Matt, and Cooper are down working. Matt use to rent my place to run cattle, now he just bales the hay, but he has been a good friend for a long time. Cooper has been a friend for a long time, He was a kid when I first met him, now he seem to be a hard working young man.

I told Matt to take my pasture garden, its already worked up and ready to plant, and cut all the runners off of my sweet potatoes he wants , and plant him a crop. I think that we just almost have all the time we need to get a crop in. I don't know what is wrong with Matt, but he seems to think that I know what I am talking about, he is out there now using my equipment making his garden out in the pasture. I also told Matt to haul my tractor and spray tank to his place and spray his fence lines. It feels good to have friends that will step in and help you when you get old and are dragging behind a little.

Matt and Cooper also planted me another row of sweet potatoes in my south garden. I don't know how many sweet potatoes I have planted now, but it should be north of 250. plant.

Well I have rested a little, so I need to get back out and help the guys a little. Matt told me if I did not go in the house and rest and cool of a little, that he was going home, I did not want that, so I came in for a few minutes.

I went out and worked a little more, but its so hot out side. Matt got too hot and had to go home. Matt works like a slave anyway, and does not know how to pace himself. My min/max is showing 96 degrees, it sure gets hot in this valley, well I guess it is hot all over. I can only go out for a few minutes at a time. I have gotten too hot a few times, and it seems to mess you up, like you can never handle the heat any more. The worst time I got too hot, my son had to scoop me up and take me to the ER, I was puking my guts out and was too weak to even get up on my hands and knees. I have not been worth a hoot since.

It's so nice to have good friends, Larry!

AC is so nice too. We drove to get the pots. The AC in Tom's truck struggles so basically we didn't have any AC. When we got to the woman's place (she has over 60 acres that she's having to sell. She fell and broke her femur. Her husband died a few years ago and she needs to be closer to doctors and all), we went to an old shed where she had them stored. She wanted to visit some, but inside that shed, I could feel sweat dripping. I'm not a person who sweats a lot, but I did this afternoon. She looked like she didn't even break a sweat at all. Either she is used to it or has a different ancestry. I always say that my northern European ancestry isn't meant for Oklahoma's climate. BUT....my family has been here for a few generations, so we make it work.

Many of the pots weren't worth bringing back. I did fill up the back of Tom's truck. I'm cooling off a bit and then will go unload them and see what we've got. They obviously need to be cleaned up a bit. But, I think several of them would be good for herbs and flowers.

Because I need more pots of things to care for.

Plans for this evening: weeding and watering. I got started on the bed where the onions were this year....but barely made a dent in it. Bermuda is sneaking in there more than it ever has.

All the animals are staring at me. Even the chickens are gathered up in their pen, staring at the house, so I'll go feed everyone now.

Don't overdo it, Friends.

The heat is not to be messed with. My friend‘s husband had a hemorrhagic stroke due to a heat stroke many years ago. Although he survived, miraculously, he was never the same. Basically, a very angry vegetable, and she cared for him until his death. He is the reason I still grow Porter tomatoes. On a lighter note I gave away all of my tomato plants to my niece. The some of them looked pitiful and some looked OK. Her and her son are doing a garden and I hope they do well. Today I picked a few things watered and came back in the house. I really want to put my drip line together, but that did not happen today. I think I will take it out of the box and lay it out in the sun and maybe in the morning I can figure it out. I am going to take out all my strawberries from the green stock and dehydrate the leaves for tea. I am not sure exactly what I’m going to plant in there yet, maybe more Black Eyed Peas maybe more herbs maybe both.

All I did today was water the north garden and go to a funeral of a classmate, then took Madge out for lunch, on the way home we got a nice rain. The rain was a good excuse for me to sit in the recliner and nap all evening.

I hope to be able to plant a few things tomorrow, but even of I don't plant anything there is plenty of things that I need to be doing. I don't care how young, or old you are, you are never at a point to where there is nothing that needs done. You never run out of chores, you just run out of strength.

