Monday, June 15, 2009

Hang On Little Tomato

These photos are a little old so the 'maters are much bigger and there are lots of them at this point. Yum! Can't wait! This is either Rutgers or Cherokee Purple. The Rutgers are a new one for me but I have high hopes as they are heirlooms and supposed to do well in our heat and humidity. The other heirlooms I have tried just can't seem to handle it. I am trying to keep the garden going, although at times I am not very enthusiastic about it. I hate to be that way but it just seems like a lot of effort for just me. I can take some of the produce to the guys at work though.
I have several heads of cabbage ready now. I am in the process of eating one and it is very good! I took Molly's hint and sauteed half a head with a little butter, salt and pepper. I did also add a little chicken stock let it steam for a bit until it was good and tender. Excellent! Two of my great readers from Mobile, AL stopped by Saturday (or was it Sunday?) and I gave them one head of cabbage. I have excellent readers who are very sweet to email or call or come by. Ya'll are great and make me feel a lot better when I need it.
If I get some time, I hope to try to make some sauerkraut. I think I'll have plenty to work with.
This is one project that I finally was able to complete with the excavator and was very happy to have it done. I have a few of piles of topsoil stashed in various places around the valley and I was able to use the excavator to load my pickup with soil and bring it over to this flower bed that runs along the drive. I had already filled half of it by loading the soil in a wheelbarrow and pushing it about 100 yards over to the bed. Not fun. Good exercise but I've got other things to do. Anyway, two pickup loads and I completed this one. I also brought some large rocks over with the machine and strategically placed them about one end. Well, more like that seemed a good place to dump them and after rolling them around a little I decided they looked fine where they were.
Now I just need to clean up some of the roots and sticks that I raked out of the dirt and just threw in the drive. And fill in all that empty space with new flowers! I have a small collection of echinacea on that end and would like to add to that. The lavender on that end is also doing great! I harvested a large bundle over the weekend and still have one whole plant to go. The bees are going absolutely nuts for it too.

In other news, I'm still working as of this week. I found yet another heart-shaped rock at work. I wish I had a photo of this one but, no camera. I have taken a few pics with my cell phone but guess I need a cable to get them to the computer? I could email them to myself but I bet that costs a fortune. Maybe I'll figure it out.
Allen made it safely to England but I haven't heard from him since. Hopefully, Cat Daddy is coming home this weekend and so I'll have a date. Hhmm, gave Grendal a bath. I guess that's it.
The excitement of it all just overcomes me sometimes! Phffft! Haha! Actually, I had a good time over the weekend, in between severe thunderstorms!


*Pink Martini

7 comments:

Pablo said...

Topsoil! Imagine that! We don't have soil in the Ozarks.

Woody said...

I meant to tell you after your last heart shaped rock post that one of Katy's 4H pigs has a heart shaped spot on his back. It is the only marking on him.

countrypeapie said...

I have lavender envy!!!

countrypeapie said...

Or should I say, I am green with lavender envy!

MamaHen said...

Hey Pablo! I'll let you have a load of mine but you have to come get it!

Hey Woody! How funny! You need to get a picture of that.

Hey Pea! If you want a bundle of dried, come on over one day. I've got plenty to share.

Aunty Belle said...

HUh? Whar' in Alabama does ya live to still have healthy 'maters? How beautiful! AN' who would beleive a lady could have a case of "topsoil envy"??

Mine is all burnt up by the sun. I'se preparin' fer fall--nuthin' much grownin' in our heat.

Read backwards to git caught up--youse havin' a busy emotional summer. Hope thangs goes well fer ya, Darlin'.

MamaHen said...

Hey Aunty! Sorry ya'll are having such problems with the heat. I think our surplus of rain is all that has saved us. Don't know how long that will last.
Yes, things have been busy emotionally; thanks, I hope they start going better too.