Tomatoes

Finally! Our tomatoes started to produce. So, last Saturday, when we picked, we had so many, I had to put them in jars. I ended up canning eleven quarts. We will be happy to have those to add to soupy style recipes next winter. We are planning to make stuffed peppers and tomatoes soon too.

We had the car girls over the week end. Needless to say, we are still recovering, they take so much energy. We have non stop eating, and non stop activity when they are here. I laughed cuz when I changed the baby, she had a little blue dolphin stuck on her belly button. LOL

It seems nice to have the weather temperature down a notch or two. I hardly turn on the AC now.

There must be two dozen hummers flying around the feeder now. We found a dead one on the big rock over the week end and the car girls got to get a close up of the tiny wings and body. They also got to watch a preying mantis which was on DH's chair on the deck. They took the littlest car around the circle in the wagon, pulling her and running with her, until she laughed so loudly we could hear her from the other side of the orchard while we sat on the deck. I kept noticing wasps flying around one of the cedar trees while they were playing. It made me remember their Dad riding in the same wagon when he was little and he was so cute too. The wagon is so old and rickety, but it was still fun for them. Then they brought the wagon back and parked by the tree to rest, but little one did not want out. Then, while she sat there and as I watched, I saw wasps going under the wagon. So I told the big girls to look, and sure enough, there was a wasps nest under the wagon. So we got baby out and they took it up the road so DH could spray the wasp nest which was located in the area where the tongue hooks to the wagon. We were so amazed that one of the girls did not get stung.

Apricot Nectar

Don't the apricots look beautiful! After making jam, I still had sooo many apricots left, so, I made apricot nectar. My first effort at this. It looks beautiful in the jars. Hope it will taste as good later this winter.

Apricot Jam!

Yep, I made fresh apricot jam this morning. Yum. It is my favorite. I am so thrilled, after seven years to have such a good crop of apricots this year. Actually, too many. What will I do with them all? I had fresh jam on bread and butter with my tea this morning. I have been missing having any apricot jam around for the last year. Now, I have a new supply to get me through til the next time the weather, wind, rain, and sun decides to allow me the privilege of having "cots" to harvest.
I am trying to figure out a good place to have a one day art retreat of my own. I originally thought I could have it here, in my garage studio area, but, you guessed it, I would have to clean it and de clutter it. The cleaning would not be so bad maybe, but getting rid of the clutter...heart rendering, evidently. So, plan B is to find a place I could hold one. I have three people already signed on, if I can get one together. I am going ahead with plans for packets and food, just as if I had a place ready to go. I am sure I will be able to get a place, once I get to the phone and start calling a couple of places.
I spent a couple of hours in the village, doing some business, and boy was I glad to get back on the hill. The traffic just gets worse and worse.
So...I think I will go have a late afternoon snack. How does bread and butter and APRICOT JAM sound?

Dog Days of Summer

It seems like my life has switched suddenly into slo mo mode. Not much going on around me. The garden is growing but nothing much is ripe enough to harvest. The sun just shines down, the bugs and birds fly about, Bubba and Blueberry sleeps, and I, I just putter. I had so many plans to do to the house and such, but I have been so busy doing artsy things, they all fell to the wayside. Now, I guess I am just sorta resting up from all the motion of traveling, and creating. And, heck, I can always paint walls, or whatever tomorrow, or the next day, right? Here is a list of major things that NEED to be done: House painting-inside and out. Windows replaced. Carpet replaced. New sofa. New bed for DH. Curtains laundered. New shower curtain and rugs in small bath.
etc. etc. I don't know what it is, that makes me just think about this stuff instead of doing something about it, except I am just enjoying the fact that I can take as long as I want to do it. I told myself all week end that I would do something on Monday. Now today, I am saying well, what does it matter if I wait a day or two (or more)? Instead, I have watered in the yard and worked on a ZINE about drawing, and now I am blogging and in a minute I will be dyeing wool with Kool aid. How Kool is that? Hope it turns out as lovely as I see it in my head. What will I do with it? Make art of course! What else? I guess I will start searching the net for another art workshop to go to. I admit it, I AM HOOKED!

Hot Sunday

We spent another hot hot hot and I mean hot day. I worked on creations to take to the street festival on Thurs. evening. I hope I sell something. It has been a long time since I tried selling my stuff. I have not a clue on how much to charge for things. I just gave them a pot shot price and will have to hope for the best. I can always bargain, I suppose. I was thinking I needed a canopy to use for my booth. DH bought me one but even he had hell setting it up so he took it back. LOL. I need one that almost sets itself up, after watching the gymnastics he went through to get one up. I decided if it gets too hot I will just leave.
On another line, the oldest car girl is in the UBIC Little Miss Pageant on Monday at 6:00. I think i will go, as Mom needs help with dress changes and picture taking etc. It will be fun to watch her sing.
Bubba found a deer in the yard this morning. He can smell things but can't see so he barked and ran towards the tree she was under. She moved north a bit but he didn't seem to know that. He just went to the tree where she was originally. He makes us laugh with his senility, even though it is so sad to know he is getting so old.
DH got stung by some wasps on his hand this morning and it is all swelled up. He says it doesn't hurt. Maybe it doesn't. I am so allergic to bites that I know I would be hurting and feeling terrible.
I am still campaigning for a new camera. Mine seems to be sickly. The pictures look misty or something. It probably is just the settings but it is supposed to be automatic. I think it has to do with pixels.
Well, off to wash my long beautiful luxurous hair....

Pictures

Here are some of the "promised" pictures. The one on the right I shot over the hood of the truck...it was the only way I could hold steady with all the excitement!

Moose Story

I know, I know, everyone has a "vacation" story or two to tell. This is mine: DH and I were sitting outside the camper in Grand Lake campgrounds. I had my back to the camper, he was sitting about 6 feet away facing me. Behind him there is a small tiny stream, a hill, a few trees, and some willows. I was busy with a box of "finds" on my lap, dismantling stuff, so I could use it later. We were visiting about whatever, but I had my eyes on my junk. I finally did look up though. Right behind my DH, about six feet stood a MOOSE! I threw my box on the table, jumped up and yelled "stand up!" DH just looked at me, and saw I was very agitated but just said, "is it a bear?" I yelled again as I dashed behind the truck, "stand up!" Finally DH did stand up but the moose just looked at us, turned and went over to some willows and started munching out on them. He was big, beautiful, black, and his horns were in velvet. He hung for a few minutes then moseyed off across the road and disappeared into a forest of willows. I stlll can't believe he walked right up to us and we didn't even hear him until he was breathing down DH's neck! It did frighten me to have him right in our camp and to have him so close. I like to look at them but I have heard they can be very aggressive and dangerous. This guy didn't seem to mind us at all. I will post a picture if it turned out and when I get my camera in from the camper.