I'm waiting for the Garden Monday to post. I made a long(er) video and it takes forever to post those. And sometimes they won't post.

ANYWAY,

Larry, I have no less than 500 things on my current list of things-to-do.

But, after work I was able to get the animals fed and dinner cooked before going outside. The young woman special needs neighbor stopped by. Normally, I'll stop everything to talk to her, but kept chopping veggies and cooking dinner while I talked with her. I really wanted to get outside to water. Unfortunately I ran out of time to weed any of the beds. But did walk the dog and get stuff watered. We really need some rain.

It's been 2 weeks tomorrow, I think. We were in Oregon, but another neighbor told me when it rained.

It's how it is here. Too much or too little. (Insert Rick's saying)

I'm pretty sure there were other things I wanted to talk about, but I'm just getting indoors and want to chill out and my brain is switching to relax mode.

No work in the garden today. Got 2 dehydrators filled and then did a little local market. It’s free so hard to pass up. It was a good night. I’ve got a side hustle this weekend after market and I’ll be selling for her and I make a little from that so. I love working for farmers gardeners.

That's productive, Kim. What all are you dehydrating?

I've considered seeing about working part-time (like one day a week) for a farm.

After Pilates, I was able to get sprinklers on the kitchen garden and hand water the tomatoes in the SG last night. The grass is about as tall as they are. Tom mowed over the corn because it wasn't producing anything. The only thing left out there are the 25 or so tomatoes and a couple of volunteer cantaloupes.

I've been getting a nice bowl full of green beans every other day. And it looks like the okra is about to bloom.

While I was making a video for facebook, I noticed a lot of jalapenos. Trying to decide what to do with those. I planted several so Rick could have some.

It was a little embarrassing showing how weedy and diseased my garden is right now. I think a lot of people are in the same boat, tho. I used to make videos for my facebook fairly often but haven't in a couple of years really. 290 people looked at this current one, so I hope it is encouraging to people and not stressful.

Anyway, Tom used to put pickled jalapenos on everything but he doesn't anymore. I have plenty of pepper jelly. Any thoughts on what I could do with them?

This morning (with Rick's nephew's asking) I cancelled his Cox and ONG. They were really easy to work with. AT&T was not. They need passcodes and all sorts of stuff. Wanted to know if I could look for them in his emails. Uh, no. I don't know his email passwords and neither does his family. I guess it will eventually be shut off for non-payment.

We cleaned out the shop freezers and refrigerator and threw out a lot of stuff that is old and won't be eaten. The chickens got most of it. That has me thinking about what I want to do in the future for preserving things. I found tomato juice that I pressed with the Weston. I did it from frozen 2023 tomatoes in February 2024. I do think it's probably still good and am considering just making a batch of tomato soup with it, although it's not really soup weather.

The past 10 years have been a lot of fun learning how to preserve food from the garden. I've learned so much. And now know how we use preserved foods. It's given me a path forward for the future. We learned quickly that we don't like frozen or canned summer squash. Frozen asparagus is mushy and gross. Tom doesn't care for any salsa that I make and prefers to buy a brand he likes. (He does like the pico de gallo type that I make). Don't need to freeze much okra. Just 6 bags will be enough.

I like to store things like potatoes, onions, garlic and winter squash and SO wish we had a cellar. We mostly like to eat things like green beans fresh, so don't need to freeze or can many jars of those.

I really want to take a break from tomatoes next year, but looked in the pantry and only have about 20 jars of diced tomatoes from 2023 left. We'll see what next year brings. I might have to buy some until 2027 once these jars are gone. I wish I hadn't sent all those jars with Rick 3 or 4 months ago. They're probably at his house somewhere because it's doubtful he ate them. I saw one box sitting in his dining room floor.

I have SO many canning jars too. It's seems silly to give any away. But I really don't need all of them. At one time, they were all filled. But, I'm not going to can corn or make hominy again. Or can many jars of green beans or salsa. Even pickles.

What do you think? Should I give some jars away? Bless someone else? Obviously keep some extras for myself.

