But, many thanks to God, it only was on the roof, not in the garden! You can bet we ran out to the garden first thing this morning after seeing it on the house roof.

I’ve been canning every day. Today it’s more corn but this time mixed with peas. We didn’t grow many peas this year so I cheated and bought some frozen peas (on sale, of course) to mix with the corn. I love doing the mixed corn because it gives us so much more variety in the pantry. I can Mexican corn, corn with peas, corn with peas and carrots, corn with carrots, and just plain corn.

Then there are the Dragon Tongue beans which are just starting to ripen. I think I’ll use them to make more mustard bean pickles — we sure do love them. They’re more like a side dish than a pickle.
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This morning my friend, Dara, called and said they’d be picking crab apples in town. They had found a pair of trees that the homeowner never picked and when Dara asked if they’d trade potatoes for apples, the deal was quickly made. So I met Dara and her stepson, James in Cook and we spent a companionable morning yacking and picking buckets of apples. I’ll be making apple jelly, juice and sauce from my share. It’s amazing how many folks have fruit trees in their yards and don’t pick any. It sure pays to knock on the door and ask! Give it a try and you will be pleasantly surprised. — Jackie

7 COMMENTS

  1. Vala Johnson,

    So sorry you got hit with the frost. Hopefully your squash vines keep putting out nutrients for the squash so they mature nicely for you. I’m glad you like Will’s Seneca Sunrise. Our cows got into the corn patch and ATE nearly all of it. Boy were we ever sad!!! Luckily we still have a little seed left. Whew!

  2. cindy from wisconsin,

    I’m not sure but they appear to be Whitney crabs. Those little red ones are probably Dolgo crabs and they make wonderful jelly and sweet pickled apples. Those apples we harvested were from a tree in town; not ours. We have Chestnut and Trailman crab apples that are absolutely wonderful even for fresh eating. They are sweet, crisp and juicy. You’d love them!

    Our beavers say we’re going to have an early winter with lots of snow. I’m not sure what the Farmer’s Almanac says. I read the beavers not the Almanac as it’s often really wrong.

    Let your beans dry as much as you can before you pick the pods. If the seeds rattle in the pods it’s just right. But if you have to pick them before that, lay the drying pods out on a screen in an area with plenty of good airflow; don’t pile them up or they’ll mold. When dry, harvest the bean seeds.

  3. Diana,
    It’s kind of early even for us. Luckily, we only got a tiny, tiny bit that burned a very few of our squash leaves, nothing else. Whew! Will said the entire house roof was WHITE early in the morning.

  4. We did have the best garden ever, here in North Central Montana, until last Sunday, the 23rd, when the temp. dropped to 30 degrees. The Hopi Pale Grey squash looked pretty peaked. It will be touch and go to see if it can continue to recover before the major frost that generally hits in mid to late Sept. We love the Senaca Sunrise corn. I have a few ears picked out to save for seed.
    ‘Jackie Clay’s Blog” is a household word here. Thanks for everything.

  5. Hi Jackie!! Boy are those nice crab apples. What kind are they? I only have these little red ones about the size of a quarter. This year I have no fruit since it frosted when the tree blossomed. But I do like the looks of those you have!! I would like to get a tree like yours.

    So are the beavers agreeing with the Farmer’s almanac?

    I wanted to tell you that those Mule Team and Polbig tomatoes are wonderful. I am also trying Gilbertie paste tomatoes. These 3 are out performing the others. They even are holding up in the humid weather we had! I hope they are doing as well for you.

    I am trying to save Provider beans this year. Wonderful bean and I thank you for recommending it. So do I let the pods turn brown then they are ready to pick?

    Thank you for all you share! Cindy

  6. Is this early for a frost in your neck of the woods? Everyone is saying to expect a hard winter here in CO. We’ve definitely been feeling early signs of fall with chilly nights, but still very warm days.

    I love Dragon Tongues! They are my favorite beans and are all that I planted this year. They’re so sweet, cook fast and it’s cool how they turn green after cooking. :)

  7. FROST????? In August? So not fair. Sending you blessings and ENERGY as you tackle the end-of-season avalanche. Good luck, Will and Jackie.

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