Backlogged...

This is what I refer to as a bit of a harvest backlog...As you can see, when tourist season takes off, the canning/processing to-do list gets further and further behind. Right now I have close to 40 lbs of tomatoes that need to have their seeds removed (and saved!) and cooked down into sauce for canning (which I can't do until I finish cooking down the 20+ lbs of apples I have simmering on the stove for apple butter & apple leather!). You can also see from the picture below that I am behind in shelling my Scarlet Runner Bean pods, and there is flour corn that needs to be ground, and purslane (in the bucket) that needs to be dried and have its seeds collected. SO much to do, and not enough hours in the days between B&B bookings with which to do it! *sigh*

None of the above "projects" take into account the enormous pasture of bush beans I need to harvest, flash boil, and can. Nor the dozens of ripe tomatoes hanging on the vines and needing to be picked...or the 7 different garden areas that need to be watered! Good grief, I tire myself out just even thinking about it!

Speaking of tomatoes and seed-saving, here is a comparison between two different varieties of heirloom bi-colored tomatoes that I grow (and yes, they are different!):

Joya de Oaxaca


Applegate Valley Heirloom Tomato

And somewhere in there I still need to make another batch of soap...we had a group of guests stay with us in August, and they enjoyed the soap samples we gave them so much that they bought out our entire supply of homemade soap bars!

Anywho, for those who think that a farm wife/entrepreneur doesn't earn her keep around here, I beg to differ...

A Tasty Joy!

The first real tomato harvest is in!: the large & beautifully bi-colored heirloom known as "Joya de Oaxaca!"

Pasta sauce is simmering as we speak! I'm thinking that some garlic bread (made with our own sourdough and heirloom garlic - recently harvested and now dried) would make for the perfect accompaniment to tonight's meal!

And of course freshly-baked peach turnovers (since I am still up to my eyeballs in peaches and peach preserves!) for dessert!

My tummy is grumbling...

First Heirloom Tomato of the Season!

(and it's my favorite!)

The first tomato of the season was picked and eaten in orgasmic taste bud pleasure yesterday! It was one of my beloved Applegate Valley Heirloom Tomatoes. Small, and with a few marks of bug battle, but still delicious. I was a good and generous wife, and donated the entire tomato to Ryan (don't worry, I will blackmail him for a hat later). I've never heard him make those noises while eating something before...

Looks like we are a week or two away from some of the Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge tomatoes ripening. I think the Joya de Oaxaca and the other AVH tomatoes will be still further out in the ripening spectrum (but believe me, they are worth the wait!).

Tomato Harvest Time is nearly here...I'm so excited!!

Hello, Sunshine!

Summer is here, officially by date and by temperature! Yesterday's evening high was a horrific 103 degrees! ICK! The good news is that the tomatoes, peppers, corn, grapes, and beans have been rather happy with the warmer temps (though nobody loves anything past 90 degrees), and have shown their gratitude with massive growth spurts! I'm planning to hack back the grape vines tomorrow just so that they don't completely take over, and I have been trying to figure out creative ways to cage my remaining tomatoes. I was previously using old 6"x6" grid cattle fencing, rolling it into ~1.5 foot cylinders, and placing each one over a tomato plant. It was working WONDERFULLY! Until I ran out of fencing, that is. When I wandered over to my local Grange to see about purchasing more, they told me that it was only available in 330 foot rolls, and would cost a whopping $173! OUCH!! Looking on craigslist and other classified ads revealed that most other folks had similar ideas, and there was no suitable spare fencing to be found. Sad day in Tomato Land. So, I'm just going to be staking them up with very tall and sturdily-anchored stakes. When you have 150 tomato plants, you do whatever you have to. *grin*

And now, I leave you with some early morning pictures...

As you have probably been able to tell, I am endlessly fascinated by Borage flowers!

A rare Dinkelbuhne pole bean seedling rises up to greet the morning sun!