And, on top of all the ones in my pantry and shop, Rick has an unusual metal cabinet thing in his backyard that is full of canning jars too.

Anyway....I'm at work and need to get back to it.

There's leftovers for dinner so I'm hoping to weed the garden tonight.

Jennifer, I have jars stored that belonged to my grandmother, I find it hard to give them away, but I feel sure that I will never use them, and I am not sure my kids will use them. Madge and I both have declined in health, and declined in about everything else, except doctor visits. My gardening will have to be cut back, at the rate I am going now, I have probably put in my last garden. We were able to go to the senior center today for lunch, and I did stop by the co-op and buy 10 bag of compost, just hoping to get to feeling better, and maybe put in a fall garden when the time comes. Anyway, I have 6 bags of potting soil, and 10 bags of compost ready if I do get to feeling better, and that is what the plan is. In the meantime, there is plenty of weeding and watering to be done, but that comes with great difficulty.

Definitely keep the jars Jennifer. They are the one thing I will not minimize when I do another purge. Besides canning they are great for dried foods. I do lots of dehydrating and have jars of okra onions squash in cubes and of course herbs. Dried they are good for at least 20 years. Tomatoes are another thing I will dry this year. Do you have a dehydrator?

Jerry has a dehydrator, and has tried to get me to let him bring it over here to use, I may take him up on it. I Jerry uses his to make jerky. I think he said that it was hot in use this time of the year.

It took me almost 4 hours to weed and water this morning. Of course the weed is not done, it may last till Thanksgiving.

I am trying to keep Matt's sweet potato slips watered, the weather has been pretty nice for that. we seem to be having a cooling spell, if it will last for a week, it will sure make it better on the slips. I have never started slips this late in the year, nor have I ever been this late planting okra. And I have never let the rain get me this far behind, but I am not alone, I don't remember the hay crews being this far behind because of the rain, but it could be worse, at least there is hay if a guy can just get into the field to get it. I had to pass up on about 15 acres because it was too wet to get the equipment in to cut it.

I am slowly making headway on weeding the sweet potatoes. I may try growing a row of sweet potatoes through plastic next year, and growing fewer of them.

I hope all of you are getting a break in the weather also.

So grateful to have a day at home alone. I've gotten the laundry done and the kitchen, dining and living room cleaned. Not my usual standard of clean, but it's what it is. Normally I'll move couch cushions around and clean blinds and ceiling fans. But, mostly just focusing on the floor today since the baby will be at our house tomorrow.

Also, sorting through stuff like mail, and BD cards (Tom and I both have BDs in June), coupons--stuff like that. I also have Rick's mail and Alan's (his old roomie) mail. Got out the highchair. Found the box of toys/books.

Our family dynamic is changing...with a divorce and new "friend" and a child not talking to a parent. Not our immediate family, but extended. It is all heart-breaking to my Mom, so family gatherings are odd.

July 4 used to be so fun out here when the kids were young. A neighbor a street over, used to have a giant fireworks show. I can't imagine spending that on fireworks. And other neighbors had good ones too. Another neighbor was in a group who does pretend western style gunfights and they always did that.

Also, our solstice parties and other gatherings were a lot of fun too.

Anyway, it was hard to come inside after feeding the outdoor pets. I want to stroll around the gardens. And someone is already popping fireworks which has Josi upset.

Kim, I do have a dehydrator. Probably won't use it much this year. I'll probably make elderberry syrup. IF I can get behind our neighborhood to pick wild blackberries, I'll make blackberry jelly because we're out. WindDrift isn't doing You Pick It this year, but are selling boxes of peaches and I would like to get a box and make peach jelly. Last year, I only made peach pepper jelly with the pepper that I can't think of it's name right now--it tastes like a hot peach jolly rancher. Ugh. Why can't I think of that pepper's name. It's in the garden right now. lol

That's probably about it for preserving other than maybe some okra.

