Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Haybaling

This was my view for most of the afternoon on Saturday. We were following the haybaler in the field, picking up bales. We got 4 wagonloads of bales. Half of two of the loads were lost on the way up the hill - just tipped off the wagon and fell! First time I remember losing that many bales. We came back and got them later. 

Then when we went to put the bales in the barnloft, the track that the hayfork travels on broke loose from the ceiling. We had to manually unload a wagon into the barnloft so we could pick up the last load from the field. 



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Freddy

Last week, my brother and I took Freddy with us to the recycling center, and then stopped to get ice cream afterward. Freddy typically only rides in vehicles when he is visiting the Vet to get shots. He doesn't like riding in vehicles - shakes the entire time - and doesn't like the Vet either. We thought if we took him on more car trips, he might like riding in vehicles more.

He has to warm up to the idea. When he first gets in the car, he curls up in a ball on the passenger floor board, shaking. But after we get going, he stands up on his hind legs and looks out the window. And eventually stands on my lap and looks out the window. When my brother and Freddy first arrived at my house, Freddy was sitting on the passenger seat looking out the window.

 I have a lot of love for this pooch. I never knew I could love a dog like this, and I know I'll say that again when I have kids.

These are his "I'm out of ice cream; can I have yours" faces. (And no he couldn't have mine because it was chocolate.)



Monday, October 28, 2013

Making Memories (and Pears)

This weekend, while the men-folk were working on the slab for the Hubs' new shop, Grandma and I peeled and processed pears. We started with the red bucket (fourth photo) full of pears and ended up with 8 processed quarts of quartered and cored pears. 

This is on top of the 11 pints of pear butter and 6 pints of pear sauce, and 3 trays of pear leather I dehydrated. Oh, and the fifth of pear vodka I made. (Recipes to come later)

Grandma peeling pears

 I've decided that standard stove tops were not designed for canning. There is not enough room on a standard stove for a canner, a small pot for lids, and then pots of whatever the item is that's being canned.
Aren't they so pretty?
This weekend, I also pulled up the rest of the garden and removed the electric fence. To make way for the load of cow manure that hopefully will arrive from the farm soon. I pulled up at least 5 gallons of carrots. My plans for them? Blanch, slice and freeze to add to stews and roasts over winter. 
A tray of pear leather, before it was dried.

Some of the pear sauce and pear butter
I think I need to buy stock in Ball and Kerr canning supplies.

It's easy to talk with Grandma about her childhood when we are peeling away. Last weekend she told me about how her and Grandpa first met. Our neighbors were cousins of Grandpa's, and they told Grandpa about Grandma. He just stopped by one day and introduced himself, and then they started "dating". Dating meant attending church dinners and movies. Grandma said they used to have a brownish-red dog at the farm, and on the night that Grandpa first introduced himself the dog disappeared. Does that mean that Grandpa scared the dog away, or that he accidentally ran over the dog and disposed of him? We'll never know!


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