- Sunday, 8/16: Happenings today:
- Mom texted that she's tired after attending Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeos 4 nights in a row. She said, "The PRCA rodeos here in Circle were very good. There were a huge number of well-known riders from all over the U.S. and Canada, due to the fact that many rodeos have been cancelled everywhere."
- Mom also texted that Ernie Carlson, who Katie once worked for, died of a stroke 10 days ago. He was 66.
- Mary planted 12 strawberry runners into potting soil in Styrofoam cups.
- We planted strawberries in buckets this spring. I got "sand" from a creek NE of the chicken yard, but about half of it, unbeknownst to me at the time, was mainly clay, which killed 2/3 of the strawberry plants. I took 2 of these buckets, dumped them out, salvaged the non-clay layers of soil, added better sandy soil, topsoil, wood ashes, leaves, grass, and topped it off with 3" of potting soil and an inch of grass mulch. When they're ready, we'll plant each strawberry runner into 1 of these buckets with better soil.
- Mary used her scythe and cut a section of long grass south of the house that we'll use for hay on the floor of the chicken coop this winter.
- Mary's death count from the gardens includes 29 worm eggs, 4 army worms, 4 cabbage worms, 1 tomato worm, and 1 cucumber beetle.
- We listened to the last few minutes of the St. Louis Blues/Vancouver Canucks playoff game 3 that ended regulation play in a 2-2 tie. It was after midnight, so we went to bed. Noticed the next morning that the Blues won 3-2. The Canucks lead the series 2-1. Hopefully, the Blues kick it on, now. They always play the last game of the day in Edmonton, Alberta, where half of the NHL teams are playing in isolation, due to the coronavirus. GO BLUES!
- Monday, 8/17: During our "weenie roast" last night, where we used metal weenie roasting sticks to cook slices of pork loin over an outdoor fire, Mary and I discussed house plans. I tossed out the idea that maybe building a new house is wrong for someone my age. She disagreed, saying that her Uncle Herman was in his 70s and 80s when he put in new floors and built the north addition to our existing home. It's really never too late to do whatever one's heart desires. Onward...CHARGE!
Today's happenings:- I called our insurance company, took the Buick off insurance, and added the GMC pickup. The change cost us absolutely nothing, and I was able sign paperwork enabling the change online. That's neat.
- Called McKenzie Auto. They don't do state vehicle inspections, now, and they said to see Travis Fleer. Called Fleer Tire. Travis is the only one at his garage who can do inspections and he's on the county board, so he's not in today, due to a county board meeting. His employee said to try Joe Howse in LaBelle. I drove back roads to LaBelle. Howse's door was locked, no one was there, and there wasn't even a sign on this place of business. I'll have to get the pickup licensed tomorrow.
- Mary did a deep water to both gardens, which took all afternoon. Her garden death toll was 31 worm eggs, 6 cabbage worms, 4 army worms, 1 horn worm, and 2 cucumber beetles.
- After finishing eating next to the outdoor fire, it started raining. We took items inside, walked dogs, then after two spittles of rain, the skies broke to crystal clear and we went back to the fire.
- Checked online prior to bedtime, and the Blues beat the Canucks 3-1 and tied the series 2-2. GO BLUES!
- Tuesday, 8/18: Events:
- I drove the pickup to Lewistown and got it inspected. I shouldn't have been concerned about ABS light. Inspection involved, left turn, right turn, high beam, horn, brake lights, sticker in window, you're done.
- Travis Fleer, who did the vehicle inspection, puts out-of-state deer hunters in stands in properties adjoining us. He said someone recently bought the land west of us. He thinks it's someone who bought the land to hunt on. Travis lost the lease on the land north of us, because the owner's grandson wants to hunt there. That explains why it was quieter to the north last hunting season.
- I drove to Monticello, our county seat, and got license plates for the pickup. It's now legal.
- Katie messaged me that I have a daughter who can help build a house. That's nice of her.
- Mary made a big batch of vegetable soup and dusted more books.
- Her garden worm killing list is 13 worm eggs, 2 cabbage worms, 2 horn worms, and 2 cucumber beetles. She saw 1 corn tassel and the start of some corn ears...flashing red lights for me to finish electric fence around far garden before raccoons attack!
- Wednesday, 8/19: Some nights, we're reminded how close we are to the wild here on our property. Such was the case today. We walked the dogs south, partway down our quarter-mile gravel lane. Right next to Bluegill Pond (it once had bluegill fish in it), ears went up on both of our dogs as they peered intently in the pond's direction, westerly. After a couple minutes, Mary and I walked back north. The dogs followed, with ears laid back and intensity in their trot home. A barred owl called from the edge of our west lawn as we followed the fast-moving dogs to the house. Immediately after getting inside, Mary heard coyotes yipping. They sounded like they were between the woodshed and the machine shed, about 100 feet from the house. It's a wild place. We like it that way.
In other news:- I found stainless steel screws, removed the rusty bolts, and attached the new Missouri license plates on the GMC pickup.
- Mary picked a possible "pickle batch" of cucumbers. She also picked a handful of wax beans, with more coming.
- She made biscuits to go with the vegetable soup...yum!
- Mary watered gardens and picked 7 worm eggs, no worms, 2 cucumber beetles.
