More Maters....

Picked another 3 gallon bucket of tomatoes early this evening.

"Most" of them are in the canner now.  I held a few out to ripen on the window sill, as they were not quite ripe enough--but close enough that I thought the turtle (who has discovered the tomatoes within the last few days) would find them.  He seems to like to take 1 bite out of several, instead of just eating an entire one.  Not sure if he thinks he is quality control, or a taste tester or just plain ornery, but I wish he would move on to someone elses tomato patch.  I have one jar left over that I will need to run through later.  I DO NOT like the Walmart jars.  My canner should hold 10 pints or 7 quarts.  But, the mainstay Walmart brand are wider at the bottom.  Just enough that they won't all fit in the canner.  I will NOT buy them again.  Also, their flats do not seal as well.  I have never had any jars fail to seal before--until I got these. I can have ball, kerr, mason...and Walmart flats in the same canner at the same time.  If one fails, it will be the Walmart one.

My peas are coming up, and the beans are blooming.  A couple weeks ago I planted a fall crop of peas, lima beans and horticulture beans.  So far, they all look real good.

My cucumbers didn't fair too well.  They gave me 4, then quit.  I think they just didn't like the heat.  Meanwhile, I found watermelon that I didn't plant--and it looks like it will give us a couple.  I think my volunteer pumpkin plant is done--in fact, the vine is gone, not a bit of the vine left, just its pumpkins left behind.

Tomorrow, I plan to get back on the apples again....after I finish the last of the weed eating.  I got the lawn all mowed today, and most of it weeded, but a little is still left (Mowing alone takes over 8 hours-so I ran out of daylight.)

We also have a homeschooling field trip planned for tomorrow, to Weston MO to the Red Barn Farm, where we will meet up with other homeschooling families.  I'll probably get some apples there as well, depending on the variety and their prices.

With any (good) luck...tomorrow will be a little smoother than today....My poison ivy has spread to my eye lids, I accidentally got bug spray in my eyes (yeah-watch which way its pointed before you spray...duh), and almost tipped the big John Deere tractor over (big tractor--not my little tractor mower).  While that isn't the first time I have had it on only 2 wheels, it was the scariest....and, silly mistake on my part--I moved the joystick the wrong way on the front loader and pushed the front wheels up...(however, that is a good way to get it out when stuck in the mud or snow, but I wasn't stuck...)