Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[Opa]

Spent most of yesterday watching the rain come down. I guess rain always comes down, although if you get enough of it the water comes up. Rain is predicted to be on and off for the weekend but I am optimistic that it will clear enough that I can pick up all of the windfall apples and press a batch of cider.

Took Granny to the doctor yesterday and he gave her a bill of health and told her he'd see her in the spring. With the exception of being too heavy and walking like a monkey she is doing quite well. I no longer have to worry about her when we head south. One of my brothers made a real issue with her that he would not allow her to stay alone and that she will be coming to his house while I'm gone. That worked out well. Now I don't have to worry and I'm not the heavy.

Joe, my oldest, was disappointed that I wasn't bringing her with us on this trip until David finally got him to understand that even I need a vacation occasionally.

 

[NotAFarm]

Opa, Unless someone has been a fulltime caretaker, they don't understand the day-to-day stresses that go with the responsibility of it. Been there...doing that. A break from it is necessary for your own well being. I'm glad you and Hope get to take a vacation together......alone. Have fun and enjoy it!!!

 

[mamagardener]

Opa, I am glad that you are getting to take a nice vacation and not have to worry about you Mom while you are gone.
Shirley, everything is okay here, hope it is going well for you too... the only complaint I have is the torrential rain and flooding of yesterday. It is not raining now, so hopefully the flooding will go away soon.

I am so glad that I chose not to go back to work at the school this year. I really thought I would miss it, but I don't miss it at all. I have been able to spend time with my 3 year old, and I don't have to deal with all the mean people that I used to work with. My coworker called me today and said that it is getting even worse now that I am not there, and she is desperate to find something else.

I have not opened daycare yet, because the house that we are going to use needs to be either painted or sided due to a tiny bit of peeling paint. They wont give you a license if you have any peeling paint. So now I am waiting for my DH to get it done. I hope I don't have to wait too long. I am almost done getting the inside all painted and set up, so hopefully he will find the time to do the outside.

I suggested siding, that way we don't have to worry about maintenance, and it will pay for itself in the long run. He is insisting he is going to paint it and just side it in a few years. All I know is that if he wants to paint, he better get busy, it is already September and you cannot paint after September around here.

 

[Opa]

The amount of rain we've been getting is starting to get ridiculous. It's been raining on and off since Wednesday night and no dry days are predicted until Monday. We are having thunderstorms as I type this and it seems several more bands are headed this way. Fortunately my house sits high and there is a 20' drop from the front of the property to the back so I never have to worry about a flooded basement. Plus most of the ground is quite sandy so water standing isn't a problem and it drys out quickly. One of my brothers lives 50 miles south east of me and his ground takes days and days to dry out.

I had hope to press cider this weekend but with the weather like it is that isn't likely to happen. Neither am I likely to finish picking the horticulture beans. I figure that there are enough still on the vines to make at least another 40 pints. Sweet peppers are still producing like crazy and yesterday Hope picked several yesterday that we will cut the tops off, seed, and freeze whole to use for stuffed peppers. I've never grown peppers and are as sweet tasting and as thickly walled as this years crop.

I have about 40 butternut squash on the vines and once we have a light frost I will pull those and bring into the garage. This year I think I will can most of them. I really don't have any place to store them where the temperature and humidity are right for long term storage. While they do keep until late January or February we can use them up fast enough to not lose a bunch. They work quite well as a substitue for pumpkin in pies and actually are probably a much better choice for the garden since they amount of useable product is much higher than it is with pumpkins.

 

[Highlander]

hey all, it's been a while since I posted, hope everyone is doing well.

I'm glad Granny will have company while you are away Sam, it will probably be a big relief for you to know she will be taken care of. Sounds like the garden did really well again for you this year. I wouldn't mind if you threw a few of those squash my way, I make a mean spicy squash soup.

Well we are battening down the hatches for what's left of Katia as she is headed our way tonight and tomorrow. We have been told to expect 80mph winds and flooding so we have spent the day clearing up outside making sure everything is secure. Thanks for sharing by the way, I know you guys don't like to have all the fun!

I hope the power stays on as I have a hatch due tomorrow. I was hoping to get some Vorwerks out of it but the first batch I ordered didn't develop at all so I got a replacement batch but it doesn't look like they are doing anything either unfortunately. I am disappointed as they were the ones I was most looking forward to having.

My thoughts are with you all today on what must be an emotional day for you.

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

would sure like some of that rain if you could get it here....tinder box dry around here!!

Highlander, sure hope the storm goes easy on you and good luck with your hatch! My broody should hatch her eggs on Tuesday and I can hardly wait!

Sam, wondering about "horticultural" beans.....I have seen them in the books, do you use them like regular dry beans or just can them up green? What is the flavor like? Always interested in beans and peas, we are bean and potato heads around here....yum!! Oh, and while youare sending that rain, throw in a few squash too would you????

 

[Jena]

HI Everyone,

I just popped in thinking of Highlander tonight, I have spent the day battening down the hatches and they say it will not be too bad down here, so I am really thinking of her. We will see what tonight brings to us all over here, I have also been watching all of the things on TV about 9/11 when I came in for the ocassional coffee. Thinking of all those affected and remembering where I was when I heard the news.
Hugs to all of us who have stopped and thought about it all today.

Opa so glad you and Hope are going to get a break together, I remember the responsibility and the concern you must be experiencing right now, I am sure Granny will be fine, teach her to come on here and we will keep her busy for you.....lol. Have a lovely break and regards to all.

I am still bringing in tomatoes from my polytunnel, and today I cooked them in the roasting tray with some onion and peppers all grown in the garden, and with some lovely chicken breast from a local farm. Hmmmmm now I know why I want just a little more land...

I hope Katia goes off for an even more northerly walk tonight and we all surface in the morning intact. I do not want to have to bring the polytunnel home from up the street, or my shed from next door.... lol.
Hugs Everyone!!!!

Hey Ranchie, how are you?

 

[Highlander]

Thanks CCMH, and Jena - you stay safe too.

 

[Opa]

Late yesterday afternoon I picked the last of the horticulture beans and then was up til almost midnight shelling them. They are a bush type plant that produces a lot of pods that average 8 large beans each. They taste some where between a great northern and a pinto bean. It is a white bean with purple mottling that disappears when cooked. When the growing end the pods turn from green to yellow with purple mottling. I try to pick them just before the pod drys but always wind up with some totally dry and other still green. That doesn't matter as they all go into the jar together. Rather than the normal 1/2" head space when filling jars I've found you need to leave 1 1/2" as the beans will swell and absorb a lot of water. I add boiling water to within 1/4" of the top. I canned them this morning and got 18 pints to add to the 22 I had canned previously.

 

[Highlander]

You are going to have strong winds of your own to contend with with all those beans!