New things are happening with my work ( it's a good thing) and I am out-of-sorts with how things are going to look for me. I'm still dealing with heavy feelings about Rick's death and trying to figure out what to do with all of his stuff that we have out here. Especially the SG. Although, we are going to tarp it for now.

My friend (and her neighbors) have received their OTA letter. So, she's gotta figure out how to move her family including 4 school age kids and several animals. They've not been given a lot of time, from what I understand. Hoping they get enough money to find a place especially one that their kids won't have to move schools and that has enough property for their animals.

Someone who works along Indian Hills said they have until the end of the year, but I don't know that person so don't trust that comment completely.

Anyway...because it's getting real, it is another thing that is making me feel out-of-sorts. If we move, what do I really want in a property?....and can I find it for what we can afford.

There's a couple of other things as well.

I'm not depressed or anything, just out-of-sorts. ALL of that to say, is I probably won't preserve much this year.

I will save the several hundred jars, tho. lol

Larry, I wouldn't be able to give my grandmother's jars away either! I don't have any of my grandma's, but if I did.....

On to the bathroom cleaning now. Only doing the living, kitchen dining and hall bath. The rest can stay dirty!

When Tom gets home from work, he's going to help me purchase groceries for tomorrow's lunch. I have eggs for deviled eggs and all the stuff to make pico de gallo except cilantro. And I have potatoes for potato salad and could even make baked beans with some of our canned beans, but my mom is making those. And plenty of onions, tomatoes and pickles for the burgers. BUT, still need to get some things at the store.

Some friends asked us over tonight because they're doing their celebration then. Luckily they live close and we'll go over to watch their fireworks show. He's one of those guys who saves all year and spends a fortune on fireworks.

Anyway...that's my day.

What are y'all up to today?

So rude I don’t know where my post went. I must’ve used the wrong word. I have been so unmotivated this week. I have been pushing myself to do what I have to do. But I have so many things piled up in this house that I cannot stand it. I have two crates full of apples five pans full of peaches, two huge containers full of pears, plus all the dehydrating that I am doing for herb blends. I am what you might call overwhelmed. I have so much to run through the dehydrator and even though I was gifted a new one I’m not really impressed with it. I ran it for 10 hours and barely dried the items I had in it and I need it to get done in about six hours. I don’t like to dry my stuff too high because I don’t wanna cook it but at the temperature I like to dry which is 110 or less it doesn’t seem like it’s even getting close to that. I was out in the garden shot a video and harvested a bunch of noodle beans and enough Black Eyed Peas to cook a little pot tomorrow. My daughter gave me some short ribs. I’m gonna put on the grill in the morning on low and have those Black Eyed Peas and maybe a potato. Jennifer, I am alone every day and I am grateful for these days. I love people, but I also enjoy time alone in the garden. I do wish I had someone to help me can these peaches. I want to make peach pie filling and use the skins to make jelly. They are small but oh so sweet and I am going to plant all of the pits in the garden. Is the name of that pepper called Sugar Rush peach pepper. That’s the only one that I’ve heard of that fits your description, but it might not be yet Jennifer. I’m glad that your work situation is going to be changing. Maybe less stress and less work is just what you need. Then you could start a YouTube channel like me. I just hit 100 subscribers and oh my God I was so excited. Just imagine 100 people in this world that find me worthy enough to listen to : 0. I enjoy making the videos. I just wish that I had better equipment and my background is not that great here. There’s either a broke down trailer house camper vehicle or trash pile in my background. But when I get in my garden, all that is drowned out and I Focus on one leaf or one small plant. This garden I think I’ve said it before is the best one that I’ve had since I left kitty Quay. Just a mess of a chaotic flowers, herbs, and pea patch mixed together. As we age, there may be less things that we can do as we’ve always done but then there’s gonna be something new that we can do.

I am not up to much. I am having major problems with my back, almost to the point that I am beyond going, but I am trying to keep the plants watered, and trying to do a little weeding.

My tomatoes look terrible, but the peppers and sweet potatoes are doing okay. I must have gotten my pepper seeds mixed up. I was out of bell pepper seeds, but I though Ashe county, and Red pimentos would do, but it looks like I have almost all Red pimentos, and I have plenty of them, and they all seem to be productive.