More Vintage Fun & Excitement (For Me, Anyway)!

Another great shopping day at the thrift store, at least if you were looking for vintage!

I found 4 dresses (one of which unfortunately doesn't quite fit, so I will have to do some creative altering if I want to wear it...I know, I know, ANOTHER sewing project to add to my list), and also helped my vintage buyer to purchase a 1960s/70s Lilli Ann nautical coat and matching sheath dress (it was too big for me or I would have snagged it), as well as a real python skin black purse! In some ways it's fun knowing another lovely lady who buys/sells vintage!

One of the dresses I purchased today (label reads "Miss Elliette") was in need of some serious TLC. The original zipper had been completely destroyed, so I had to carefully remove the old one and sew a new one in.

The good news is that thanks to my yard sale hopping, I have a grocery bag full of old metal zippers in assorted lengths and colors, so I already had one on hand that worked perfectly.

I may not be an expert seamstress, but putting in a new zipper isn't that difficult, especially now that I have finally discovered the zipper foot attachment to my sewing machine (oh, where have you been all of my life?!?!). This of course prompted the internal question of: How in the world did I sew in zippers all of these years WITHOUT it???

I received my 1940's "birthday hat" in the mail today! I have been drooling over it for months on Etsy, and finally scrounged together the funds to buy it. I'm a sucker for unique '40s hats.

My grandmother also gave me one of her house coats from the 1950's, which I managed to alter into an adorable dress. I'll get pictures of that soon, as well as the awesome "Square Dance" dress that I bought at the last yard sale for ~$1. It was HUGE (I looked like I was wearing a tent when I first tried it on), but after taking it in 6" on either side of the bodice, I managed to make it fit. Need to buy a large white belt for it though...

Speaking of dollar dresses from that last yard sale, I finally picked up this lovely ruched and bubbled 1950's prom dress from the dry cleaners. While the dress was beyond cheap, the dry cleaning bill was NOT. Talk about sticker shock: $28! OUCH! But the good news is that it's cleaned and pressed and (after I take it in a bit to fit me) ready to be worn.

So, for all of my lovely fellow gardeners who read this blog and wonder why, with spring here, am I not posting more plant-related materials? Well, we have had an abnormally cool, wet spring. Lots and lots and lots of "fun" frosts. My peas and favas germinated, and have just been sitting there, not knowing what to do with this crazy weather. The aphids are trying to take over my greenhouse (and my tomato starts), which always seems to happen about this time of year. So, in short, gardening right now is at a depressing stand still, while we all hold our breath and wait for truly warm temperatures. In the meantime, here is what a million tomato and pepper starts look like when they are crammed into a greenhouse. :)

But who can be depressed for long with so many tulips blooming in the front yard??:

Prison Break

Ryan and I decided that we were loooooooooooong overdue for a fun all-day outing! I had gotten wind of a costume & vintage clothing sale going on in Ashland this morning, so we headed out around 8 am for adventures. We did not realize what a zoo of insanity we'd be getting ourselves into (there were literally hundreds of people wedged into a tiny area - rather my version of hell; It reminded me of that scene in The Four Feathers with the ocean of prisoners crammed together). Arriving only a few minutes after the sale began, we were already too late for most of the "good stuff," and after elbowing our way over to the $1 hat bins, I discovered 5 rather beat-up but useable vintage hats. I was thinking that I could repair them and either wear them myself or resell them. However, after standing in the enormous check-out line for about 10 minutes and not moving an inch (all the while with screaming and elbowing people crammed around me), I decided that waiting 3 hours to pay for $5 in broken merchandise was a pretty stupid idea. So we ditched the hats and fought our way out. There was a small incident with one of the sale attendants trying to stop me by implying that my vintage hat wasn't mine but that I was trying to shoplift it out of there (I wore my white one with the flowers - a rather stupid idea now that I think about it: wearing a vintage hat to a sale with a lot of vintage hats. Oh well. Thinking ahead was never my strong suit anyway). Grrrrrrrr! That lady would have to pry MY vintage hat from my cold dead fingers! Thankfully (for me...and for Ryan, who is not a fan of conjugal prison visits), a quick "No!" and swiftly walking away ended the matter. She had another million screaming people to deal with.