- I racked the watermelon wine and the blackberry wine. I might be tossing the watermelon wine. It smells terrible and tastes just as bad. Mary says it tastes like you sucked on the rear end of a polecat. She never wants to taste it, again. We tasted the blackberry fines, or leftovers, which usually leave you with a strong yeasty suggestion, and they tasted wonderful. Mary says it tastes like alcoholic Kool-Aid. The 2 wines, after racking, are pictured below.
- I reviewed pickup wheel pricing online. I'll order new ones, since they are only $25 more a piece than used rims from a junkyard in Monroe City, 38 miles south of us.
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| Blackberry (left) & watermelon (right) wine. |
- Thursday, 8/20: I went shopping in Quincy. Traffic was high. Employees guard some store entrances requiring face mask usage. People who once didn't wear masks, now wear them as chin straps. I'm amazed at how completely ignorant some people are about working to curtail this pandemic. Covid-19 numbers are skyrocketing here and yet, several people still act like it's all a hoax. Quincy's Adams County has 692 cases, 52 in Lewis, our county, and 307 in Marion County, south of us where Hannibal is. This is no ruse and I only hope those of us who are trying to curtail it don't succumb to the disease, due to the incompetency of the mentally midgets, of which there seems to be vast abundance, locally.
In other news:- I texted with Karen for several minutes.
- Mary picked a half of a grocery bag of cucumbers and a handful of green beans. She also picked 100 persimmon leaves and laid them out to dry.
- She watered both gardens, taking about 2 hours. She found 7 worm eggs and 2 army worms.
- After I got home, and while I was unloading and putting items away, Katie called, asking for 401K advice. We talked for several minutes.
- We had nachos and watched the 3rd Hobbit movie.
- Friday, 8/21: Waffle Day! Earlier this year, we decided to make Friday morning the time when we eat waffles for breakfast. I took a waffle recipe that I got from Mom and altered it. Instead of egg whites and melted margarine, I use ground flax meal. It's a simple recipe...1/2 cup white flour, 2 cups wheat flour (we like King Arthur wheat flour), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 4 heaping tablespoons ground flax mixed with hot water in a bowl, and enough hot water to turn the mix into a semi-thick liquid soup. This makes 4 waffle squares. I cook them up in a Nordic Ware waffle iron my parents gave us for Christmas in 1991. When I can get them, we add strawberries with margarine spread and honey. Waffles make our Friday mornings a real treat.
In other news:- Mary turned over the hay she cut a few days ago and cut another small patch in the south lawn, laying it out to dry.
- I spread out a canvas tarp and surveyed under the pickup's rear end. A paper stamp stuck on the driveshaft confirmed that it's relatively new. It's aluminum and there's no hanging bearing, which is something that always wears out. The spare tire is flat and on an extremely rusty rim. Even though the previous owner said he replaced some brake lines, those running to the back need replacing. The muffler is good. The right rear shock is badly dinged and both brake backing plates, referred to as dust covers on disc brakes, are rusted through and need immediate replacement. It looks like axle shafts must be removed to get the brake dust covers on...a major job. Hey, the pickup was cheap for a reason. I knew that when I bought it.
- I wrote a list of items that need fixing on the pickup, and ranked them from 1 to 10 in priority.
- We ate scrambled eggs cooked on a small outside fire. We call it smoked eggs, because the smoke from the hardwood fire gives them a smokey flavor.
- I helped Mary water gardens. With me hauling water and Mary pouring out the watering cans, it greatly reduces garden watering time. I picked 3 strawberries and stomped down mole borrowings under the bottom wires of the near garden's electric fence.
- Mary picked more cucumbers and beans.
- Mary found and killed 33 worm eggs and 2 horn worms. She showed me a snowy tree cricket that we always hear every night in our trees.
- Two of our five pumpkins are turning orange. I pointed at growing squash and Mary realized that they weren't acorn squash, but summer scalloped squash. The seed accidentally got into our acorn squash seed packet. Oh well, we'll shred them up to make yummy chocolate/summer squash cake.
- Saturday, 8/22: Happenings:
- Oops...forgot in yesterday's waffle recipe that I also add a cup of milk to the batter.
- Mom and I texted for several minutes. Her garden is productive. Temperatures have been in the 90s and over 100 for several days in Circle, MT.
- Mary picked another bunch of cucumbers and beans.
- After processing, she froze 13 meal-sized packages of beans. She also froze 12 meal-sized packages of blueberries that I recently bought at Aldi.
- Mary stored 3 oversized wheelbarrow loads of hay into the second grain bin. Each load was stacked up to her head in height.
- I heard electric snapping about 15 feet from the electric fencer unit, carefully dug down and determined it emanated from where I soldiered a spice together. Apparently, the heat shrink covering was faulty. I covered it with several layers of electrical tape, buried it, then checked at the fence and had no electric fence pulse at all. Obviously, my old soldered connection was bad and wrapping it with electrical tape separated the union completely. I did a quick fix of swapping wires, to put the hot charge through what once was the ground wire from the fencer to the fence. I'll fix the bad connection later.
- We watered both gardens. Mary nailed 19 worm eggs, 6 small horn worms, an army worm, and an unidentified worm.
- I priced out pickup rims and rear brake dust covers at RockAuto.
- I applied redneck sun protection to the inside of the windows of the Cadillac...old Mid-Rivers wall calendars cut to size and propped into place with pieces of Styrofoam that came with fish and animal shipments into Petco.
- The blackberry wine is down to just a couple tiny bubbles of fermentation every few seconds...almost done fermenting.
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