Yesterday I kept at the transplanting in the greenhouse, getting over 100 baby tomatoes transplanted.  The weather’s warming up and the sun on the greenhouse is heating the entire house all day now.  That’s a pleasant change from burning all that hard-earned wood in my kitchen range.  Mom likes to sit out there, absorbing the sun and watching me work with the plants.
 
It’s not an easy job, taking care of an elderly parent who is also handicapped.  Mom can be quite demanding and requires nearly constant attention.  So working with the plants is good for us both.
 
I just got an e-mail from Tessa Gowans, the seed curator at SEED DREAMS (P.O. Box 106, Port Townsend, WA  98368), and they DO have lots of Hopi Pale Grey squash.  But she asked that readers please send a little cash to help with their expenses of printing and mailing their seed list.  They are a homegrown seed supplier and not a mega corporation.  Help ‘em out if you can.
 
We had fantastic northern lights last night.  I mean jaw-dropping, knock you dead northern lights.  They were weaving ribbons of light, accompanied by huge flashes of light in the clear sky, kind of like heat lightening only more so.  They went on and on for hours and it was a truly amazing show.  One more reason we love it here in the northern backwoods!

Readers’ questions:

Adding ginger to beans

Did you know that if you add a teaspoon of ginger to your beans you can get rid of the gas they produce.Just add the ginger when you heat the beans.I use powdered ginger so there is no change in taste.

Brenda Jarrell
Varnville, South Carolina

Good deal, Brenda.  A tsp of powdered ginger to how many beans?  I seldom make a meal’s worth but make a big batch and can most of them up. — Jackie

Hopi pale grey seeds

I tryed the email address you said gowantseeds@yahoo.com. They say they don’t have an account with yahoo so if you have a few extra hopi pale grey seeds left over would you send to me.

Brenda Jarrell
Varnville, South Carolina

I e-mailed Tessa Gowans at gowantoseed@yahoo.com (You had the wrong e-mail address!) and Tessa said they DO have lots of Hopi Pale Grey seeds.

A BIG NOTE TO ALL READERS, SEED DREAMS IS NOT A BIG MEGA COMPANY, BUT A VERY SMALL HOMEGROWN SEED SUPPLIER.  IF READERS WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THEIR SEED LIST, PLEASE ENCLOSE A LITTLE CASH TO HELP DEFRAY THE EXPENSE OF PRINTING AND MAILING THIS LIST.  Good growing! — Jackie

Canned, dried beef

How do you make that canned dried beef that you buy in the stores — hormel, etc. (thinly sliced, salted, and dried)

Suzette Stuter
Reedsville, Pennsylvania

While you can certainly make dried beef (like jerky without the seasonings) by thinly slicing across the grain on more tender cuts of beef and canning it (75 minutes pints at 10 pounds pressure), you can’t make "dried beef" like you buy in the stores because it’s processed "mystery meat", i.e. ground, formed, then sliced, with chemicals added. — Jackie

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