After the scary costume sale, we stopped for breakfast at a little hole-in-the-wall cafe in Ashland. By the time we were finished eating, the stores were opening up, so we spent a good deal of time just wandering around the shops. We admired many of the touristy boutiques, but didn't purchase anything. Sometimes the fun is in the browsing!

Finally, we had exhausted our shopping reserves, and decided to head home. When we reached the car, we saw that it was only about 12:30 - the day was still young! So we decided to head to an Estate Sale in Medford. We figured it would most likely be picked clean by the time we got there (and it was), but I still thought it would be fun to look, and it was on our way home anyway. After a rather interesting round-about drive to get there, we finally found the home. Yes, sadly, I missed the good stuff: mink coats, vintage picture hats, the works! I wanted to cry! But after poking around, I discovered one lovely little coat in the downstairs closet which I knew had to come home with me! It's 1920's in style (it may possibly be that old - I can't tell! Anyone who has any input is welcome to comment!), with a low-tying waist, two clasps, and a top button closure. A little big on me, but wearable. At $10, who could refuse?! Besides, it matched my hat! So home with me it came! Jugi helped me model it later...

I look about as exhausted as I feel in this picture! But I have my Jugi in my arms, and that means that I am at least a very happy exhausted person!

Here's a great shot of me taking off the coat...gotta love that candid expression (thanks a lot, Ryan).

I have since tried researching the company on the label ("B.F. Schlesinger and Sons") but have been unable to find any useable information. So I have no idea if it IS a legitamate coat from the 1920's, or a later reproduction. Here is a picture of the label, and the beautiful top button.

When we got home, two surprises awaited me! My Negresse potato tubers and my owl brooch (from my wonderful friend and fellow beader, Emerald Window) had FINALLY arrived! Happy Day! Isn't the brooch beautiful? I love the golden oak branch she added to the piece. I think I will wear it with my new old coat!

And finally, two great pieces of gardening-related news!:

1) We ate the first of the sweet corn last night! I was so excited! And to add to my glee, I noticed that the Oaxacan Green Dent Corn is quite plentiful in my patch! The ears are getting large, and some plants have up to two ears on them! Everything I read on this variety of corn said to only expect one ear per plant. Yay for me!

2) The tomatoes are finally coming on line. Look at today's harvest (my hand for scale)!

Also in the Farm-Related News:

Ryan has decided it is high time to dry off our does. I have to admit, while I will be relieved to not have to deal with all that milking season entails soon, I don't know if I am quite ready to say goodbye to fresh dairy products. Ryan and I have decided that, after our very rough milking season this year, we will be taking a break next year. No kiddings, no milking, and sadly, no cheese. BUT that also means no due date/labor/insane vet bill stress, so the pro's are pretty nice...still, I don't want to have to go back to store bought milk! Sigh...

And now, to leave you with a happy picture of two best buds:

WANTED: SUMMER

Last seen in August 2009. If you have any information as to Summer's whereabouts, please contact us immediately!!

After about a week of "normal" summer weather, it has turned unseasonably cool here the past two nights. Yesterday was 38 degrees when I awoke, and this morning it was 36 degrees! Where has summer gone?! My garden plants do not know what to make of this crazy up-down weather pattern, and my tomatoes and melons are most definitely NOT happy. I am terrified that, after all of my hard work, the harvest this year is going to be awful. Sigh. Fingers are crossed for good luck.

