Shadow's Surgery

As soon as it was a little bit light, I grabbed Shadow, our male cat,  and put him in cat carrier.  It was  quite cold.  The thermometer in the house registered 69 degrees.

Shadow a gray male cat.  You can barely see him in his cage.  Anne Stephenson, our neighbor, took him to the vet in Fillmore to have him neutered.  She brought him back around three.  We turned him loose in the laundery room.  He he jumped on top of the washer and then on a shelf above the washer.  We could hear him whining. We thought that he was behind the washer.  I pulled it out some, but couldn't see him.  Then we saw him on the shelf.  I got him down and he went behind the dryer.  I pulled the dryer out some.  He was still there when we went to bed.

I picked all of the ripe tomatoes that I could find.  The bucket was a little over half full.  We gave it to Ann Stephenson, our neighbor to the west of us.  

Later in the day I picked these Gladiator tomatoes.  Most of the split and a couple were somewhat spoiled.

I took a tote that contained zucchini and cucumbers to the post office.  

There were three orders for Topaz melon seeds.  I filled the order and posted them at the post office.

Last year I made a drier to dry past tomatoes.  It didn't work to well.  I took it apart this afternoon. the were four two foot 2x6's redwood boards.  I might use them to make a light weight stool.

This afternoon I picked bush beans and pole beans.  We gave them to Ann next door.

It was announced on Face Book the Megan gave birth to a ten pound baby boy Monday, 28 September 2020.   Following are two photos of Leo Wallace Johnson. 

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Pomegranate Jelly

 After breakfast we went to work in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I picked the pomegranates.  This morning we began removing the seeds.  Mainly, it was Carol who removed ninety nine percent of them.  I removed a tablespoon full of the seeds.  I got out the steamer and put it together.   We put the pomegranates in the steamer and got it a going.

I picked the cucumbers.  There weren't many.  The zucchini was not big enough.  I'll get that tomorrow.

I took it to the post office.   That was all there was.

Carol put the juice, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. in the kettle.  I stirred and stirred and stirred some more.  It came to a boil and after five minutes Carol put in the bottle.  Six half pints of pomegranate jelly. 

Carol's long time friend in Holden stopped in for a visit just before lunch.  She was the Relief Society President and Carol was one of here councilors.  The later they were visiting teaching partners and then ministering partners.  

I got another tray of dried grapes and pulled off each little stem.  I started outside.  I pulled stems and then checked the water in the garden.  Then pulled more stems.  I continued until the watering was finished

When the watering was finished I moved the dried grapes into the house and finished it here.  four trays total and two done and two more to go.

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Pomegranate Harvest

I uncovered the bean plants and then picked the cucumbers and zucchinis.  I took them to the post office.  Carol got the mail and there was on two Topaz melon orders.  I went back to the post office to mail them.

This is what was left when I went to the post office about 11:30

The pomegranate bush/tree has done really after I put it in the front yard.  It lost most of the flowers and pollinated flowers.  But a good crop of new one were started.

I picked eleven pomegranates which was all of them.  They are in the bottom of the bucket.  

Carol is holding the largest one in her hand.

The grapes are basically dried.   Most every one of them is still attached to a tiny stem.  I pulled each one free from the raison.  I missed some. There are four trays.  I done one today.

The dahlias are beautiful now.  Above is an example of one group.

I got this picture of a new house.  

The white geraniums lately have been so pretty
This geranium mix is equally pretty.

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More Letters

This morning I uncovered the bean plants and picked cucumbers, beans, and zucchini.  I took the cucumbers to the post office.  There were only two left at ten.

I cut the zucchini into thin pieces with the a slicer.  I put them on the dryer.  It has been on most of the day.  The real thin pieces are paper thick and quite crisp.  I will call the Zucchini Chips.  The thicker pieces are getting crisp but not yet.  

At the post office I got thirteen letters.  In one letter there was two five dollar bills and a note that said thanks and treat you and your wife to a hamburger.   Another letter had a dollar bill.  That is the second one revived so for.  I finished a little before twelve and posted them at the post office.  

I have an evening chore now.  I cover all of the bean plants to protect them from there deer.  We don't need any more beans, but I have worked last two months growing them and I don't want to give up on them now.

The chips are finished.  I had to break some of the free from the rack.

A cereal blow of chips.  They tasted pretty good, but tomorrow I am going to salt them before I begin the drying process.

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dried zucchini  

Protecting the Bush Bean Plants

 I uncovered the bean plants.  Then I picked one half bucket of tomatoes.  They are for Carol.  She may can them and some others Saturday.  I picked some peppers and cucumbers for Ann Stephenson.

We went to the post office and there were six letters of people requesting the Topaz Melon.  I opened the envelops and filled the enclosed envelop with about twenty five seeds.  One of the people sent me some squash seeds.  I will plant them in the spring.  I mailed them.  By then it was about time for lunch.

Got a picture of the back side of the dahlias.  I pruned the dead flowers and stems. 

While I was picking tomatoes I found this one that had been partially eaten and some seeds had fell on the leaf below.  The last time I picked I saw the same thing.

I worked most of the afternoon making more half circle covers for the bean plants to protected them from the deer.

I made three and placed them over the bean plants.  They didn't cover all of the plants.  I put one on each end and the third one in the middle.  I connected the one in the middle to those on each end with three tie wires.  You might be able to see the wire in the above photo. That seemed to work.  This evening I covered them with a three foot wide black weed barrier.  I used theme clips to help hold them in position.

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Seed Orders

 

I picked some cucumbers and zucchini this morning and took them right to the post office.  When I picked them up this evening the cucumbers were gone and two zucchini were left.

