Over-The-Fence Chat Thread 8-19 thru 8-25

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Good morning to ya all! How's everyone doing this Sunday morning? We're starting out with a very cool morning this AM. (Goes good with the cup of coffee). We had a pretty nasty storm blow through here yesterday afternoon, with a ton of rain and cooler temps.

Welp, I guess the garden is enjoying the rain we had, but with the cooler temps, it will probably slow down the tomatoes even more. I managed to pick about 20 of them this week, but their still slow to ripen. Green tomatoes, anyone!? I did pick enough green beans to can about 11 quarts. Not near enough. Went out to a house where an old fella grows veggies to sell, to see if he had any beans. He told me that ladies have been coming by to purchase bushelfuls. Darn. Gonna have to do some looking around this coming week. Did get a bushel of white peaches this week, though. Got them put up on Friday. Also, went and picked more blueberries. They're so easy to pick and freeze, I couldn't resist. Problem is, I've got so much fruit put up in different ways and not near enough vegetables. I guess we'll be eating alot of jam and toast, and making pies this winter! There goes the old waste line.

Yesterday, my sister and I, went to a really neat Herb Festival in the next town over. Saw some of the most beautiful herb wreaths and some really cool garden ornaments made from iron. Picked up some old Country Living mags for .50 a piece. Was a beautiful day to just walk around and browse.

Hoping everyone has had a wonderful week. So, whatcha all been up to?

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 19, 2001

Answers

Hi Annie well its still hot and dry here. up the road about 10 miles they got 2 inches. my garden is about done still watering the tomatos. but i know you all arent goimg to believe this but ive got my new kitchen,wash clean fish and veges. room started. the contractor showed up fri. and got all the 4x4s up whoope maybe before winter yet. you all have a good week. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@hit.net), August 19, 2001.

I'm glad you got some rain Annie, we have gotten the cooler tempratures but are still waiting on the rain. My garden has done fairly well considering how dry it has been, but like most I'm still watering those tomatoes. My job this week is to start in canning those carrotts. I hope everyone is enjoying the cool temps, because I don't think they are going to last to much longer!

-- Barb (Barb43@countrylife.net), August 19, 2001.

Hello Annie, I have not be posting as often as I did during the winter months because my wife and I have been working very hard to get as much of our new house built before cold weather sets in. We have finished the basement, the first and second floor decks, boxed in the roof and are putting on the sheet metal now. The back of the house is framed and ready for the siding. We have not framed in the front just yet, because we have to move our shower enclosure and other big items in first. Our garden was fabulous, except for the corn. We just planted our fall garden and will be looking for a better crop of corn from it. The basement is filling up with all the canned goodies from my wife's labors of love, plus potatoes, garlic and onions! Our little girl, Caroline is almost a year and a half old and is walking and talking. I have failed to keep my website updated on the construction of our new a-frame but, now that I have more time, I will add all the pictures that I can. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

Am still chopping and hauling sweet corn stalks for the cattle. However, I'm now down to one last plot. Will haul off the rest of the early corn tomorrow, then will have to wait until he tells he I can start on the Hickory Cane. Even though I have been running a classified ad in a weekly shopper's guide, which is delivered to every address in the county, most contacts are through word of mouth. I will admit getting to the plot a little after 6AM so I can finish by about 7:30 AM is starting to get a little old.

We have had a pretty good summer as far as rain. Could still use a nice all day soaker.

Some of the cows are a bit thin, but there is not much I can economically do about it. As I have said, I'm planning to cut the herd down by about 3/4rds in late fall, so am having to decide who goes and who stays. I helped some of them to be born. Am learning the truth in not naming livestock.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 20, 2001.


Helle Annie! It was a good weekend at our place. Mr. Kitty, one of two resident cats,has been missing for 9 days. We thought for sure something had gotten him. His sister, Mrs. Kitty, would sit at the top of the drive way and meow for him. She really missed him, as did the wife and I. Well, 7:00 am saturday morning, he just walked up to the place like he had just been gone 5 minutes. He was a little thin, but no wounds or scars. He's a good mouser so I'm sure he was able to get some food. We were all glad to see him!

The cantalops and melon this year are the best ever. It's amazing how well tomatoes do in 6 inches of well composted chicken manure. Coon got into the corn, electric fence goes up tonight! Planting fall vegetables all this week.

Have a great week!

Rickstir

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), August 20, 2001.