Jennifer Jess has a great video up about accepting what season we are in.

The mild temps this week and the rain, have been great for my tomato plants. I see lots of new fruit set. I might get a second wave of tomato this year, if the blight doesn't get the plants first.

Hope this good weather continues.

Larry those peppers look great. We are having a nice cool down here as well. I got my first okra.

Yes, it's Sugar Rush Peach, Kim. Thanks! For some reason I could not think of the name yesterday.

Jessica and I sorta "track" often with things. Even before she got "famous". I don't know her at all in person, tho.

Congrats you your 100!

Sorry the dehydrator isn't working out! That is disappointing. I, also, feel overwhelmed a bit. There's no less than 500 things we need to work on out here. I'm disappointed that we didn't get the coop/chicken yard finished. The plan/goal was to have that completed in May. But, Rick's situation and the weather prevented that. It had to be done soon, tho, because of the exposed fiber optic line.

About making videos....I don't mind doing it. I just don't want to take the time to learn how to make it all look nice...with editing and all. I've done some of that a few years ago with a work YouTube, but wasn't great at it and that's been probably 7 years ago. It's funny how many of us enjoy watching other people garden, cook, and bake and whatever. Not necessarily for instruction, but just to see others do things.

About work....I'm probably going to start working for another organization a day a week, which is good. And I should still get Tuesdays and Saturdays at home. And half a day on Friday with the baby in Edmond. I'll work Sunday, Monday, Thursday (maybe half a day on Friday) at my current job, which is considered part-time. And Wednesday with the other thing. If all of that works out right.

I would work fewer hours if I didn't have a kid in Oregon that I want to visit. And, we'll be purchasing another vehicle soon. And there's the issue with our house settling. I'm trying to ignore that. Especially until we figure out what the OTA is gonna do exactly and how that will affect us.

Anyway...rambling.

Lynn, congrats on your tomatoes. Mine are very diseased but there's quite a bit of nice-sized green fruit and lots of blossoms.

The rain yesterday was so welcomed! No watering necessary yesterday or today and maybe even tomorrow!

So, you grow Beef Master? And get the seed from Johnny's? As of this moment, I'm not going to grow many tomatoes next year and thought I would try the one you grow.

I might change my mind if circumstances change. But, regardless, I would like to try your tomato variety.

Larry, your peppers look good. And I'm really sorry about your back.

The deviled eggs, pico de gallo, and strawberry & blueberry sauces made. Mom decided to make potato salad too, so I'm not making that. But, need to get into the kitchen to make the cheesecake portion of the dessert. Hoping it turns out well as I've not made this before. Hoping it's as cute in the person as in the picture. Basically, it's just layering no bake cheesecake with berry sauces. Looks festive in pictures. Fingers crossed.

People coming around noon.

I grow Big Beef, its a hybrid of Big Boy and Beefsteak. Have for a lot of years now, maybe 10 to 15 years. And I get my seed from Johnnys. One year, I bought seed from Totally Tomatoes and it was a mistake. Right back to Johnny's.

Lynn, the weather has been nice. I have been able to get some weeding done because of this cooler weather, but all the extra rain this year has helped put me behind with all of my garden work, but the cooler weather is helping me catch up on the weeding, and I plan on spraying a band around the gardens to kill the bermuda, if I can keep bermuda out of my garden it makes weeding much easier.

Kim, I just got my okra and peas planted, I have never been so late getting my garden planted.

When I went into the center bedroom where I have my plant starting rack, and seeds stored, to get my okra seeds, and I noticed a couple of sweet potatoes that I had sit aside to make slips from. If you will notice, this potato has a place where a critter had eaten part of it. While weeding I notice that the critters are already digging around my potatoes, although I saw no damage, I am sure the potatoes are already being eaten. This potato was one that I was going to cut the end off and use to make slips, but I had plenty of slips without using this one, now I will be the critter that eats it. A potato like this, I normally cut the sprouting end off and place in a tray to grow slips. This is one thing about the Covington potato, I can even get a damaged potato to store for months, that potato was dug the middle of Sept. last year, and here it is the 4Th of July, and to even add to that, this potato has been lying on my grow rack in front of an unshaded east window for about 3 months. This is a cull potato, but it will still taste good.

