Highbinder crossed over. Never be forgotten, Running things solo on farm

[cookiedough]

Made  18 pt  of  soup yesterday..
The  only thing that isn't  from the  garden is carrots , celery,Onions..
I  normally have  plenty of  celery and  onions  from the  garden .NOT this  year.
My clay dirt can't  grow  carrots

mix a bag or two of sand into the clay soil, carrots will grow better.  that is what we had to do as well with sand.

as far as canning, do not do that, but am sick of picking green beans already have a 4x16 ft cattle panel arched over 8 ft tall almost and both sides of climbing beans are over what I can reach on top like 9 ft tall no joke this year!   Been picking 2-3 bowl fulls every few days they keep coming as long as all this rain and humidity sticks,  been giving bowl fulls away to coworkers.  We blanched a few quart bags but do not need 30-40 quart bags of frozen blanched garden beans to eat the next 2 years worth.  Besides, my freezer is full of sweet corn already froze about 6 dozen.

[LadyDraco]

The  sand   thing  didn't  work here. That's  OK  I  can grow  in a  big feeder tub.
With store bought dirt.But I can get Org carrott   2 lbs  for buck a  lbs. . SO .
No and  then I  will grow  in  a  big  feed  tub as  I  said  above,
Beans  I  only grow  bush. I was never  fond  of  Pole beans. Now  and  then I'll grow  rattlesnake  pole beans as they are  stringless.

Everyone  is  talking how  strange  this  years  growing season is.
Last year was  a  drought , this  year  good rains but cool.

[LadyDraco]

Made  10 jelly jars  of  Cowboy candy
4 pts  of pickled  hot cherry peppers
12 mixed  jars of  pickles
Haven't  worked  the  'maters or  beans , or  the  hot wax,

[LadyDraco]

The  first batch of  sauce   is  in the  canner.
Had  about a  qt left over. So I  made Rigatoni for breakfast!

Boy howdy was that good ...

[carolinarider09]

Your abilities are amazing.  Simply Amazing.

My mom did a lot of "canning" and was was a good cook.  But you surely are a great cook. 

[LadyDraco]

  Thank you..

It's 42* this  morning..
I'm off to see a dying friend

[carolinarider09]

Thank you..

It's 42* this  morning..
I'm off to see a dying friend

Praying for your friend and they pray they have a peaceful journey Home.  

[HayHauler]

Thank you..

It's 42* this  morning..
I'm off to see a dying friend

Praying for your friend and they have a peaceful journey Home. 

Yes, praying for your dying friend.  We all have to go thru this at some point.
Hope you have a good visit.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Oss]

I can personally vouch for Tracy's meal prep skills, having had the honor of eating at the farm multiple times.

You can make very tasty food without meat.  But she can also cook it well

Think I had steak with Don a few years back on one of my visits

Was thinking about that Chinese buffet he loved yesterday when I ate some of that kind of food.  That was a great visit

Hope Bonnie and I get your way again before next Inzane LD

[LadyDraco]

Evan Please  send  me  your  snail mail...
Via  a  PM  or  my Email acct. I  know  you  have  it...



I  had  a  very nice  visit. 200 miles  in 3.5 h
And  the  same  back.  400 miles   and  was  back home  by 7:30 pm.
 

[cookiedough]

The  sand   thing  didn't  work here. That's  OK  I  can grow  in a  big feeder tub.
With store bought dirt.But I can get Org carrott   2 lbs  for buck a  lbs. . SO .
No and  then I  will grow  in  a  big  feed  tub as  I  said  above,
Beans  I  only grow  bush. I was never  fond  of  Pole beans. Now  and  then I'll grow  rattlesnake  pole beans as they are  stringless.

Everyone  is  talking how  strange  this  years  growing season is.
Last year was  a  drought , this  year  good rains but cool.

bummer sand not work for you for carrots.  I will never grow green beans again on the ground too hard to bend over and pick and when it rains the green beans get all dirty and trampeling thru green beans on ground is no fun.  We use climbing green beans both contender and blue lake bush also makes a climbing bean.  Both produce 3x's better than any grow on ground blue lake bush variety and NO mess no dirty bean, keep picking and picking on a cattle panel trellis and 100x's easier to pick and actually fun to do.  Bending over to ground to me to pick green beans on the ground is a chore.

