Hot enough to fry an egg...

  Got 2 dehydrators going...just took the strawberries out of one because they were done. It's still full of cherries and blueberries.  The other one (in the picture) I just got yesterday at a ridiculous price at a local discount store.  The grocer had a great price on blueberries and so I bought  7 pints...May go back for more.  ( Strawberries too, probably, as they really dry well. They're gorgeous (see picture) and they taste wonderful.)The first batch I didn't follow instructions (IMAGINE THAT!!)  and so they are taking longer to dry. The second batch (majority) have all been dipped in boiling water to crack the waxy skins and I made a wonderful mess everywhere..including the front of my pajamas  (Yes--I often cook in my pj's...) Blueberry juice everywhere.  I loaded the second one with more strawberries and pineapple as well.     The next batch of dehydration is going to include some peaches off our trees. They are starting to ripen. Then I'm going to play with tomatoes and peppers too, and maybe even some lemons and oranges if I can find any that are less than the price of gold...

 The weather is stifling hot here,. with heat index yesterday up to 105.  This morning when I got up all the windows were fogged up, I opened the front door and it was like a blast furnace. At 9 AM, it was already a heat index of 97 degrees. The animals are pretty much staying in and napping to conserve energy.  lol  I was out a while yesterday, and it was rough. When I got home with groceries and 80 pounds of chicken feed, I had to do everything in 20 minute max increments. I got the chicken feed out of the trunk and into a wheelbarrow, and left it there at the back of the car so the Irishman could handle it when he got home or it got cooler. (It never did.) The central air ran nonstop all day, until almost 10 PM. And it's only set at 75.  Looks like it's gonna be like this awhile too.  I need to get out in the garden, but don't know if I can handle it...There are green beans need picking for sure and probably okra. One thing's for sure...the okra will be LOVING this weather.

  I made a  batch of granola bars last night, and cocky little thing that I am, didn't bother to measure the honey and molasses. Needless to say, they are sticky and overly sweet. Oops. Arrgghhh....some things have to be attended to in a proper manner, and measuring the correct amounts of sweeteners to make a candy hardness is one of them. I made them with dried mangoes and blueberries and papayas this time. They are way too sweet for my taste. Plus, I like them crispier. Live and learn...I had a hard time finding decent honey , as I've used all ours now. I did discover a little place called the Woodburn Country Store, just a little bit from us, out here in the well, country. lol  They are mostly wholesalers, she said, but they sell a few things, like dried fruits and Amish jams and honeys and molasses. So I bought a quart of honey from her and molasses too.  She said their honey comes from Iowa.  There is a guy in town who supposedly sells honey, but I haven't found him at home yet. I'll keep trying, as I prefer local honey for a lot of reasons.

Okay...lots to do today, and if I get off this computer after a bit of reading, I might get it done. Maybe.

Namaste.

Hump Day

   

Ain't she a beaut ?  And now, there are light lavender colored bee balm flowers coming up in the midst of this red one too. It's stunning. Tomorrow I will try to remember to get out there and take some more pictures.

 The garden has exploded. The past week has been outrageously high temperatures and humidity...it's like a rainforest out there. Today the heat index hit 105.  2 days ago I was out weeding in the late afternoon and clearing things out a little, and there was still a semblance of rows between the green beans. Now it's a complete ocean of bushes, with no spaces in between. Same with the butternut squash.  Yowsa!  Tonight I went out at almost dark and weeded some flower beds.  I have some Siberian Irises to plant and also some bright yellow daylilies.  But it's been so dang hot I can't do it...15 minutes out there and I'm wringing wet and hot as a firecracker. Sweat running down my face and into my eyes. It's even been already thick at 7 Am...but, I will persevere and try to do a little at a time. Every day. Being especially conscious of how easy it is to get heat stroke in weather like this.

  Tonight I took my pump sprayer out there loaded with white vinegar and sprayed some spots to try to kill the weeds. Hopefully it'll knock some of it down.

  The tomatoes are loaded  and it looks to be a really good crop this year. I planted several Romas  for saucing and dicing, as well as all the regular big tomatoes. Skipped the yellow Brandywines this year...wasn't all that impressed with their performance last year. The edamame are growing great guns. Beautiful healthy big plants.  And the peppers...well, let's just say that I am in awe at the beautiful healthy plants this year. I should have more than enough to get through the winter and eat all summer as well. My mouth is watering at the thought of big red and yellow peppers stuffed with quinoa and chanterelles and garlic chives and chopped fresh parsley, Mmmmmm...

The Irishman went to Wisconsin to visit his family and got back Monday evening. He had a great time and said the weather was wonderful, and never got above 80 the whole time.  WHAT !?!?!?!?!  LOL     I had a pleasant 4 days home alone and spent a lot of it in deep thought.  *snork

  The remaining kitten is doing fine, only 1 out of 4 survived. Not sure what the problem was, but this one I have been feeding kitten replacement milk and the mother is starting to nurse him more. I've named him Jinga.  The Irishman wanted to name him Ralph. I win.  I said that if I am the one feeding him every 3 hours, I get to decide what his name is. (It's the law) The other 3 died abruptly...it was awful. They got listless, lost body heat and were gone within hours of one another. I'm baffled and bereft.

  Been a long day and I'm hoping to hit the hay early tonight.  I baked bread, did laundry, and worked in the yard some. Baked brownies as I was supposed to meet a girl for lunch wand then hit a meeting...Monday was her 5th anniversary and nobody got her a cake, so I thought
I'd surprise her at the mtg w/ a little treat.   She called about 10 and had to cancel.  We had brownies for dessert, after a lovely supper of chicken and black bean burritos with skillet roasted red and green peppers and onion. Coupled with a nice tossed salad. Yum.

  Kinda quiet on the blogging front this week.  Summer???

  Namaste.