Sunday, August 12, 2012

Wonderful Weather

... if you consider 70 and rainy wonderful.  I certainly do!  It has been a cool drizzly day here all day.  I got up early since I had so much to do and wanted to pick tomatoes before it rained again.  I was a bit disappointed.  I lost more than I would have hoped while we were gone.  The first week in August would not have been my first choice for a vacation but we were coordinating with 4 other schedules and this was the one week that worked for everyone.  sigh.  I probably would have been better off if it hadn't rained. I lost quite a few ripe tomatoes because they split due to the sudden influx of moisture from the big rain last weekend and rotted.  But I still got enough to can another 7 quarts of tomato sauce today.  And the cool weather made canning a joy- well, as much of a joy as canning tomato sauce can be....
I fed overgrown zucchini to the chickens and picked a couple of small ones for dinner tonight.  I discovered only 4 oversized cucumbers so that's not too bad.  But the weeds.  Oh dear. The weeds have grown huge in just a week.  And I discovered that a couple of the tomato plants blew over in the storm last weekend.  But since the tomato vines, too, have had explosive growth in the cooler, damp weather we've been having there is no way I will be able to right them now.  So, it's a tomato jungle out there.
I'm trying to have some of Justine's favorite meals in the next few days since they leave on Wednesday morning to take her out East for college.  V will be back home on Monday.  So, the boys and I will be here by ourselves for a few days.  We would all go east but the boys start school on Thursday this week.  It seems so, so early.  And we've got to get them fully registered for school.  We missed registration/fee paying days last week when we were gone.  K12 has Jr High orientation on Wednesday so I'm sure we can get it done then.

V picked the dog up from the kennel this morning and oh, my he was stinky and tired!  So, it was dog bath day as well as tomato and laundry day.  The cats have started to forgive us for abandoning them for a week.  At least things are starting to get a bit back to normal.  NORMAL!?  hahaha  We'll never be considered normal!   And thank goodness for that!

9 comments:

  1. Cool and rain - that would be so nice. It is in the 90's here and has been for a couple of weeks - makes me cranky (good excuse)! Maybe another week of it and then down to the upper 80's.

    Normal is plain - no normal here, either!!

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    1. It was so thrilling last week to get north to cooler weather and then have it follow us home. We have been in the upper 90's ourselves for weeks and this is such a lovely change.

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  2. I'm waiting for rain- smoky and 100 degrees :(

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    1. I'm hoping for some rain for you. We ended up getting an inch all told yesterday. Heaven! Of course, we've only got a foot more to go to be caught up!

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  3. Doesn't your kennel offer a bath the day you return? We've always had them give them a bath so they weren't all stinky. It was a small fee. Amazing what can happen in a week while one is gone. Sorry about your tomatoes and mega weeds. But in the large scheme of things, it was totally worth it, right!! Best wishes to Justine starting her college years. I hope she does real well and loves it!! It will be lonely with out her for sure. I remember when our son went off to college. Just seemed sooo quiet.....debbie

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    1. I don't think she's set up to bathe a dog of his size. She does have a grooming service but does small dogs. And her fee isn't all that small, I don't think.

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  4. Talk tomatoes,I chanced a good outing for myself and went to the farmers market,but when I got there it seemed more like the state fair,crowds,blah! but I went over board as usual; got tomatoes (I freeze after blanching and all that),green beans ,strawberries ,black berries,red potatoes ,green peppers,broccoli ,cauliflower and well,just about every veggie know to man.But ,I forgot we need to go to the VA today ,so tomatoes will have to wait till early wed. morn. love ,just love the chill in the air.

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  5. I'm glad someone is enjoying some cool weather! Wednesday already?! Wow, you must be a tornado of emotions with her leaving, I'm glad I still have a few more years :)

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  6. It's all in the timing, isn't it? Glad you still have tomatoes to can - but I am with you on the weeds! They are huge and everywhere. The best of luck to Justine on her voyage out into the world - of college! Enjoy the weather.

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