Fortunately, we’ve been having some periodic, gentle rains that have actually been measurable, as opposed to those rare .017 of an inch, formerly this summer. And the temperatures have been nice too — in the 70’s during the day and low 50’s at night. The gardens have sure responded well. Will said in two weeks I’ll be canning lots of Cowboy Candy as our jalapeño plants are setting lots of tiny little peppers. Yea!
Since we were going to teach another seed saving class yesterday evening, I asked Will to go out and pick another ripe Sweet Granite muskmelon as I’d seen some approaching ripeness the day before. Oh, here he came on the ATV, with the whole front rack full of them! Wow! We took a couple to the class, where we all got to enjoy eating some. Folks were amazed at how different they tasted from store-bought muskmelons. Great taste is another benefit from growing your own, plus you know they’re not going to be contaminated with chemicals or doused with evil bacteria. That’s getting scarier every day, as recalls are coming for nearly everything in the store. To top it off, I just saw that lab-manufactured eggs are now going to be added to baked goods and mixes in many of the big box stores. ISH! First meat, then chicken, now eggs for Pete’s sake. As if chemicals and bacteria in boughten food isn’t enough. And they get all upset because some of us radical homesteaders actually drink raw milk?
We thank God every single day for being able to live the life we do. Yes, we have to work — a lot, actually. But the rewards are many, evidenced at every meal we eat. Our panty is full, our freezers are full, the gardens and orchard are bursting with produce, the hay yard is full, with much more to haul home. Our woodshed is not full, but we have piles of dry firewood, some cut up and split, some in pole length, waiting for splitting; that’ll happen in a week or two, when the haying is finished. Yes, we are, indeed, greatly blessed! And I truly hope everyone who has the ability will do what they can to become more self-reliant.
— Jackie