My sneaking suspicion was confirmed last night after a quick jaunt into the wood lot: I have a patch of mullein growing wild on my property. This past winter, while gathering firewood, I noticed a patch of plants that I thought looked an awful lot like mullein, but did not feel 100% confident in my identification skills at that point in time. However, one of these fuzzy-leaved beauties was in full bloom yesterday, and it's rather difficult to mistake a flowering mullein plant for much else. I was elated (and also slightly annoyed with myself for PURCHASING mullein seeds this past spring to grow in my herb garden)! Now I have access to a lovely source of mullein this year! Mullein is a biennial, so the my plant babies (grown from seed this year) will not flower and produce seed until next year. Ergo, with the discovery of the wild flowering mullein patch, I will have access to a ready seed source this year (not to mention a plethora of leaves for medicinal uses!). Yippee! Plus, there is something so majestic about a (5 foot tall!) mullein in full bloom. I have to admit that I stood in front of the plant for a good minute or two, just drinking in its beauty. After the hectic quality of the day, there was something so peaceful about this collection of plants in the late afternoon dappled forest light. I felt...at peace...in probably the first time in a while.

It makes me happy to know that my knowledge of wild plants has been expanding this year. I am trying to learn to identify "useful" weeds (such as yellow dock). I love that I can now look over my pastures and, instead of seeing a jumble of unnamed/unknown weeds, actually identify certain plants out of the bunch! Mentors are found in the oddest assortments, and my knowledge has been learned from both books and hands-on teaching. Thank you to all who have imparted their knowledge to me, even if it was a fleeting sentence of wisdom.

Here's Hoping...

I have planted roughly 2/3 of my tomatoes outside this week. Yes, it's a bit early, but I have been keeping my eye on the weather report, and I think things are going to be okay. May 15th is the average date for our last frost in the area, and as that is today, I'm hoping the numbers play out. Tomatoes can survive down to about 38 degrees - it sets them back, but they can make it to the morning alive. Ideally, your nights should be 45-55 degrees for maximum tomato (and pepper!) happiness! However, with the recent trend of high 70 degree weather, my plants (except the peppers who LOVE it) are frying with the heat inside of my greenhouse. So I had to weigh the choices of possibly losing plants to heat stroke or losing plants to frost. I figured that frost was the less likely danger, and thus the reason that over half my tomatoes are already outside. Unfortunately, with the recent thunderstorm predictions, I now have to worry about hail!...sigh...

I have been busy gardening, weeding, and filling out last minute plant orders this week. There is actually space to walk around inside of my greenhouse - I had forgotten what that felt like! Yesterday, my Georgia Jet sweet potato slips arrived in the mail, and I spent the day planting them in pots until the nights are warm enough to set them outside. I think they made a mistake on my order however: instead of 12 slips, they sent me 24! Ah well, more potatoes for me! I am also still eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Purple sweet potato slips.

Speaking of potatoes (well, we were technically speaking of morning glories, but whatever), I have discovered a fascinating new "potato!" It's call the Negresse Potato, but it's technically a wild relative of the potato and not a true potato. The Negresse is a little known and under-appreciated tuber! It is jet black in color, and tastes like a truffle! Unlike the black potato,
"Congo," it does not have a bitter skin. Negresse is the cheapest "truffle" you can grow, and also one of the easiest! It is very difficult to track down, but I finally did manage it (thank you, Seed Savers!). I am on the waiting list for my own set of seed tubers in 2011. In the meantime, I have ordered seed tubers for the Ajawiri. This tuber is thought to either be the same, or the parent of, the Negresse. Thus, I will be able to grow both plants over the next two years and make comparisons. What is rather exciting is that, because of how little known these varieties are, I will be sharing notes with others about the two tubers!

Other plants that I am trying out in my garden this year for the first time: Crosnes, Lemon Verbena, Purple Cowhorn Potatoes, Oaxacan Green Dent Corn, Violetto Artichoke, Lazy Housewife Pole Bean, Cherokee Trail of Tears Pole Bean, Camellina, and more!