I think summer has officially ended. Yesterday, I picked another 5 lb basket of tomatoes and peppers along with a handful of raspberries. Today the rains have come back giving me an excuse to ignore the vegetable garden and the chore of racking up leaves. Free time indoors means I can update my neglected blog.
BrownStone Cascade Mt. Koma, Liaka's family is the best. They keep me up-to-date with pictures and notes on how she is doing, including her Howl-O-Ween party. (Unfortunately, I have been remiss in posting them for others to enjoy.)
Like a squirrel, instinct to preserve food for the coming year kicks in for me every fall. Our pantry was empty of applesauce. I had to buy apples this year. The fruit trees came into bloom a month before the bees arrived. The resulting poor crop went for eating with nothing left over to can or dry. I was thinking of a "lug" of apples when I ordered them. I ended up with two "cases" (about 80 lbs) of apples. We will have applesauce for a few years to come.
I dumped the peels and cores our in the yard for the deer. With a preference for pears, until now, the dogs have shunned apples. I was surprised when they dove right into the pile.
A very long day got even longer. As I was cleaning up the myriad of pots and utensils used in canning, I noticed water running out cupboard below the sink - a lot of sticky, hot, soapy water. Unknown to me, the drain pipe came unconnected when I was dumping out the caners full of boiling hot water. Then I proceeded to wash everything. No rest with a celebratory glass of cider for me. Everything had to come out from under the sink and get washed and dried. Since it was already comping apart, I pulled out all of the plumbing to make sure nothing was clogged. Then I got to learn about gaskets that disintegrate over time. In place of gaskets, I now have joints held together with gorilla tape.
The first batches of applesauce.
While I mopped the sticky floor, Bambi enjoyed the remnants of the apple cores.
Tuesday I got to take the first rig run of the season. Until then, it had been way too warm for the thick coated dogs to run. Cedar is recovering from a pinched nerve in her back, so she stayed home. Koyuk and Trask provided ample power and speed for Ferrari.
Team Nookies running in unison up the second hill.
I retied my snub-line but Ferrari still ended up in the ditch as I walked across the road to pick-up the paper.
The dogs still running in unison on the last corner toward home.
Ferrari will have to wait in the garage for a while. Thursday, Trask, along with almost all the other dogs in his class came down with kennel cough. I vaccinated the dogs as soon as I heard about the outbreak, but apparently not fast enough for ever-friendly Trask. The poor boy is quite ill and is on antibiotics and a narcotic cough medicine. Fortunately the other two have not come down with it. One dog coughing and retching all night is distressing enough.