Yes, it is truly a wonderful day when a wanderin' cat comes home. A nearby can came home after nine months to it's happy owners! Had a little tiny vacation and have put followin item on my to do list: find some nearby family who would like to swap farm chores when vacationing. HMMMMM.

So nice to be back on the farm after being in the city. No comparison. No wonder we counted the days. Bout to plant a fall garden--only turnip greens and sugar snap peas (but will probably give in and do more--onions? Found a whole bunch of volunteer watermelons. Wonder if they'll come to total fruition at this point?

So nice to hear all that you people are doing. Keep telling us your news.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), August 20, 2001.


Today is the last in what has been a string of gorgeous fall-like summer days. We had an inch of rain over the weekend which was just what the garden needed. I hate to see the heat and humidity come back, but it is still August. This morning I made purple basil jelly; it's so simple to do and so pretty in the jars, one of my favorite things to can. I'm still making and canning tomato sauce; I do 20 lbs of tomatoes at a time which usually makes one canner full (7 qts.). Yesterday I discovered a volunteer Roma tomato on the back of the compost pile with a whole bunch of nice red tomatoes on it; what a nice treat. With the garden winding down I've been spending a lot of time making baskets. I got a big order for October, so that keeps me busy, and I love doing it. I don't make a lot of money at it, but I sure enjoy it more than I ever did pushing papers in an office. I guess that's what the homesteading way of life is all about. Enjoy your week, everyone.

-- Katherine in KY (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), August 20, 2001.

Miracles do happem, we finally got some rain here in central Illinios. In the past few days we have gotten alomost 2". I know it doesn't sound like much but it is the first rain we have had here in awhile. Hopefully there is more on the way! I'm going to work on some more tomatoes this weekend, the last of what I will be putting away this year, I always feel contented and relieved when the canning is done for the season. I hope everyone enjoys the weekend.

-- Barb (Barb43@countrylife.net), August 24, 2001.

This has been a hard week and a half because I'm canning tomatoes and doing it alone. DH is helping build a small house for a friend and I am really missing his help. We don't have a garden because we are renting while looking for land to build on so we are buying organic veggies and the tomatoes are coming in by the bushels. First batch was three bushels and this one I'll finish this moring was four bushels. Have another four bushels coming the first part of next week. My kitchen is tiny and counter space is a concept the builder of this place didn't bother with. I have one counter, 2'10", and small drainboards on either side of my sink and that's it. I have two canners, thankfully, and that makes it go much faster. Have kettles, bowls, stockpots and plastic tubs stacked on the floor when not in use. Cats and dog must carefully weave their way to food and water bowls to avoid bringing a pile of stainless steel down around their ears.

Including a canning kitchen in the plans for our home just moved from the maybe that would be nice catagory to I Gotta Have It catagory! DH, bless him, fully agrees.

Even tho the canning is a major chore because of the lack of work space, I still love seeing the filled jars increase. Once I'm done with the next 4 bushels of tomatoes, the majority of canning will be behind me for this year. I'll do some jams and such but the growing season is just about over here.

What on earth am I going to do with my time when I don't have anything to can any more????

Lovely fall-like weather here - warm days and deliciously cool nights. I do love Virginia!

-- Carol - in Virginia (carollm@rockbridge.net), August 24, 2001.


I'm kind of a newbie here, and love the idea of the weekly update. I've been wanting to keep a journal of some kind to track my "progress." Many days, it doesn't feel like progress, just an endless, uphill battle, but I have hope, and my hope is renewed every time I visit this BB, which I haven't done in a long time.

I'll tell more in the future about my challenges, both past and current, but for now I just wanted to introduce myself so I don't feel like such an outsider.

Dawn, single (semi-engaged to be married, on the back burner for now), working on my dreams which involve art and animals and self- sufficiency.

Found a stepping stone in a small town in South Central Missouri, a step up from a condo in Milwaukee, WI. I have a 1/2 acre property in town, a big garden that is providing a place to experiment with nature, but too many town ordinances to make my dreams come true, and too few jobs to tide me over in the meantime, but I've found hope and inspiration on this bulletin board, and think I will be spending a lot of time here, in order to keep the fires burning in my heart.

I'm very much looking forward to making some friends here in cyber- space. My brick-and-mortar neighbors have proved less than forthcoming. Countryside Mag and its forum will be my buoy in the ocean of life. (Yeah, ok, so I'm a wanna-be-poet...please don't hold it against me.)

Looking forward to more Countryside Conversation.

-- Dawn R - SC Missouri (papermaker76@bigfoot.com), August 24, 2001.



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