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Helen's Mulberry Lane Farm Journal
August 05, 2009
My canner is going day and night these days, at least it seems that way. Beka enjoys canning---Rachel and I don't. 'Beka really got into it this year and has made up dill and bread and butter pickles with both cucs and zucchini. She's also made pickled beets, and canned beans in between it all. We also did up several batches of corn for the freezer.
Cooling the cucs for dill pickles.
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Spooning the vinegar over the dill pickles.
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A watched pot never boils?
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Finally it boils---'Beka taking out the beans from the pressure canner.
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Ahhhhhh.....so lovely when it is all finished!
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Then the messy kitchen must be tackled---the not-so-fun part of canning!
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Time for a piano duet break.
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The boys take a break of their own---
a new use for feed bags?
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The promised fishing trip is fulfilled.
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Tim is rewarded with a lovely large mouth bass! Such joy!
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One of the things I really enjoy on the farm is growing flowers in my garden to bring into the house. My stargazers were just fabulous this year as well as my gladiolus.
These always remind me of the stargazers that both of my daughters had in their wedding boquets---many precious memories.
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Beautiful white gladiolus after a rain.
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Even the weeds are part of God's creation.
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My old bell surrounded by hollyhocks.
Ask me for some seeds next time you drop by.
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There are always machinery breakdowns of all sorts on the farm. My honey-do list is always long for my honey! He is very patient and forbearing about it all. After spending long hours in the office each day, he manages to squeeze in a repair or two for me each week. This time it was an emergency repair. Our large fan in the crawl space, that runs our air conditioning, needed to be replaced. What an awful job to be done on hands and knees. Gerald was grateful for nimble Caleb who assisted with the job as he went up and down the crawl space, getting the needed tools for Gerald.
Gerald teaches Caleb some things about electricity
at the same time as getting the new fan hooked up.
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"Look Mom! Just what you wanted! More giant zucchini!"
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We have to do something with all that zuchinni---
Rachel and her friend Larry.
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Our happy little porkers Chops and Bacon.
(Just kidding---we don't name our animals.)
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My favorite cookbook (a gift from my friend Rose) displayed in my kitchen.
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The corn is now done for the year. Here we are shredding it for compost.
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We enjoyed a visit to see my daughter Laura, her husband Philip and my two grandaughters Kelsey and Brooklyn. We toured their new offices Center Street Productions at 108 Walnut Street, in downtown Watseka, IL. Laura is a photographer for Center Street Productions and Philip does videography, frames prints and many other things. The technology these days always amazes me and I find it hard to keep up with it. (I just recently took the time to learn all about mp3 players!)
Philip showing Gerald and Tim around the new shop.
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These are some of Laura's photography props.
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Philip's shelf of memorabilia including the rams horn
he got when he went to Israel with Gerald several years ago.
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Philip explaining to Gerald how he uses some of his framing equipment.
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Philip showing our family a lovely multi-picture
that he did for his Grandpa's 80th birthday.
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Kelsey showing her mom, Laura, the gifts I brought them.
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Kelsey has the most amazing imagination. I love to bring her stuffed animals because it is so much fun to watch her playing with them.
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Gerald and I sharing a precious moment with Brooklyn.
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The tomatoes are in full swing. How delicious they are. I pick them and immediately eat them warm with salt. Do come by and get some sun-ripened tomatoes soon! For those who have bushels of tomatoes ordered, they won't be ready for about two weeks or so.
Fresh picked daily! Don't miss out!
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A basket on my vegetable stand ready to go
on a trip to your house for a BLT Supreme!
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See you next time!
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