At it again

I guess this is enough of a summer hiatus from doing any writing here.  The temperatures have finally dropped down to a normal range for August.  Normal being almost twenty degrees cooler than it was last month.  Still no rain.  We had an inch of rain back in June sometime, I think.  Wasn't enough to do a lot of good.  
before that the last good moisture was a foot of snow in December.  Luckily we have a good enough water well to keep the garden going and the lawn kind of green.

The heat hit about a month earlier than usual, just when the garden was was just starting to set on.  The tomatoes have just started to produce.  This should be the second round instead of the first.  I had covered the tomatoes when the heat got real bad, so the plants survived ok, just not a lot of fruit.  There are a lot of tomatoes now.  Just not a lot of time left. I just hope frost holds off until October.  The seasons have been starting a month early this year, so who knows. Carol has been canning a few as they come ripe.   The first sweet corn that I planted did ok and we were able to put some of it away.  The later corn didn't fill at all.  Green beans did ok from the first planting.  We canned 51 pints of them.  Beets and carrots did ok.  We were able to can a few jars of beets.  Cantaloupe has been fairly good.  The watermelons have been good, just not many of them.  Zucchini has been a little slow.  Carol found some recipes using zucchini that have been real good.  One she uses pineapple juice with the squash, processes and cans it.  Tastes just like pineapple.  The other uses apple cider vinegar and sugar and zucchini.  Tastes like apple butter.

The recipe for the Zapple Butter (here name for it) is:  Peel and chunk squash. Put in kettle and cover with water and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.  Cook until done.  Drain and process in a food processer.  For every 4 cups of zucchini add 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 2 Cups sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 cup nutmeg.

Cook on low overnight or all day in crockpot.  Fill prepared jars and water bath for 10 minutes.
For  "Zapplesauce" use less sugar and spices to taste.
It is very, very good.  Try it you will like it.

Our quail are just about ready to be released into their new habitat.  The heat was tough on them, but we made it.  One varmit tried to get in one night.  It tore a small hole in the fence and let out about 40 of the.  They stay right next to the pen in some bushes and we were able to get the back in.  I wish there was a video of this because I'm sure it would be hilarious.

I took this pic of some of them sitting on the door to the pen.  They act like they would like to just get on the other side.  They may have a different idea in about a week. 

Time to go and get on with my "rat killing".  I haven't figured out what yet, but will just walk out the door and do something.

Words of "wisdom" from the coffee shop crowd--"The problem with retirement is that you never get a day off."
God Bless all--johnnyb