Week’s End

The grass is knee deep. It is still hot. Thunderstorms are the norm. Our riding mower has a flat tire again and needs fuel, but also for the grass to dry enough to safely mow it.

The garden has loved the rain, but the tomatoes are slow to ripen this year. My logs and pictures of past years show jams and sauces canned by now, but this year no berries were picked, I have just finally gotten enough tomatillos to make a two half pint recipe of simmer sauce. To do that, I will have to use one of the smaller stock pots for the waterbath as I’m not going to heat up the giant one for two half pints. I may just keep freezing them until there are enough to make the task worth while. Even with the cucumber pruning, I harvested 3 more yesterday and saw many more gherkin sized ones that will be large enough to pick in a couple of days. It is time to get out and work a couple of beds for some fall veggies. The potato bed is clear but needs compost, the bed where the first beans were is clear on half of it, the tomatillos are in the other half, but it too needs compost.

My spinning has slowed some, I have been reading Appalachian historical fiction, starting with “The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek,” then on to “The Giver of Stars.” Both books based on the Pack Horse Libraries in Kentucky. Those two books were holds from the local library. I am on to “A Parchment of Leaves” on loan from a friend.

Yesterday’s mail has both a new fiber I had ordered, Merino/Baby Camel/Silk and a new to me tiny spindle. The tiny Jenkins Kuchulu spindles are very travel friendly and because of their petite size, I can use them in the car when sitting somewhere for an appointment, caught behind traffic or an accident, or to just have when there is a period of time that I am idle.

None of my spindles are large, the left and middle ones are only 4″ diameter, the smaller one on the far right is only 2 1/2.” The blue ply ball is 28 grams. It will continue to grow, but the red will remain in individual turtles until I decide how it will be plied.

We managed a walk on the rail grade today, the sole mask wearers (except one young woman with a bandana). Today, tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday are the only window I see for the next 10 days to finish getting our first mowing of hay down and baled. No one is here working, so I don’t think it is going to happen.

Pretty Sunflowers, a couple of them are 10′ tall. Soon it will be time to cut and dry heads for the seed.

I wear a mask to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Please wear yours too.

I would love to hear your comments on this post.