More Ramblings

When I picked the tomatoes from the high tunnel the other day, they were all green so I put them into brown paper bags and set them underneath my buffet where they wouldn't accidentally get kicked to ripen. They are ripening unevenly so I have to check every few days to see if I have enough to process. I am making tomato juice and tomato sauce with my Mehu Lisa steamer from Lehmans. That steamer sure saves a lot of time. Here are some pics of the tomatoes:





Oh! I forgot that I had enough Perkins Long Pod Okra to make a pint of pickled okra. I've never eaten okra pickled so am looking forward to having it. I think I'll save the jar for Thanksgiving.

My brother-in-law, John Ertl, gave me some nice rutabegas from his garden. I canned 31 pints from them. I used my American canners that I bought at Bud Lucas' estate sale. I think Bud and his wife would be happy to see their former belongings being used and appreciated.





Here are some pics of the fire ring. You can see how I started building the concrete brick wall enclosure around it.



The leaves are almost gone from the trees already. I can't believe how fast they fall. This has been a pretty Fall even though the colors were short in staying. I like the way the leaves make a carpet over the ground. I want to take a picture of the hay road by the field because that will be a lovely picture.





Dad told me to get a gate for the ramp on FF where the snowmobile access is because he says people are going back and forth through there on ATVs. That REALLY PISSES ME OFF because I specifically told the snowmobile people that ATVs ARE NOT ALLOWED on this farm and someone took down the NO ATV signs that were there. I know I have chased people off the grounds, but I didn't know Dad was being bothered by the !@#$#*(_)(*@! too. Dad says he doesn't want anybody on the trail either except for snowmobile people, too, so I will get a gate and call the police for whatever else I should do. I'll have to tell John and Mary to put a gate on the trail at their end. Mary works for DOC so maybe she can tell me what else to do, come to think of it. It's a darn shame you have low-lifes here, locals and out-of-towners, who just take advantage of any goodwill extended by people. This farm is private property and anyone coming on this property without our express permission is trespassing. Only the snowmobile people have permission to be on that trail out of season for trail maintenance -- that is the ONLY time ATVs are allowed on the property -- and during snowmobile season from December 1 through March. We are sick and tired of people breaking trees, stealing timber and balsam boughs, making campfires, poaching animals and leaving the carcass to rot after taking what animal part they want, hunting without permission, and in general, treating our property like some public park. Be forewarned: you will be prosecuted.

Whew! My blood pressure must have gone up 20 points with that tirade. Well, I've forgotten what else I wanted to talk about so I'll leave off for now.