Lynn, I agree with the totally tomato thing. I ordered from them once and nothing grew true to type. Larry something was trying to have a little breakfast on your potato. With my dog running around I don’t have any problems with tiny critters. However, this morning I opened the door to a snake about 3 feet away, which blocked me from going out running and screaming. My dog come out from under the house and scared it off. And she has spent the rest of the morning sniffing around, trying to find it. My goal after I get this fruit worked through is to clean up my property and get the weeds under control outback even if I just Work for an hour a day whacking weeds and cutting weeds with a snippers. That is progress. First I need to find my boots Jennifer the editing part did take a minute to figure out, but it is so easy now I just watched my video cut cut again. Delete the section. I want out and keep going. But I will tell you I’ve had the best success with doing the shorts lately and I enjoy those one to two minute videos and hopefully people learn something fun.

Kim, I use to have a king snake that would hang out in the north garden. I like having it there, but I could not help but to jump every time I saw it.

Kim, here is some of my hot peppers. The left is a row of cayenne peppers, on the right is a row of jalapeno peppers, until a week or so ago they were covered with weeds. There is about 22 pepper plants here. After I get them cleaned up Iwant to feed and mulch them.

Big Beef from Johnny's....okay. I'm gonna try that one next year, Lynn. There's so many varieties with "big", "beef", "boy" etc. lol

It's still months away, but for now, I just want to grow a couple of slicers and a couple of cherry types next year.

Kim, I like shorts and shorter videos in general. As interesting as the longer videos are, they are a commitment and one needs a large block of time to watch them. I love garden tours, but some of them are an hour or more.

My family left and the kitchen is cleaned up. It was a nice visit and good meal.

I'm considering taking the dog for a walk and then working on weeding. Wondering how loud it will get out here this evening.

I have a large plant growing in the compost that is either a cucumber or melon. Mom saw a small fruit on it and it looks to be a watermelon. I haven't grown watermelon in a few years, tho. We'll see....

I found Big Beef, because it was a top seller at Johnny's. How else can I decide on a variety without growing all of them ?

Johnny's indeterminate tomatoes

And its still near the top, except that Big Beef Plus has moved ahead of it.

Speaking of, I picked three softball size tomato from a Big Beef Plus plant this morning. I planted three BB + , but I really can't tell that they're improved over Big Beef.

Jennifer, I am always thinking about my next garden next year. What seeds when how many . Usually before I even get this year‘s garden fully started. Because I desire to grow most of my own food for fresh eating and some for preserving it’s a constant work. Someday I will have a bigger garden where I can actually share a large quantity of what I grow. I am going to get at least 20 bags of okra in the freezer and then I’ll start taking it to Market

Jed Castles says this mild cooler weather will continue into next week

Jed Castles on X

First time I " submit " that last post, it got lost somewhere. But I had copied it before. Got to get in a habit of that.

BTW, the three Big Beef Plus plants are doing just as well as the Big Beef. If I did not know they weren't the same variety, I could not tell.

I have had good luck with Big Beef also, I don't think that I have any this year, I think that I ran out of those seeds, but have so many of other kinds of seed, that though I should be trying to use them up, but if I live long enough to use up all of my seed, I will die a very old man.

I have had a lot more pain this week than I enjoy, but I did get a little work done. I hope to climb on the mower and try to clean the lawn. I expect the kids here tomorrow, and if I don't get the grass cut they may not be able to find their way into the house.

Lynn, those eastern Oklahoma temps pretty well match the temps I have. I looks like central Oklahoma will be a little cooler than out forecasted weather, out 2 week forecasted highs, at this point look to be 92-97, with a little rain here and there.

