Canning 101...50º

It is easy to slip back into the canning mode and with 14 jars of pears lined up on the table my mind goes crazy...All the canning equipment is set up, what else can we can?..We have deer and elk from last year that is the most likely to go into jars...Sooooo, Herb and I will get busy this morning sorting through the freezer, pulling out elk/deer and also pork that has been labeled sausage/canning...I really liked the pork and game that we ground together last year...Some of it was made into sausage and the rest canned in pint and a half jars (3 cups)...Since the meat will take a couple of days to thaw in the refrigerator, that leaves me time this morning to make another choc/zuchinni cake for an event at the Josephy Center on Friday night, before water therapy class at 12 noon today...On Saturday we will swap the water bath canner for the pressure cooker and will again be elbows deep in chunking, grinding, filling jars and keeping a close eye on the pressure canner.

In our spare time tomatoes will be roasted, garlic peeled, sliced and dried, the last of the wood pile will be stacked in our back yard, daily meals cooked, minimal house cleaning done and the garden totally cleaned up and put to bed for the winter.

We have some clouds this morning but a beautiful sunrise looms off to the East, another perfect day on Barton Heights...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Home Canned Fruit for Winter.

Odoriferous...37º

Anyone walking into our house this morning might think we had opened a 5 star Italian restaurant...Our basement is the perfect place for drying our winters garlic...One batch peeled, sliced and in the dryer...Our house is very odoriferous!

It is just breaking daylight here and Herb stepped out on the front porch and much to his delight watched a red fox saunter down the road on Barton Heights...Over the years we have seen many foxes in the 120 acre field that borders our property in the back, but never one practically on our front door step...Nice way to start the day.

Today is pear canning day and Herb has made several trips up and down stairs, outside and inside...Jars are washing in the dishwasher, gas stove and water bath canner set up and ready for me to start peeling pears, making syrup and filling jars...In a few hours we should have 14 quarts of canned pears ready for the cellar shelves.

My canning has been minimal this year after last years bumper crop of fruit...Our cellar shelves are still well stocked...I did order another 30 pounds of tomatoes from Imnaha, (they should arrive today) mostly because I haven't gotten my fill of bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwiches and just plain tomato sandwiches...Also one can never have too many roasted tomatoes in the freezer...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Potatoes/Garlic...37º

Our potato harvest was small but the potatoes are nice size and clean...We do have a few that have been gnawed on by gophers and will use them first, cutting away the damage...As we were harvesting, kept seeing Mr. Gopher scurring around under the straw...Herb landed a well placed whack with the rake and did him in!...One less gopher but am sure he was not the only one...We have been eating fresh, new potatoes for the past two months and have enough stored in the cellar now, to last until February...Asking ourselves, is the work worth it?..Both agreed that the taste of home grown produce is so much better that we will keep up the war on critters, drag our creaky, groaning bodies to the garden and take it one year at a time!

Earlier in the morning we had separated garlic cloves, saving the largest ones to plant and the others will be peeled, sliced and dried for our winters supply of garlic...The large garlic cloves were planted in the loose, moist soil of the previous potato patch...Nine rows are in the ground, mulched with straw and watered once...We will keep watering, until we get some measurable rain...The garlic will develop a root system before winter sets in and put in an appearance next April, as soon as the ground is bare.

We finished the days work (potatoes/garlic) shortly after noon, just in time for a rest before our dinner of French dip sandwiches, made from Sundays tri tip, which by the way was perfect...Added a fresh fruit salad to compliment the meal...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Pears ah ha...37º

A welcome gift was delivered yesterday...Pears from the pear capitol of the world, Hood River, Oregon, arrived on our door step yesterday....P and B arrived home after a month of cruising and traveling in far away places...Italy, France, Spain...On return to the states, an overnight stop in Hood River, they thought of us and our love of canning and eating...Within this week we will eat as many fresh pears as possible before canning the remainder for the cellar shelves.

Another beautiful day in Wallowa County, a smattering of rain was all we got as the trees continue the changing of the colors as we march into fall...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Last of the Snapdragons.

Bounty...45º

A small fenced in garden keeps the deer away from our veggies and we glean what is left before winter sets in...Now we are wondering HOW do you fence out the gophers?..We've always had them but they were happy to stay out in the fields, now they have found the garden with carrots and potatoes...Our neighbor Bill has gophers traps, that he has had some success with...Set a couple yesterday but they are empty this morning...Hmmmmm...Deer, bear, gophers, marmots, what next?...I love wildlife but wish they would stay in the wild...Since we have two freezers full of meat this year, can't even get the satisfaction of a fall hunt!..Life goes on, Barton Heights is still the best place to live...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

All grown on Barton Heights....

Gala Apples

Sweet seedless grapes

Cherry tomatoes fermenting

Water Therapy...45º

Friendly faces, old and new, catching up on everyones summer and plans for the winter...Travel, animals, moving, children, grandchildren, vacations, company...Scattered along the pools edge are kick boards, ankle weights, foam dumb bells and noodles...Some ladies in the deep end bobbing in continual motion, others in the shallow end walking, bending, stretching...The water gives us freedom to move without pain, creaky joints loosen as we languish, buoyant in the water...I see smiles almost everywhere, two ladies are back pre-surgery, they grimace with each step finding little relief even in the water....Hip and back surgeries are scheduled before the month is over, then they will be back, first for physical therapy (in the water) and then to join us again and work on their recovery...Voices, laughter, we are happy to be back...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Fall Sunset...53º

Fall is the time of brilliant colors, cold nights and warm days, as the seasons change...We are still picking cherry tomatoes, have a couple of cabbages left and a few cucumbers that I parcel out so we can have one a day with our dinner.

Had a surprise package in our yard yesterday morning, I'm thinking it is bear scat...A pile of digested apples and berries...I immediately picked the gala apples that I've left to ripen, so the bear wouldn't climb the tree and break branches while eating our apples...Will be extra careful about going outside after dark until he goes into hibernation mode.

I start back to water therapy today and will continue all winter, twice a week until May...A good exercise program as well as social activity for the long winter and the nice part is freedom of structure, no bylaws, no offices to fill, no meetings to attend.

Herb is again working on the wood pile, repairing fences and getting things in shape for winter...Cloudy here today with a slight chance of rain...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Pile of Bear Poop

Mountain sunset

Through the trees

Reflected in the kitchen window