  I’m on the inside.  I like it.

First a before picture.  I’m sure I have more, but this one is at hand:

I’ve circled the fence as it was falling last weekend when we got some rain.  The fence was leaning after Ike and then Tropical Storm Lee blew it over more.  The rain was the last straw.

DB Fence took down what I was afraid to — it was a good thing.  The fence was very heavy and I understand it was difficult to do.

Here are some pictures of the process mid-stage and then the finished fence.

I’m very happy and it is a beautiful fence.  Working in the yard this morning, I can see my plan coming together.

The New Fence is In!

It was a little too late to take pictures by the time the DB Fence guys left out of here tonight, but I will take some in the morning.

The new fence is GORGEOUS.  David took the time to pick pickets that are beautiful and none have holes or splits.  The 12″ base boards will insure that nothing will rot — at least not for a long time.

Neighbor came over and had a look.  He confirmed that I got a really good price for the great quality.  I knew that already.  The gate is perfect and I can lock it inside or out with a pad lock.  I have one that I’ll put on tomorrow.

Now that the fence is in, I will get busy with planting.  I’m a little worried that it will be too hot for some seedlings and then not so worried about others I will try.

This wasn’t an expense I had planned for.  I probably would have put it off for a long time had the fence not fallen down, but now that it’s done, it’s liberating.

Needless to say the pups are pooped after barking for hours yesterday and today.

The End and the Beginning

I’ve come out from the other side of my dental ordeal.  We’ll see tomorrow if it worked out.

As for the garden, there are two things:  the heat and the sweet potatoes.  I have kept the fruit trees watered.  This weekend looks to be milder in temps, so I will buy a wheelbarrow and haul lots of soil amendments in.

I know what I want to grow and I have ordered some seeds.

I also want to work more on cooking.  I want to make a perfect turkey, so I will be the one my family looks to for the turkey.  I want to make some great sweet potato casserole.  I want to make some good borscht with the beets from last winter and next.

And I will bake tons of cookies for pups this winter.  Baking in 105 degree weather just beats us down.  I need new cookie sheets — I have to measure my stove — I found both made in the USA and made in Brazil sheets at the store.  Once I measure, I’ll know which to buy.

And Roberto, just keep bringing your recycle stuff here.  We’ve got room!

Tomorrow and Beyond

(Just so the blog doesn’t die)

I have plans for the weekend.  I will take pictures and document it all.

The heat and lack of rain has made me very anxious.  I can better understand now what my grandparents went through, especially after an oil company poisoned their well water.

Some people don’t understand where our opposition to the oil companies comes from.  Mine is clear.  An oil company made the catfish in my grandfather’s tank into saltwater fish.  An oil company ruined my inheritance.  The land my grandparents owned is worthless and has been for years because an oil company ruined it.

I will try to save my garden this weekend.  We will see if I am successful.

 

I Should Have Taken Pictures

I made a little dinner tonight.  It was a variant of a recipe that is in The Eating Well New Favorites Cookbook.

My little fingerling eggplants had fruits, so I made an open faced pseudo-Eastern Europen thingy.

First, I picked the eggplant.  This was problematic because the oks (outside kittens) thought it was dinner time.  It wasn’t.   Poor babies are so hot, but they do have the haven of the aquagarage and the space under the house for relief.

Then I picked a few little cherry tomatoes, a few plum tomatoes, and some peppers.

I went back out and fed the OKs and picked off some oregano.

I chopped up the eggplant and salted it in a colander and let it sweat out.

In a small bowl, I crushed the feta cheese, added the fresh oregano and some olive oil and lemon juice.  That all went in the fridge.

I chopped the tomatoes and peppers.

After an hour, I rinsed the salt off the eggplant and squeezed out the moister.  I sauteed the fresh peppers in olive oil, then added the eggplant and tomatoes.  I only had the heat on  for a few minutes.

I put the wokked stuff in the fridge.

To serve, I put the feta mix on a slice of bread then dribbled the eggplant mix on top.

Things I bought:

olive oil, bread, feta, lemon juice

Things from the garden:

eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, oregano

That looks like balance.

Holly Molly

Did I spell that right?  I made hot sauce tonight somewhat following this recipe.  It starts off sweet, and then has a little kick.  It’s not crying hot, but it would probably be good on egg and potato tacos.  I only used banana peppers.

I’m looking at never buying hot sauce again, much like I won’t buy pup cookies again.

Hooray for the magimix 3150 again!

In the Garden

Some more pictures:

growing all around

caught Tilly on camera

last set of four in the ground

Dotty

Baby