After sweating and praying like crazy, plus pulling in six plus crates of tomatoes to seed (just in case), I went to bed, hoping for the best. I didn’t even get up at night to check. After all, the forecast of 35 F was pretty low and we’re usually 5 degrees lower than the forecast. I figured what happened would happen without me worrying about it or not. Well, I woke up this morning to no frost. Will had gotten up earlier than me and said the low last night was only 37 degrees. What a difference a few degrees makes!
Now I have all those tomatoes out there on the porch, just waiting for me. Today I’m storing away the seeds that have been drying, rinsing the next batch that have fermented and putting away the many half pints of salsa I made out of the last batch of leftover tomato pieces. Well, I’ve finally done enough salsa, so the next big batch, I’m turning into chili. When it’s so cold, all of a sudden, I start thinking about chili! I have plenty of beans and lots of tomatoes plus a few chile peppers too. I’m going to fill up that pantry (even on those shelves Will told me were not for food).
Our dry beans are starting to come on now. I have Iroquois, Crawford, and Chippewa, many already dry in the pods, with more varieties right on their heels. I’m sure hoping we don’t get that cold night on Saturday that they’re forecasting. After that, it’s due to warm up — Indian summer, I’m thinking. That will sure be a huge blessing for us in order to get our crops finished up. Come on sunshine!
— Jackie