I need to go check on the garden, I am sure there will be spots that need to be watered, then I will climb on the mower for a joy ride for an hour or two.

Larry, enjoy your time outdoors. I'm sorry you aren't feeling so great.

Lynn, I'm not complaining at all about the weather lately.

Even last night, I was at the very end of finally getting the onion bed weeded (It's a 32 ft long bed that is framed but not really a raised bed.), when the cat and I both heard something. We both looked up. Saw some neighbors a block away run into the garage and then it hit. We could literally hear it coming. But, still, not complaining.

The Dog Days begin today, I think. Or maybe it's July 3. Anyway....I'll have to see if I see the Dog Star tomorrow morning before the sun rises.

Kim, I'm also always thinking about next year's garden. Often with a Plan A and Plan B. Even tho I'm down to about 20 jars of tomatoes in the pantry, I don't want to deal with a lot of tomatoes next year. Very few for fresh eating. Maybe a couple of Big Beef and a Dr. Wyche and a couple of cherry tomatoes. Pretty sure I already said that and I'm repeating myself. LOL

But, that's about as far as I've gotten with the "plan" other than I want to continue to add more herbs and flowers. I'm also toying with the idea of making one of the 8'x4' raised beds a strawberry bed. I want a larger spot for June bearing berries. And continue with the ever bearers in the Greenstalk. And possibly putting strawberries on the east side of the chicken pen. I'm needing to rethink it all. I've gotten used to having the SG for okra, green beans and other things that I'll now need to put back into the kitchen garden or back garden. And where to put the potatoes for next year? It's doubtful we will have time to build the raised beds for the SG by March. The back garden was rebuilt with one fewer raised bed. Anyway, we'll get it all crammed in somehow. Next year, I want to grow lots of coleus again too, for the areas around my house. It's so pretty and fun.

This year....

I'm going to start a lot of pansy seeds tonight, I think. Walmart already took their seeds racks away and so did Natural Grocers. I was going to buy a pack of simple pansies....but remembered that I have a pack in my give away bag of seed. I'm short on flowers this year for the ornamental pots. Of course, the pansies won't be put out until October.

There's 5 buckets of those Super Fantastics along the back of the shop--basically in the native garden (which is so wild right now but so lovely. My sister looked at it yesterday and was blown away). I had sorta forgotten about them. But put a handy panel behind the buckets and the shop so they have a trellis to grow up on. Luckily it's been wet so they didn't dry up.

We did grocery shopping and towel/sheet washing this morning. Now, we're home and I'm about to take a nap. It's lightly raining again.

A nap sounds so nice. We went to bed at 11, but our neighbors were blowing stuff up until nearly 1 am and Josi was barking and howling until then too. She sleeps in the living room. There's no sleeping in for us in the mornings, but I was really tempted to go down to one house in particular and make Josi bark and howl outside their house. Maybe honk my horn for an hour or two. Get them out of their hungover type of sleep.

Honestly, I know people were just having fun, but I'm over it. We used to be loud too. But, wrapped it up by 11 pm always.

People were cranky out there this morning. And at least 3 people ran red lights--not even yellow almost red. Red. Guess everyone is tired from yesterday.

Well, I got the gardens watered, and the lawn mowed. I am so tired, I have been living on pain pills and antibiotics for almost a week, but the lawn and gardens look a lot better, and a long nights sleep sounds wonderful.

Jennifer, that would be hysterical if you took your dog down there and just let her howl at 5 o’clock in the morning. Of course they would probably retaliate so I fell asleep listening to fireworks, but it did not stop me from falling asleep. Yesterday was such a long day and I decided I’m not doing that anymore. I may do a Market on Friday mornings, but I’m not gonna stand in the kitchen for 10 hours making or blends. Talk about needing a pain pill. I am thoroughly enjoying everything that I do but like most of us I tend to push myself a little too hard. I just spent two hours picking ground cherries for my friend and tomorrow I get to go pick Mustang grape or Muscatine grape I’m not sure which is which. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. All I know is they supposed to make the best jelly. And then tomorrow evening if it’s not raining, I plan on pulling grass because we’ve had some nice rain lately and I need to get in and PULL as much as I can and also use the weedeater a little bit.