I took this picture with the sun shining on me.  I was in some shade but not nearly enough.  I pruned off the dead flower stems.

I was watering the garden.  Carol called me and was wondering why I had letters from so many people.  

I hurried to the house and she showed me a stack of letters.  I opened two of them and put in a heaping quarter teaspoon in the two letter.  I sealed.  I then realized that I wanted to enclose some seed saving directions.  I went to Open Office spread sheet and created two columns with four large cells in each column. It took me nearly two hours of editing to get it right.  The further delays because the printer would work properly.

I put about twenty-five seeds and a note in all but two.  The first two got the seeds, but not the note.  Some of the letters received contained seeds for me to try.  There were several letters that had notes of gratitude.  And one had a one dollar bill inside.

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Veggie Juice & Beans

 We started the day making veggie juice.  Carol prepared the tomatoes.  I got the onions, peppers, and carrots, celery in the fridge.  We grew everything except the celery.  Carol cut everything into small pieces.  I ground them into juice.

I was getting some large mouth pint  bottles our of the shed.  I couldn't carry all of them in my hands. I had to make two trips to the house.  I went back to the shed to get a clipboard.  As I left I felt a something wet and cold on the back of my hand.  I turned around here was this cream colored dog.  it spent some time in our neighborhood.  There was no caller around his neck.  

I told him to sit, he sit, but not for long.  I saw him a couple more times this morning and that was it.  I picked some cucumbers and zucchini and took them to the post office.  They were gone except for one small zucchini.

I was getting the last of the juice, and Carol started snapping the beans that we got yesterday.  She snapped all of them  It took most of the morning to process them.  Fifty minutes for the veggie juice and a couple of hours in the pressure cooker.  It had to be cooked until all the air was out of the pot and then cooked for twenty minutes and at least thirty minutes for pressure to go back to normal.  

I took time to screen the kitty litter.  It was pretty stinky by the back yard.

I got a picture of the veggie juice.  I was so busy I forgot the beans.  We had seventeen pints of beans.

I worked some putting the PVC in the cabinet that I built last week.

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Robert, Jeanne, & Plums

 After breakfast and after three woodworking shows, I began work on the PVC cabinet.

Robert and Jeanne drove up at 11:30.  We visited a while and then the started picking the plums from the plum tree by the by the south east corner of our house.  They started picking from the ground and then standing on the first step of stepladders.  Then to the second step.

Robert got on the house where he filled a bucket several times.

Robert was able to stand in the tree and pick from there.  They picked three buckets of plums and a box full.  

Robert and Jeanne drove to Fillmore to get some lunch.  It was almost two.  Cluff's was really busy.  The went to the Burger King and got Carol and I a Large hamburger that was really good.  They stayed a little longer and then drove home.  

I finished the PVC cabinet or almost finished it.  I put it together with pin nails.  They came loose as I worked tried to make some adjustments.  I reinforced them with screws.  I found a piece of plywood that I used for the back.  I worked on it while Robert and Jeanne were picking plums.  Before Robert left, he helped me carry it to greenhouse three.  

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PVC Cabinet

 A cooler night and a cooler morning.

I picked this Topaz Melon last night.  I cut it open for the picture.  I removed the seeds and I am saving them to plant next year.  I washed and drained them and did it again.  I put them on some newspaper on the counter.  By tonight they are mostly dried.

I picked another melon this morning.  I put it in the fridge in the garage.  I will save those seeds also.

My second workbench as several shelves.  The weight of the items on the shelf causes it to sag.  I built the middle caster yesterday.  I installed it today.  I should of had a picture of the whole workbench.

I worked on the cabinet most of the afternoon and even until the evening.  The trays will hold PVC parts  That have been in buckets.  I hope to finish it tomorrow.

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Protected the Beans

Walked out to the garden.  The deer had eaten some of the bean plants.  There were deer tracks all over.  Mostly along the west side.  

I built the wire cover out of concrete reinforcement to keep them safe from the deer.  The openings are six inches square.  The deer stuck their nose or face between the wires and ate.  I was from only one side.  

Here is a tree basket that they were to eat anyway.  I put two and in case three baskets on top of each other.  I turned them some so the wires of the second one were covering the openings of the first one.

I took all of the hoses off the lawn and began to mow.  I dumped three times.  The above photo is the third load.  I dumped them on one of the old compost piles.

I mowed around the cherry tree in the back yard.  Some of the branches were in the way.  I had to duck under them.  I got some extension cords and and cut them off with my electric chain saw.  I loaded them on to our truck.  I finished the mowing.  There were other tree branches that I cut down the last time I mowed the lawn which was about three weeks ago.  I cut them in to smaller pieces and loaded them on the truck.  

There were some other shrub branches that cut about a month ago.  I loaded them on the truck.  There were a lot of puncture weeds growing there that I dug up and put them on the truck.

I was going to take them to the dump after lunch, changed my mind.  I picked up the dump key at the post office and headed for the dump.  I was able to grab the bottom branches and quickly pulled them off most of the way.  I drove up a little and they fell right off.  I was back in time for lunch.

A little later the cats were waiting for lunch.

I picked a ripe Topaz Melon.  It is in the fridge waiting for breakfast in the morning.  

There another one being protected by a tree basket.  I might pick it tomorrow night.

This afternoon I cut a six foot wide weed barrier into three strips.  I covered the bean plants with it.  I am hoping that it will protect them from the deer.  The above is in the north garden.

This one is on the south garden.  By the way I picked a handful of beans. 

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