Good Old Summertime

"There's a time each year 

That we always hold dear,

Good old summer time;

With the birds and the trees'es

And sweet scented breezes,

Good old summer time;

When you day's work is over

Then you are in clover

And life is one beautiful rhyme,

No trouble annoying,

Each one is enjoying,

That good old summer time"

In The Good Old Summertime ~Lyrics by Ron Shields 

It always happens at this time of year…  While hanging out laundry I saw a leaf fall.  As I followed its path to the ground I was amazed to find several more lying there.  As usual it sends me running to try to fit as much in as possible.

Early last week I took the kids fishing.  While they fished I gathered some elderberries.  The birds and I are in a race to see who can get to them first…sadly they are winning.  I returned later in the week and gathered some more.  I also found a crab apple tree which I hope to beat the birds too.  I did get enough berries so far to make one batch of elderberry/blackberry syrup, and two batches of elderberry jelly.

I got a great price on mangos and I wanted to make chutney but they were very ripe so I made mango jam instead.  After another jaunt to the farmers market, I canned  9 quarts of crushed tomatoes,  10 pints of carrots, and froze 10 pounds of broccoli and 16 pints of corn.

The kids got the day off work on Thursday to go to the Jake Owens concert at the county fair.  It started at 7:30.  The man and I strolled through the exhibits and when we came out of the building the sky was rolling big black clouds. 

The man bought his sausage and peppers and we headed to the other end of the fairgrounds to buy my blooming onion.  

Our appetite sufficiently sated we went to check out the sheep and goats.  We did not get half way down the first aisle of the barn when the skies opened up and delivered a deluge of rain.  

We had told the kids to meet us at the front gate when the show was over so we had to dash through the down pour because we figured he would cancel the concert.  But Jake Owens said that if they were willing to sit in the rain he was willing to sing in the rain.  So the show continued until the thunder and lightning started and then they called it.  They missed out on half of the concert but they were so happy they didn’t care.  Since we were all completely wet we just headed for the parking lot.  Then we sat and watched the lightning for an hour while we waited to exit the fair grounds, the kids chattering away the whole time.

 Yesterday while visiting with grandson we went to Produce Junction.  I picked up some mushrooms to can cream of mushroom soup, sweet cherries,  green mango’s for chutney,  strawberries to freeze,  kiwi, lemons and some peaches.  We dropped #2 daughter off to spend the week with #1 daughter while Sir T goes out of town for work.  We will be going back down next weekend to pick her up and visit with Baby O again.  He is getting so big. 

Today I made black cherry pie filling and strawberry kiwi jam.  Tomorrow I will make the cream of mushroom soup and mango chutney.  The peaches need some time to ripen and might become peach salsa.

My garden finally produced two ripe tomatoes.  I continue to pick side shoots of broccoli and freeze them.  I have picked a handful of beans and they are loaded with blossom.  I hope #2 daughter is back to help by the time they all come in.   I pulled the zucchini.  The red raspberry bushes are going to bloom soon and so far the grapes look good…both will be a race with the birds.

So the canning season is going full force.  The school shopping will continue when #2 gets back home.  Being a creature of habit I am looking forward to our old routine and all of us sitting down to dinner together each night….only three weeks.