June 16-22, 2025

Weather | 6/16, sunny, 64°, 87° | 6/17, sunny to T-storm, 0.63" rain, 63°, 87° | 6/18, 0.42" rain, 65°, 75° | 6/19, sunny, 58°, 83° | 6/20, cloudy, 67°, xx° | 6/21, xx°, xx° | 6/22, xx°, xx° |

• Monday, 6/16: Hannibal Trip & Snow Peas
  • We decided we aren't planting melons, pumpkins, or corn this year, so a drive to tame the far far garden isn't so urgent. It's overgrown with tall weeds, grass and head-high persimmon saplings that need removal by September, when garlic goes in that area a couple months later.
  • I checked online and called Tractor Supply in Hannibal to located chick grit, which they have on hand. So, I drove to Hannibal. I got the wrong spark plugs for the riding mower's engine when we were last in Quincy, so I exchanged them for the right plugs at the Farm & Home store in Hannibal. It's a much better store than the one in Quincy, which is odd, since their headquarters is in Quincy. I picked up oranges, lemons, and ginger, ingredients for pea pod wine, at Walmart (it's better than the Quincy Walmart store) and bought gas for 2.56 a gallon. I grabbed chick grit and then I picked up two foot-long subs at Subway. On the drive home, I noticed a lot of traffic on Highway 61.
  • Mary picked snow peas and strawberries while I was gone. She also mowed part of the west yard and started mulching another row in the near far garden. 
  • I changed the spark plugs on the riding mower.
  • After dark, I picked stems and flowers off the snow peas Mary picked today. It came to just under three pounds. I need four pounds to make a gallon of pea pod wine.
  • Each evening we hear the call of a wood thrush in the north woods. It has such a wonderful multi-note sound. HERE is their call.

• Tuesday, 6/17: Rain Stops Outside Work
  • The house wren is back stuffing branches on top of our fencer unit. I removed sticks two times today.
  • Mary mowed more in the west yard and mulched into the far garden until an approaching thunderstorm halted outside activities.
  • I disassembled an air conditioner for the upstairs north bedroom and was in the middle of cleaning it out when the same thunderstorm forced me to stuff all parts into the back of the pickup and quit for the day.
  • We received another good rain. Blackberries ought to thrive this year. 
  • A quick text to the local welder in LaBelle, MO, revealed that he can weld the crack in the riding mower deck and I can take it to him anytime.
  • After our rain, bees were busy visiting the motherwart blossoms in the chicken yard. They must hide under the leaves during a rain, then flip to the top as soon as the rain drops stop falling. 
  • The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive year beating the Edmonton Oilers, 5-1, in Game 6. Professional hockey is over for another season.

• Wednesday, 6/18: Rain & Two Wines
  • We had rain throughout most of today, but the stars were shining when we walked Plato on his final outing.
  • Mary picked strawberries and several blueberries (see photo, below). We'll enjoy them tomorrow on top of waffles.
  • Mary picked the last of the snow peas. This year's snow pea crop was the best, ever, due to cooler temperatures and plenty of rain.
  • I took stems and flowers off enough snow peas to get 4.18 pounds of pods, which is enough for making a gallon of pea pod wine. 
  • I racked the dandelion wine for the third time. The pH was 3.2 and the specific gravity was 0.994, which is about the same as a month ago during its second racking. By using a narrow 1/4-inch hose, I was able to leave just a trace of liquid and put the remaining must into exactly the same size containers (see photo, below). The leftover fines were minimal.
  • I started a gallon batch of pea pod wine. I zested two oranges and two lemons. Afterwards, I juiced the fruit. I thinly sliced 1.7 ounces of ginger root after peeling it. I washed four pounds of snow pea pods in the sink, brought a gallon of water to a boil, then added the pea pods and the fruit zest to the pot and maintained a low boil for 30 minutes. Mary helped me scoop out mushy pea pods that became compost fodder. Mary held a mesh bag open while I poured the pea pod liquid through it to catch more pea pods, peas, and fruit peels. Added to the bucket was another quart of water, a one pound, 12 ounces of sugar, the fruit juice, 1.5 teaspoons of acid blend, and 0.2 grams of Kmeta. I put the sliced ginger in a mesh bag and added that to the brew bucket. The specific gravity was 1.085 and the pH was 3.1. A weird odor of peas and fruit filled the house. I hope the final product tastes better than that smell! But, the parsnip wine also smells weird while making the must, yet parsnip wine is really good. After covering the bucket with a flour sack towel, it sits in the pantry for 12 hours.

Strawberries & blueberries picked today.

Fines (left) & newly racked dandelion wine (right).

• Thursday, 6/19: Bunny 1, Robin 0
  • Mary watched a rabbit run over a robin on the lane while we were walking Plato this morning. The poor robin was literally flattened!
  • I added a half teaspoon of pectic enzyme and 0.8 grams of diammonium phosphate (DAP) to the pea pod wine after eating breakfast. Through the day, I worked up a starter batch of Red Star Premier Classique, or Montrachet, yeast. When I pitched the yeast at night, the specific gravity of the wine was 1.082 and the pH was 3.3. The yeast gave off an instant aroma, so I think this will be a very fast acting fermentation. It smells very nice.
  • We ate wonderful tasting waffles covered with strawberries and blueberries for our midday meal.
  • I finished cleaning the air conditioner for the upstairs north bedroom and assembled it. I'll install the AC in the room's window tomorrow.
  • Mary mowed most of the rest of the west yard and mulched more in the near far garden.