[LadyDraco]

Monday was a brush hogging day, from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with an hour break in between. As I was finishing up in an area where I usually give a wider berth, I ran into a limb that hit me hard in the corner of my left eye, leaving a good laceration. It was a bit concerning to see blood in my vision, but I quickly realized that was probably why it appeared blurry. So kept my eye closed.
Yeah don't really panic that much  till one  needs to be..  

I headed back to the house, put the tractor away, closed the gate, and went inside. I was bleeding pretty heavily, but everything else needed to be taken care of first. Once everything was settled, it was time to tend to me.

I pulled out two pieces of wood while the area was still numb, then washed and irrigated the wound with contact lens cleaner. Afterward, I decided to run down to Kim and Jason's. Kim works in a pharmacy, so I had her take a look at it. She agreed that the eye looked fine. I was  telling them I almost decided to put in two stitches, but I realized that if there was more wood, closing it up might not be the best idea. The tear duct was fine, and the cut was right above it, in the corner with a bit of a flap.
That locust limb ripped my lash extensions right off! I did them myself, and they had been on for four weeks, so they were on their last legs anyway. Amazing what friction and  blood  does LOL
Today is  day 3  and  not much swelling , been putting  goldenseal, erythromycin on the  wound.
And  taking some  anti B's.Always  have  on hand.
To be honest, not  much more  a  DR  could  have  done .
The  photo was  from  an 2 hours after .
I wear an eye  pad  over  it  at  night and  a  few  hours  during the  day.
Just glad  the eye  is fine ,there  is  Trauma to the orbital socket. No difference than getting punched in the eye.

Yeah shite happens !

[carolinarider09]

I have never had an eye "problem" like that.  That is a "WOW"!  Glad it is healing.  Just take care to ensure it properly heals. 

Just as an aside and not criticism, I worked for 30 plus years in the Nuclear Industry.  Eye protection, ear protection, and climbing ladders with three point contact were what we did or we got "corrected".  

I still do that today. I climb a ladder or stairs (stairs are not always possible do to lack of handrails on both sides of the stairway or distance between the rails...) with three point contact.   I wear ear protection when using equipment (and yes, the ear protection does have music).  

I wear glasses (not always safety glasses) or a visor (Full Face Shield) when mowing or doing other stuff that can result in in my face having contact with something that could harm it.

And. yes, I have had my safety glasses "distributed" by branches or limbs in trees as I use the mower or tractor.  

Just what I do because of where I worked.  It was what we did.

Just as an aside, a fellow worker and I rode our motorcycles on many road trips.   So, while we worked at the same location our jobs did not overlap on a daily basis.  But we were all taught the same safety things

One day we were on a ride on our bikes and we stopped in a small town. Our wives were with us.  We had to climb a set of stairs to get into one of the buildings we wanted to visit.

The stairs were wide with a handrail on each side.  As I climbed the stairs on the righthand side, my friend climbed the stairs on the lefthand side.  As we started the climb, out of habit, I looked to my left to see if my friend was using the handrail.  At about that same time, he looked at me.  We both smiled because we knew why we looked.  It was something to with the safety we were taught.  Just checking to make sure your partner was doing the right thing.  

Having said that, I will admit that I do not require my wife (or rather I don't "remind" her) to use the handrails.  

Sorry of long response but.... safety is a thing that we should all consider and yes, I know.....

[LadyDraco]

I had moved my safety glasses to the top of my head since I was in a very shaded area and needed to see. The  bucket as I was lowering it  caught a piece  of  the  limb, I  had  ducked  the  first branch , but a  recoil of  the  2nd  is  what got  me.
    My  glassed stayed  on the  top of  my head.

I  don't  have  an eye  problem as well , it the  corner  LOL 
I was  just happy I didn't  break my nose  for  8th or  9th time  .
Although the corner bridge is sore.

I just got in from pulling taters, a  A bushel of Yukon Golds.
I  still need to pull the   Kennebec's , another day.

