Ducks4you for 2022

[ducks4you]

I finally harvested my cantaloupe yesterday! Sorry, no pictures. The rinds went to the ponies, and DD's have the leftovers in their fridge.
I am currently fermenting the 100+ seeds, so I am happy. I look forward to planting cantaloupe next year.
I havested the dozen+ apples surprisingly from the old apple tree. My animals don't like it when I am angry.
My GS, "Eva" will jump into DH's lap if I get angry with her.
My plants pretty much ignore me, but this apple tree took my threats to chop it down seriously and produced this year.
I think it produced over 60 apples. Many fell off, and I threw many to the ponies. They Don't need it. When we refenced they got their very own GD apple tree.
They say, "we enjoy our apple tree and hope that every horse enjoys theirs bc...doesn't Everybody have one?!?"
They have already eaten the low hanging fruit, but they are patient to wait for the rest to fall. There is never evidence of rotten fruit under this tree.
I washed the not-so-great apples and have them cooking with some water in my crock pot. I will run the stuff through a seive today and probably hot water bath a couple of pints of applesauce.

 

[ducks4you]

Family Did clean out the truck after they got back September 7th. On September 25th.
They left the two wicker baskets in the kitchen.
I cleaned them out.
One had a handful of ice packs and I put those in my freezer. Dunno if any were DD's property. They are now MY property.
I found 6 apples. 2 were mushy, 4 weren't--what kind of apple keeps this long?!?!?-- so I put them in with the other apples in the crockpot.
The small wicker picnic basket had 2 Nature's muffins, 4 beef sticks, 2 packages of apricots, 4 packages of olives and the 3/4 full package of animal crackers hadn't gone stale, so those become MINE and are in my cookie jar. Guess I have some snacks while I clean house/yard this week.

 

[ducks4you]

I was gonna post one of these on Picture of the Week, but...dunno.
This is the prettiest tomato I have grown this year and it is a Cherokee Purple.
Funny, it was on the garage side of my fencing. I had to pull it off and "walk" it up the other side of the fencing to the top and over bc the fencing is to shallow to pull it through, but it worked.
I have one tomato squished and growing on both sides!
ANYWAY, Please let me know which photo you like the best.
I am saving gardening pictures to a folder. DD says she will make me a 2023 calendar with them.
Here we go, vote for your Favorite, pls!
#1

#2

#3

 

[ducks4you]

House smells like Fall what with apples cooking in the crockpot. I found a few small cucumbers, so I am about to put them and the others cut up in the fridge with ice cubes for a few hours. I am making them into sweet pickles, and will hot water bath them with the applesauce this afternoon.
Hungry yet?

 

[ducks4you]

I am steaming last of my sweet corn, so I'm online for the next 5 minutes, anyway.
So...I have researched how to get keep fruit blossoms from getting frosting in the spring.
Smudgpots are REALLY pricey, so I gave up on trying to help my peach tree keep it's spring blooms, bc we are getting late freezes in April regularly now.
Mind was BLOWN, when I found this:

Behrens 20 gal. Galvanized Steel Composter/Rubbish Burner Animal Proof/Animal Resistan Lid - Ace Hardware

Built with the highest quality galvanized steel, this refuse/composter can is durable and made to last. Features 4 legs to keep the can off ground for better air flow, durable wire handles for easy portability and tight–fitting lid. This can is ideal for composting or burning refuse. May contain...

www.acehardware.com

$54
Ace Hardware
I Can afford this.

 

[ducks4you]

The locker gave me a breakdown of my lamb order, 35 pounds. Thought I'd share. Looks like 13 full meals and some specialty meals made with the extra parts I asked for. I didn't think I'd get any Lambburger. DH wants 2 meatloaves.

Rambo Meat List
Lamb Chop - 13
Shoulder Roast - 2
Ribs - 1
Lamb Leg - 2
Lambburger - 4
Shank - 3
Neck - 1

 

[ninnymary]

Ducks, I we didn't grow up eating lamb and don't know what current lamb meat goes for.

I'm curious as to how the cost compares to buying it. Of course I know the benefits of raising your own but wondering if like a lot of things it's costs more even though it's better?

Mary

 

[ducks4you]

Mary,
Last time I bought a leg of lamb for Easter, it was $90.00/2 1/2 pounds, which calculates to 36/lb.
I paid a $70 holding fee, then $214 to the rancher, then $80 for processing, and probably another $12 in gas money, 1 1/2 hrs one way, so 3 hrs travel this weekend.
So, each lamb pound=$8.70/lb
If you take away the gas money...$8.40/lb
The locker gave me a 2% discount for paying with cash. Dunno where I will spend that $1.60
I just wanted an Easter leg of lamb, but now we have about 13 meals of specialty meat plus bones and organs to play with. Eldest DD, the "Chef", has lots of ideas.
What is beef selling for in your neck of the woods?
-Betty

 

[ducks4you]

Did a short harvest run a few minutes ago. I can see that the colder temperatures are kissing the cucumber vines and some of the beans, too. Leaves on the inside appear unscathed. Found another cucumber that I will snack on tonight. I have too much party prep to desire to cover much. I will probably cover the southmost row of beans, since I planted them last. If they survive until Sunday afternoon, maybe I will get some more bean harvesting.
Friday, I plan to harvest every bean I see. I have left about 7 KPB's that might produce beans. I have brought the purple bean pods inside. I plugged in the top heat mat on my basement 4 shelf unit, and I put them in a disposable turkey roaster that I bought last year for inside gardening purposes--doesn't everybody?!?!?
It should be warm enough there with the gro light to dry them out, and I can forget about them for a few weeks while I do other things...like decorate for the holidays!
Yesterday I cooked down the apples. After mashing them, I thought, NOPE! No applesauce here. I labelled 2 pints worth of "Apple Juice for Wine".
I was surprised to fill 2 1/4 quarts of sweet pickles, very full of slices. 2 pints and five 1/2 pints, all put away in the pantry.
I am almost done cleaning out old jars of produce nobody wants bc I did it wrong, or they sat too long...like 2009. After the party---EVERYTHING THIS WEEK IS "ATP"--I can dig another garden hole and empty their contents and clean out the jars for something else.
I put a box in the pantry for just these jars.
PLEASE go back to Post #673 and vote on my tomato photos. 😍

 

[ducks4you]

@ninnymary , the lockers are so messed up, what with lack of workers, and the small lockers have been hijacked by the bigger ones. This rancher used to drive her lambs and goats and pigs to the small locker 20 minutes away, and they would receive them same day. A "lamb" is any sheep under one year of age, so born in the Spring, butchered (here) in the Fall.
Now same rancher makes an appointment 6-12 months out, or else they cannot process the meat.
How do you do that?!?!? Livestock sometimes becomes dead-stock, and you cannot make the choice to put a little bit more weight on them. You make the date, you Keep the date.
She was Lucky to find This locker, 45 minutes drive from her property. Fortunately, she is one of only a few sheep breeders around here, and has a waiting list. I guess if I raised my own, I might ask my friend who hunts deer to help me butcher. DD's think I couldn't put a steer in my trailer to take for butchering bc I would get attached to it. How could I do that with a sheepie?
Maybe another 2 years of this rotten administration and I might change my mind...
I am already getting attached to the guinea (fowl) that made it to my property after my friend's ghinea flock was dessimated. "Harold" hangs with the ponies and sometimes roosts in the loft. Pictures, soon...