9:30 and Ive just put my eighth bag of apple pieces (16 pies worth) in the freezer and washed the peeler. Of course these are only 9" pies but just the same I will enjoy them. I'm out of bags again. I think I'll fill some smaller one pie bags since I have lots of those. But first I want to make some juice. Or at the same time since it will be impossible to leave the bigger apples on the tree. Still having fun, just tired. A shower, a cup of tea and a movie will round out my day. I have enough good apples to fill the crisper in the fridge for my test.
Still raining but pretty cool out. I don't think it will freeze.
Davit
Ps Why am I doing this? Because any hobby can and for me does keep the demons away.
Pouring down rain this morning even though the sun is trying to shine. I will do the apples that are in the house and make filling for the round Zucchini I have also. I still want the Zucchini cake but might not have time. Almost scared to see how many more there are out there. Well the rain will fill out the beans but it is too cold for them to grow much. Pumpkin is getting quite orange. Power was out this morning so I'm behind. And I don't care. Enjoying the coffee I can finally have. I almost forgot the sprinklers on last night (it was hot), that would be overkill. Cooling down now so I think we can say fall is here. Leaves are a muddy brown instead of their usual brilliant yellow. Sort of disappointing. Virginia Creeper is a brilliant red though. I have to admit I will be glad when I'm done harvesting. I'm due for a well deserved rest. And the house needs a cleaning, including my shop. I did clean out an area on the porch to put the firewood I still need to do. Some dead trees fell on my trail. I'll drag them in and get some one to cut them up for me if I can't do it myself. I think I might be able to this year. Finding time is the problem.
My apples are Goodlands and the internet says they should keep 20 weeks if kept in cold storage. So I'm thinking of getting a used fridge to store them and some carrots in. Some of these large apples would be nice baked. A project for next year. For now I will fill the crisper in the fridge with apples and see if they do keep. The internet is not always right.
It's been days since I spent any time gardening. I noticed hostas were being eaten by some insects. so I pulled out some weeds, and threw some eggshells around the hostas. The neighbour discarded grass clippings around the hostas, but it was too dark to see these, and I clear the debris around them another day, possibly helping the insect situation.
Going out to sit in the garden, I'll take a bucket for apples too and probably pick some. Bit windy today, that will help with the heat. Froze enough for another twelve pies this morning. Thawing a rather large chicken for tomorrow and some pumpkin. In olden times people had an outdoor kitchen to can in and roast on hot days, usually on the north side of the house in the shade. I had a propane stove but gave it away. Wish I hadn't with this unseasonal heat. I realize people don't live like I do any more. It is too much work for most people. Yet here there are still a few. The old and the young. Few in the middle. I was both, I don't think I was ever middle aged, one just ran into the other. Or maybe I just don't know how to grow old,
Went out to pick a basket of apples for pies and a few pails of small guys for juice. Very few apples under three inches. It would be a shame to use them for juice but I guess I'll have too. Phoned Monica to see if she still wants some. Got her machine. Everyone growing apples has too many and not enough friends who want them. Even people with pigs have too many. Yet if you live in the city it costs four dollars for enough to make a pie. Some of them coming half way round the world.
The apples are calling but I told myself I will wash the floor first so that is what I will do even though I don't want to. I have to go to the store too. These trips to town and the store are getting annoying and in the way. I'd rather stay home and pick apples and let the wife go but I don't have one. I need another guest I can put to work. Going to town isn't hard but it is time consuming. A couple of friends think I should give this up. I can't and live, I'd die of boredom. I don't find the internet all that exciting and even less aerobic. Eye strain and sore wrists. I'd rather weed. Actually with the sun shining and the heat I'd rather sleep. It must be the cat in me. It would be nice to find the time to make Zucchini cake today with apple and spices. I might since I'm only picking apples not doing anything with them.
First, something funny I did with a large zucchini. I split it in four and cut out the seeds and treated it like it was fish fillets, cooking it only till it was clear but not mushy. It was very good and very much like fish. Rosemary and garlic go very well with it especially if cooked with onions.
I had to re prime the pond pump today after hooking the hoses back up. but it is working again and I gave what is left of the garden a watering. I must be careful not to blow up the cabbages. ( there is one very determined little mosquito in here.) I heard gun shots, why do people have to shoot more than once, can't they kill it instantly with one shot. Poor animal. Even if it was a bear that would have got my apples. More likely the buck I saw earlier. I wonder if any of it is fit to eat. Off the subject but it stresses me especially since the shots came from an off limits area. Does no good to report it, no one cares.
Anyway the apples are starting to fall. So I will be busy for the next while. And there will be more beans to harvest. This is the first year winter squash did nothing. I'm going to miss them. Crab apple tree is loaded and I don't want them. That is how it goes. I did find time to sit under the crab apple tree with the cats.
Started picking the pole beans, they are doing well. I will have to water though. Too hard to get among the plants to weed. I have a couple of zucchini to harvest too. One round one I will stuff. One yellow one (summer squash)
8 hours to harvest the basil and make pesto out of it, but I got 12 cups. Actually it isn't pesto but chopped leaves and olive oil since I will use most of it in spaghetti sauce which has garlic in it and I like my Parmesan on top. Too many people are allergic to nuts also. It is not hard to add garlic to it after. This and the other two harvests means I can pull out the plants and hoe under some manure. A good job for a rainy day. Tomorrow I pick the pole beans. They are purple pole beans and freeze real well. They are stringless too. I hope Monica comes to pick apples or they are going to end up on the ground. Lawn still needs mowing. I'm retired, I'm not doing it tonight. Besides by the time I clean up from making pesto and have supper it might be dark. Never got the deep freeze moved from the Garage and washed, maybe tomorrow. When I cut the basil last time I left two or more shoots on the base of each plant so the three hundred became over 600 even though they were on the same plants. A jungle. I have a volunteer Tomatillo. The seed has been in the ground three years. That was when I last grew them. It must have been buried deep and hoed to the surface this year. The plant is real healthy and mustn't be related to tomatoes. Going to save seed if I get fruit. Leaves continue to turn yellow and I still need to get firewood. May just buy it. I need to buy more freezer bags before I do more apples. Tuesday morn is wasted so it probably won't be till wednesday. Getting there, might even be ready for winter when it comes.