Kim muscadine grapes do make a good jelly but its too strong for most. We used to mix it with either plain grape or even sand plums. You can pick them now and just put them straight into freezer and take out and make jelly later. They grow wild in SE Oklahoma and are considered a treasure.

Jennifer, I can empathize with you about the fireworks. Although I would totally agree with getting even, I don’t recommend it - they would probably get even.

I understand too many canning jars. We moved into this house 18 years ago and I have boxes of old jars in storage upstairs even though I know I will never can that much again. I gave 3 boxes of almost new jars to a young woman who convinced me she wanted to can only to find out later she used them to put sand and candles in for a party then trashed them. I use jars to store everything in and I’ve gifted older antique jars filled with dry mixes.

My tomatoes are making more than we can use fresh right now - I’ve shared many and cooked with some. One of my favorite big tomatoes is Bodacious. I had never heard of it when my mother passed away in 2018 but it was in her huge stash of seeds so I tried it and it became a favorite. A big tomato without a lot of waste and produces very well.

Well, its 86 degrees in this house. I call my daughter and told her that we may have to make other plans for tomorrow, they are to come over for lunch, but I am expecting the repairman to be here to repair our AC unit, and I will need to be here also. Daughter ask us to come over and spend the night with her, but two old folks are sorta set in their ways, and want to tuff it out at home. We have fans, so we expect that we will do okay.

I love muscadines, I eat seeds and all. The seeds and skins are a light tough, and strong, but I eat them like grapes, but if I eat too many it make my mouth sore. The white (green) ones are even better than the dark ones. I have never found the white ones in the wild, even the native muscadines are hard to find, it the wildlife does not find them, another hunter will. People are very tight lipped about the location of where they find wild muscadines, all the places that I have found them is south of where I live. and would require a lot of walking to get to them.

I am hoping my grand daughter will take all of my grand mothers jars, I will never be able to use then, and no way can I just toss them. All of my families old stuff has been passed to to my daughter, she has a large home, but her kids are grown and gone, her husband has died, and she is going to have to down size. She cant even afford a place large enough to store all the junk that she has now. It just cost too much to heat and cool a place the size of where she lives. Her place would still be too large even if Madge and I lived with her.

My house backs up to a large school yard, probably 40 acres. Its a pasture, weeds and bermuda that grow a foot high. Its a popular place for fireworks.

Last February, the night of the Super Bowl, there were some people who evidently were Eagles fans and they celebrated by shooting off fireworks in the school yard. And they set it on fire. It was very dry and dead.

And in an overabundance of protective caution, the Moore schools people have completely closed off this field. All gates are locked. Cable barriers put up. They say there's predators lurking for the Junior High kids.

And they forgot to tell the Fire Dept how to get into the school yard.

I was ready with a water hose to protect my fence and house.

And its not the first time that field has been set on fire. And its not the first time the Fire Dept could not get into the yard, Before, they had to run their firehoses through my yard and over my back fence.

I would think school teachers could learn, but no.

So after every Fourth of July and New Years Eve, I'm just thankful my house has not been burned down. And yeah, I should've moved out of here long ago.

Lynn, you live so close to where I work. That seems like a lot of excitement and not the good kind.

Larry, hope your AC is up and going now. The temperatures aren't super hot right now, but the humidity makes everything uncomfortable.

I've never found or seen wild grapes that I know of.

It's funny that we're discussing that here now. A woman had a gardening question for me this morning and it was about grapes. I know nothing about grapes. She has 3 varieties. First year they did great. Last year and this year, they're turning black and falling off.

She's from Oregon, but has lived her about 10 years and is still trying to figure out our climate for growing things.

I had no advise for her, but she said she was going to the extension office to see if she could get help.

I'll see about making a new thread for the new week.

There's just so much stupidity ...................