Glenda, you are one busy woman!

I already mentioned about my tomatoes and the walnut tree so had one plant live and very few tomatoes.

A neighbor who always plants a huge garden has been supplying us with potatoes, tomatoes, yellow and zucchini squash, onions and some sweet corn. He brought strawberries earlier in season and will have cantaloupe later. Another neighbor has supplied cucumbers, some tomatoes and EGGS! Love farm fresh eggs! DH always helps these guys when they need something done so this is pay off I guess. ;>) I really appreciate farm fresh produce.

My daughter called and someone had given her some squash which she is passing on to me. DH likes zucchini relish so will be grinding veggies for it in the morning before I go to clean on the rent house our renters just moved out of-what a mess! They were there for 4 years and always paid the rent on time but not so good at cleaning!

I don't post often but enjoy reading about what is going on with everyone.

Bev

Glenda you make me tired just reading all that you do. I have lots of slicing tomatoes. Maybe they like it dry; I didn't get the rains you got. I have lost lots of nice big ones lately and I think it was the worms and the .6 inch of rain I finally got. They get a hole and rot. I have plenty but I hate throwing away big ones.

Helen, if the rest of the tomato is firm, I just cut away the hole and soft spot and cook or eat the rest!

Bev, I thought about trying a cucumber relish, but don't know if I will or not. Even my one zuchini plant isn't doing much this year.

Of course, the eggplant I don't like ---Dusky---, is producing its fool head off. I wonder if the chickens will eat them?

Bev, how lucky for you getting all that produce without the work. That's a nice way to repay your husband and I know you both appreciate it.

Glenda I don't can. I did the water bath on tomatoes and kraut years ago and sort of expected to get sick after I ate my canned food. I give away pretty tomatoes but not ones with juice running out. I may try making salsa and freezing it because then I would not worry about doing anything wrong. It is dry here.

Helen, if you follow the directions on the salsa and water bath it, and it seals, you are perfectly safe. I don't think tomatoes freeze well. If the lid is down and tight on a jar, it is sealed. If it doesn't seal, the lid will be loose and you will certainly know it. The contents will bubble and spew over.

Do you can on your stove inside or have another method. My appliance repair man said not to can on my ceramic stove top because it is too heavy and the top could crack. I could try small jars in a small pot or get a coleman stove and take it outside. He was a cautious person and warned me about other things so I don't know if he is correct or not.

I have a gas range. I have also heard that you shouldn't can on those kinds of ranges. I wouldn't risk it at all.

Helen - some people do can on ceramic tops but I never have. I think some of the older or cheaper models just have small burners and the canners extend out too far over the edge of the heating element which can make the top crack. A small burner may not ever get hot enoughto make the water boil either. It sure would be a disaster if it cracked in the middle of canning something.
I'm waiting on five or six football sized Orangeglow watermelons to get ripe. I've seen lots of good reviews on those and I'm anxious to try one. Also have five Blacktail Mountains, a few Sakata Sweets, and only a couple Charentais melons. Those haven't done very well. I only have one Moon & Stars on a volunteer plant that didn't come up in a very good area. It's not doing too well either.

I had some canteloupe in the frig that got old so I put it out to see if it would draw butterflies and something ate every bit of it overnight. I'm concerned that whatever it was will go after my melon patch when they start getting ripe.
This is my first year to grow Malabar Spinach and I'm impressed with how many leaves my one plant is producing. It has a good flavor and even the larger leaves don't seem bitter at all. I mixed up my favorite spinach dressing and fixed a big bowl full with high expectations but with the oily dressing, it gained a very slimy texture that I didn't notice when I ate the leaves plain. I could barely stand to eat it. I still think it has potential. I just need to figure out a different way to fix it. I don't think I'd like it cooked.

I've been having trouble finding time to garden lately. I always do, but more than normal. Lots of things we're trying to get done before school starts, shopping, dentist, hair cuts, vehicle woes, too much unplanned company, etc. I'm trying to keep up with watering at least so my plants won't die.

Suzy - We enjoy reading about what's going on with you too. Don't just be a lurker. : ) Sounds like you have a some nice neighbors.

Cooler here today after the rain yesterday. I am glad as I had to go to West Plains this morning to pick up a motor for my daughter's AC (she was working). Dropped it off at the guy's house who is fixing the AC and they sent some tomatoes home with me. They had grown some roma type tomatoes that were huge and prettily striped up-red, orange and yellow. The wife said they liked to experiment with different varieties-reminded me of you guys on here.

