Green Hill Farm

Grapes are ready to juice or make jam. Picked a 5 gallon bucket last evening in about 10 minutes from the arbor by the house. The garden grapes are just as thick! The juicer will be steaming until there's about 12 quarts ready for juice or jelly. Last year a lot of grapes simply fell off one day and that was the end of the season.
Tomatoes are finally getting ripe but not in the abundance of last year. Seems like we just didn't have enough really hot, sunny days to give them the boost they need. But, there will be salsa and juice and plenty of spaghetti sauce. Carrots are the best in years. Friend, Paulette, and I canned about 40 pints of carrots and 50 pints of potatoes. It was a new venture for us and one we just had to try. The jars of orange and white look gorgeous! Such fun! Beets are just waiting to be pickled and canned. Too bad so much produce comes at one time.
Sauerkraut is on week 3. We did some regular kraut and then some with caraway, mustard seeds, and green apples. We are anxious to see how it turns out. One cabbage weighed 17 lbs. We sliced it in the food processor, and Tom stomped it with his homemade stomper. It's a lot of work but doesn't take long. It's another one of those processes we had to try a few years back and just can't quit!
Apples on the old tree are beginning to fall - nature's way of saying "get out here and pick me!" We have 4 bags of dried apples ready for the grandkids and 6 quarts of apple pie filling. We need to do lots more but that will have to wait until mid-October. There just aren't enough hours in the day!
Neighbor, Joe, is chopping corn so we know it will soon be time to pick the small field we have. Seems like it was just planted. Where did summer go?
Belle is growing - she's into the adolescent stage right now. We had forgotten what a puppy can find to chew. She loves ice cream pails and carries them by the handle in her mouth - looks like she's really on a mission. Learning not to jump on people is a really hard lesson. She knows what we say and will stay down but it is so hard when you are so very happy to see everyone! Casey is still ignoring her as best he can. That still makes Belle stand back and give him a look like, "what is your problem?"
We had a funeral on Saturday - Tom's cousin, Bob. Once again we have to stop and take a good long look around us. We know that things will never be the same again, the lesson we learn each time someone dies. And, once again, we are overwhelmed by how very fortunate we have been over our lives with family and friends. We will miss him.
Take care, all of you.