[Jess from VA]

I had moved my safety glasses to the top of my head since I was in a very shaded area and needed to see.

Get some clear safety glasses Tracy.   

Since I always trash my prescription glasses working outdoors, I always wear old pairs of prescription glasses out there (my eyes have only very gradually gotten worse over my whole lifetime). 

[LadyDraco]

I have a  pair  sitting in the shop..
   I don't have  a  whole  lot of  room on the tractor.
It's not the  new  fancy onesthat have  all kinds  of  pockets and  holders.
     But still who thought the  shade  would  have  been that dark.
It was only late afternoon .

[Oss]

so sorry

heal fast and well

We use plantain leaf to draw out whatever is stuck inside whether splinter or stinger

(chew it and apply)  for sure you have it growing everywhere

[LadyDraco]

Know plantain leaf and seeds  well..

Thank You Evan 

[LadyDraco]

The slice is healing well..
Still puffy around at parts of the orbital socket.
And the high bridge is sore.

Very happy with my progress,

Two fellas who saw me today both mentioned that my face could have been worse even with safety glasses on ,they would have been ripped off. I think they might be right, and there could have been a lacerations from the frame.

[Jess from VA]

If you're alone on your mountain Tracy you need to exercise care in everything you do.

I mean no offense by that, it would be the same advice for a man.

One of those hard hats with a face shield might be a good idea.

Half the jobs I do, I sit down and think it over before starting.  I don't bounce back from injury like i used to. 

[LadyDraco]

Jess, I had one of those Stihl orange helmets, but it never fit small enough. It was more dangerous worrying about it falling off all the time. I ended up giving it to Don, and he wore it for years.

My daily life has always been very dangerous,
from logging to working with big animals and equipment and wild life.

I am very careful, but sometimes things just go wrong. No matter how cautious you are, stuff happens. You just have to keep moving forward, or else you freeze up (and not from the cold).

Thanks for the advice, but I wasn't really asking. I mean no offense as well.
I was just sharing what two other farmers had said that, freaky things happen.

I sure do miss my big Kubota tractor with a cab, you bet!
But I don't have that anymore .

[Jess from VA]

I am very careful, but sometimes things just go wrong. No matter how cautious you are, stuff happens. You just have to keep moving forward, or else you freeze up (and not from the cold).

Thanks for the advice, but I wasn't really asking.  I mean no offense as well.

None taken. 

We're the same.  I work every day, and cannot stand sitting around.

And my old head, face and arms have the scars to prove it.   

(After advising people in my profession for 30 years, it's become a bad habit.)   

[LadyDraco]

No worries, I'm just grumpy today.
I had an early morning business meeting here on the farm, and it threw me off for most of the day.

It's all good

[LadyDraco]

STill here   canning , just about at the  last of  it...
Made  Cowboy candy today..

[LadyDraco]

This  morning was 3~ 1/2gals of  Scuppernongs juice.

That's  a type of muscadine .. to ya'll that don't know

[carolinarider09]

 

I had to look up "Cowboy candy".   Very interesting.

[NewValker]

Tracy, when I saw how much you put up every year I was in awe of how much work that must be!
From planting to canning, I can't imagine.

Craig

[LadyDraco]

Thank You Craig ..
  Yuppers a canning machine  as  Don would  say.
With all the  stuff  that is  happening on the  farm next year .
I  might only do a  few container things. And  not plant the 2 gardens ,
They really could  use  a rest. Big time !

Today was  peaches  and  pears, and strawberry jam...
I need  to make  one more batch of red salsa.
And  I was going to try abatch of Cowboy candy with Hungrain hot wax peppers.
And  I might do a very short batch of sauce.Later  in the  month..

Still picking cucumbers, but now there aren't enough at a time for canning.
So, I've been giving them away to neighbors.

Today  I made  more soap. 4 bars of gardeners hand soap and 2 bars of olive oil soap

[LadyDraco]

Happy Equinox!!

[LadyDraco]

Today is 8 pts of pickled beets

[LadyDraco]

Those we love don't go away, 
They walk beside us every day. 
Unseen, unheard, but always near; 
Still loved, still missed, and very dear. 