Got my zucchini relish canned Friday. Wound up with 8 pints and 2 small jelly jars. For some reason the jelly jars didn't seal so put them in the refrigerator to use first. Sent one pint home with DH brother and his wife yesterday. Need to give some to the people who are supplying me with veggies.

I am just about through with my part of the work at the rent house. Need to put the stove back together, hang some border in the kitchen, paint two doors and window trim. I need to then start weeding again, moving some daylilies while redoing a bed and start collecting some seed. My, I am making myself tired-better take a nap before I go to Wal-Mart! :>)

Well it finally got up to 84° here to day, but wasn't bad out while I was mowing. Had to take the mower to Bolivar....again. I had hit some really heavy grass and it threw the belt off so I mowed pretty late in the afternoon.

Christie, we caught two raccoons before we just gave up. Someone told me possums love melons! Sic that new dog on them!

I hope this rain brings up the lettuce. The turnips are growing nicely. My melon vines are looking a bit sorry so keeping my fingers crossed they make it to ripening.

Okra is producing well. Made some stewed the other day that was very tasty. I had never done that before. I usually just fry it in corn meal like Mom did.

Suzy, hearing you talk about cleaning up a rental brings back memories. We used to have one. I don't think I could do that anymore.

I hope to move all my hostas but may wait until September to do it.

Glenda, we had raccoons in one of the blocks of corn one night and the feed store told us to put a line of hydrated lime around a block and coons wouldn't cross it.

So we did, and they didn't. Just like a miracle
Sunny

Glenda - Are you going to have any watermelons or have the critters gotten them all? I meant to ask you if all of your Moon and Starts have yellow spots like they should. I wondered if they would've crossed with the other melons I planted last year. My neighbor saw a raccoon and it's been stealing his tomatoes. I hope it doesn't find my melons. My Blacktail Mountains should be ready in about a week. I may have to try hydrated lime. Thanks Sunny

I hope you don't get me into melons like Ceresone and William got me into tomatoes. I don't have water to water them but I am tempted to get the moon and stars you talk about next year. I have trouble knowing when melons are ripe, but I guess you would help me if I had some next year.

christie, the first one that I accidentally pulled off was perfectly spotted. I just went out and checked the others and two are lightly spotted with small spots, no moon unless it was lower and I didn't want to touch it and one with no spots. I am watering them today hoping that I can keep them alive to ripening.

The Montreal Melons are getting huge! One had rotted but have several others. They should be ready by the end of the month, but the Moon and Stars need to go until September 10. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Is everyone enjoying this cooler weather like I am?

Fall is definitely in the air!

I did some serious mowing and cleaning up around the chicken house yesterday and began pulling up the cucumber vines. I am splitting and tossing the logs (overripe ones) to the chickens who seem to be enjoying them.

Picked another three quarts of the Trail of Tears beans yesterday. They get a purplish cast on the pods if they are in the full sun and more mature. I am still very impressed with them. I will let several dry on the vines for seeds for next year.

I need to pick okra today. I know I have let several get too big...do it every year! I have frozen a few bags so far.

Starting to lose some of the Montreal Melons to rot....may not get to sample them if it keeps up. The watermelons are holding on.

Last winds blew over some of the tall nicotiana which need to be pulled. May try to get that done today.

How is gardening coming along with the rest of you?

I had to put socks on this morning while drinking my coffee!!! What is that. An don't say winter is near, I don't want to hear it. I will continue to live in my on little dream land. lol
I pulled the pumpkin vines up. the winds last week broke them off at the soil. So I sat the pumpkins in the cool sun so they can finish up turning orange. Just so the grandchildren can put them out to decorate for fall is all I care about.
Picked more beans today an red okra.
My snow white cherry toms are still doing great. I like the sweet taste of this one.
Basil out the ears! I have more than enough in the freezer an getting a little tired of it right now. But I will continue to pick it. I just love the smell. I don't know if my watermelon are going to make it or not. The wind did a job on them as well. Time will tell.
Pulled all the marigolds that were anywhere near the house I could see. mildew got them an they were so awful looking.
I started pansy and viola, so I need to plant them out this week.
I start my "working vacation" this Friday. so for the next two weeks I will be doing all the thing I can't seem to find the time to do other wise. Paint, stain, plant an spread compost.
Hope everyone is have a week.
You know it is sorta of funny. My castor beans which are over 6' tall only had 3-4 stems I had to pull off from all that wind last week.
Bonnie