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

[Opa]

Standing in line and manuevering around the polling station was a little difficult for Granny during the last election. So this year we decided to use absentee ballots. Seems rather strange not going to a polling site after close to 50 years of having done so, but I least I did exercise my priviledge and did vote.

David has been working the election very hard putting up campaign signs, doing literature drops, and going door to door. This weekend he made almost 300 door knocks and made 350 lit drops. He has become extremely politically active the last several years and numerous people are pushing him to run. He would be exactly what we need. Someone who knows from experience what hard work is, knows what it takes to run a business, someone who believes that your word is your bond, and someone who looks at everything from a common sense approach. And finally someone who believes honesty is the only policy.

 

[mamagardener]

Hope everyone is doing well. It is getting cold here, it was about 22 degrees when I woke up this morning. My chickens are not thrilled with this cold weather, but neither am I. Getting ready to drop youngest off at preschool and brave the long lines to vote. That is a joke seeing that my town is so small that I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes or so to vote. I tell you I am really looking forward to turning on the television, radio or getting my mail without being bombarded with political ads tomorrow. The funny thing is the 2 people who are running for senate are worse with the political ads than the presidential election. This is the most expensive race in the MA senate history, and they are fighting over Ted Kennedy's old seat.

Whoever you all vote for, have a good day!

 

[Opa]

Cold here this morning, but since it is the middle of November I guess that it is no great surprise. Deer season opens on Thursday so the cold weather will help with that.

Yesterday I picked up a new truck. The saleswoman remarked that no one ever knows when I get a new one because I always get the same color........... black. I was pricing new tires when I got a letter from the dealer claiming I could probably get a new truck and have a smaller payment than I currently have. Turns out they were right. It's only $20 per month less but now I don't have to come up with $1200 for new rubber.

I kept the tonneau cover from my old truck and David helped me install it last night. Sometimes I don't know how I would manage to get things done if he wasn't around. My hands were so cold and aching by the time we were done I couldn't have finished without his help.

This getting old certainly isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[1muttsfan]

Just older Opa, not old yet - just ask Grannie

 

[RaZ]

This getting old certainly isn't for the faint of heart.

I always say that if I had known that I would get this old, I would have taken better care of myself.

 

[Opa]

Sometimes little things can make a day seem much brighter. Yesterday I made a batch of blackberry jelly. While it is a little hassle removing the seeds, it certainly makes eating it more enjoyable. This morning I gave Granny toasted & jellied English muffins for her breakfast. I overheard her telling David "now that is what jelly is suposed to taste like". I guess yesterday's effort was time well spent.

 

[chickflick]

Good Morning, Sam. It sure is cold out this morning. Just came in from cleaning the coops and my hands are frozen. Cold does affect you more as one grows older. Times like this I wish I drank coffee so I could wrap my cold hands around the warm mug.
Been having fun trying to figure out my new phone. I get frustrated easily, so, surprisingly the phone has not hit the wall yet.

Have a great day!

 

[chicken grandma]

Congratulations on the new truck Opa!

How do you take all those seeds out of the blackberries?

 

[peepacheep]

How do you take all those seeds out of the blackberries?

Inquiring minds would love to know, have a couple of gallons of frozen blackberries. The project of the week however is Asian pear chutney. A low fruit year this year, only 50 pounds or so of pears.

It is a good problem to have!

 

[Opa]

I sure wish that the unseasonably warm weather of last March, which allowed all the fruit trees to blossom, and the subsequent return to cold hadn't devastate this year's fruit crop. My orchard's yield for apples was exactly four. No cider, no dried apples, and no Bosc pears for canning. I think I only have one or two pints of candied pears remaining. I like to can winter pears and use Cinnamon red hot candies for the syrup. The pears not only taste incredible but they have a beautiful red color.

Removing the seeds from blackberries is tedious but certainly worth the effort. While I have a special berry screen for my Vittorio food mill I rarely use it. A batch of jelly calls for 3 3/4 cups of juice/pulp. Not hardly an amount sufficient to justify the cleaning of the food mill after using. So instead I partially cook the berries to soften them and then press them thru a wire mesh sieve with the aid of spoon. Doesn't take that long. Another method is to place them in a cloth bag and squeeze.