A dear friend sent me this..

[da prez]

 Tracy, We both lost our loved one two years ago today.  I know you , as I ,do not need a reminder.  I could have sent this off line , but I guess it is my way of saying sorry.
  We go on with our lives and just do our best. There is always a reminder ,a tear shed from some little something .
  You are a strong woman. Blessings to you.
                                       

                                                         da prez Ross

[LadyDraco]

I've been enjoying fun with tomatoes.

1 large ceramic skillet , onion, garlic , Olive oil.
Wash any kind of tomatoes, cherry ,paste , you name it unpeeled .
Pastayour choice , boiled water. (do not add the pasta to water.)

In a skillet, add oil, onions, and garlic, then sprinkle a touch of salt if you like .
Add halved cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped tomatoes. Finish with basil and oregano.
Cover , add more tomatoes if you think ya need it .
Keep checking stir now and then ... Looks nice and cooked down and soupy ?
Add un cooked pasta, now add some of that boiled h20.
keep fussing with it ,as you know pasta can stick together .
You may cover it again if ya like.But check it .
If ya need more of that hot h20 add some more.
If there are other spices ya like to add to it.
Once the pasta is cooked al dente. Add Parmesan cheese. serve.
Takes all of maybe 30 min. I didn't time it.

But a fun way to use up Tomatoes. And truly only 1 pot to clean.
The h20 pot ,hell only had boiled water in it don't really need to clean that...

Just a little fun way , to make Spaghetti and sauce together one skillet .

[GiG]

Tracy: That's quite the opposite approach than Theresa's serious pasta sauce. She takes it seriously and has glorious results! She'll start Saturday morning and let it simmer all night for Sunday dinner. She won't share her recipes and I do love her for her outstanding pasta sauce 
I'm sure your quick method is delicious as well!
Tomatoes will not go to waste around here, sauce containers get frozen for quick servings 

[LadyDraco]

I also take  my normal sauce,  very seriously. I  have  210 qts 30 pts in storage
And  canned it myself...I don't freeze it. 

   But now  the  tomatoes  I  get is  not enough to can.
So I started playing around.  Having fun. I do not  normally cook my pasta in my sauce LOL
Just having fun on a  misty day... Couldn't work out side.

This is how I make  my sauce is nornmally made.


   

[GiG]

Oh, you've got a few pots going, must be serious   
Bet it smells fantastic in your kitchen!!
Told Theresa about this thread & she's inspired to start a new batch, yum!
Canning sure would take a load off the freezer 
Rock On, Tracy!
Hungry now...

[carolinarider09]

I also take  my normal sauce,  very seriously. I  have  210 qts 30 pts in storage
And  canned it myself...I don't freeze it. 

   But now  the  tomatoes  I  get is  not enough to can.
So I started playing around.  Having fun. I do not  normally cook my pasta in my sauce LOL
Just having fun on a  misty day... Couldn't work out side.

This is how I make  my sauce is nornmally made.


   

That is very impressive.  Very impressive. 

My task yesterday was to replace the battery in my 1998 MF-1250 Tractor.  While I searched for a part, I could not find one that was for the MF-1250 (turns out I had replaced it once before and it was a "size" 24). 

As luck would have it, I had preplanned to replace it and had one "size" 24 on a trickle charger for the last three or so years in the garage.  And yes, as you get older you do forget stuff. 

So, it took me about 90 minutes to loosen the battery connectors, clean the connecters, apply some stuff to limit corrosion to the new battery terminal, and get the new one in. 

Took some pics just for the "record". 



The new battery in place.  You can see the cables that power the "headlights" that had to be disconnected to lower the front grill to get the old battery out



Positive terminal



Negative terminal

[LadyDraco]

Been cutting firewood the last 2 days.

[LadyDraco]

Cut poles and dead fall today

[carolinarider09]

Well I just cut some grass and sweep up the cuttings and some other stuff.  Oh, I did rake up the leaves and stuff in the Dog Run.



The Dog Run



Zoe's Sheltered Space

And yes I know there are some "things" there.  Zoe rarely uses the space but, it was built for her if we had to leave her alone during the day (usually less than 12 hours).