A year or two ago we realized our grapes weren't getting enough sunshine just North of the apple trees and behind the privet hedge. The Big Guy built a beautiful set of posts and supports in full sun then transplanted the old vines and settled new ones. This is our first harvest at the new location:
Last Friday I had help harvesting grapes:
We picked almost five gallons minus what the little one ate (I warned his mom about interesting deposits she might find, seeds included). Saturday, Rachael and Laura started to help process the grapes, but were "creeped out" by all the black, crawly bugs that stalk our fresh fruit!
After rinsing, stripping, boiling and grinding, we had nearly a gallon--enough for 3 batches of strong stuff.
Here's this year's fresh produce. It's not a lot, but it's all hand made:
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| From left to right: tomatoes, lilac and rose jellies, pears (all Grace's products), mint jelly, pear butter (Grace), grape jelly, applesauce and apple pie filling. |
This picture is not one I'm necessarily proud of, but it's good for building humility and I thought it would make an awesome "I spy" picture:
The Big Guy is still harvesting corn. He doesn't stop to eat, so his meals are things he can devour single-handedly. That means they begin creatively but ended up being rather repetitive--especially two meals every day. Most of the time I make him a tortilla wrap with lettuce, whatever meat we have left-over, and a spot of spicy ranch dressing. After two weeks of wraps, I changed it up and threw in a few bagel sandwiches with sliced ham, turkey and cheese.
Grace harvested carrots from her garden last week and made some amazing cupcakes for her lunch buddies at school. We wish we qualified. To her credit, she does share the flops--and takes an endorsement from home with each of her products.
And here is one of our fine Pine Ridge barn mascots:
We have 3 "tame" rabbits that roam: Rebecca (Laura's lop) and two Dutch bunnies. They stay close and are happy to eat loose corn, seeds, and dribbled cow food. The Big Guy makes sure they have water in the chicken coop. The barn is now home to an amazing tunnel system--sometime I'd like to play Alice in Wonderland.
I failed to have my camera the other night when Grace's calf was so very hungry that he tried to nurse the back end of a rooster. At first it was funny, then horrifying and naturally inappropriate. Before Foghorn Leghorn was alert enough to move, the hungry calf had hold of his spur. Better than where he'd been, but "no cigar."
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