Monthly Archives: September 2020

Grape Job

Posted on September 28, 2020 by dep31

In honor of his having done the grape juice puttin’-up for 2020 in it’s entirety, from the harvesting of the grapes, to the washing therof, the loading into the canners of steaming, the decanting into jars, the water-bath canning of … Continue reading →

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Drying onions

Posted on September 26, 2020 by dep31

I cut up a baker’s dozen of onions from my garden yesterday, spread them on trays, and left them outside in the dryers overnight. It didn’t occur to me to take pictures until today… probably because my onions are super … Continue reading →

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Oh, Yeah…

Posted on September 25, 2020 by dep31

After the Tarping of the Haystack, we made a quick retreat for the house for warmth and showers. Sometime later, after I’d managed to thaw out and achieved a more comfortable status than “drowned rat”, I remembered that I had … Continue reading →

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Tarped In The Nick Of Time

Posted on September 24, 2020 by dep31

The haystack was brought in and stacked over the weekend through the ongoing efforts of Mr. Caffeinated and our local herd of teenagers. They are all very, very sore. The Moose and Junior are very much enamored with this giant … Continue reading →

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Regarding Restraints

Posted on September 22, 2020 by dep31

I was introduced to a new term while helping with hay loading this weekend. “Redneck Straitjacket” This is when someone decides they need to remove their long sleeve button-down shirt without either unbuttoning their cuffs or removing their work gloves. … Continue reading →

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Gettin’ Hay While The Sun Shines

Posted on September 20, 2020 by dep31

Ten TONS of hay moved and stacked in one (very long) afternoon. Four trailer loads. My teens (born and borrowed) ROCK. Yes, Natter drove that load. I sat in the passenger seat, with the intention of saying helpful things like, … Continue reading →

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Functional Measurements

Posted on September 16, 2020 by dep31

It’s so nice when their academic work actually reflects what we’re trying to teach them in real life. Maybe now when I send him for a pint of tomatoes, he can find the right size. He really enjoyed the fact … Continue reading →

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Friends are a blessing

Posted on September 15, 2020 by dep31

All this smoke is making me cranky, so I’m counting some blessings. Today, my good friend Michelle is helping my daughter with her math, which I’m profoundly thankful for because if it’s not written in notation on the music staff, … Continue reading →

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Dehydrated, possibly smoked

Posted on September 14, 2020 by dep31

I pulled a half dozen onions yesterday, and valiantly battled the sulphuric acid-induced tears while peeling and chopping them. They were loaded into the dehydrator and plugged in outside before the smoke rolled in. They dried all night and all … Continue reading →

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Smoke-induced insanity

Posted on September 13, 2020 by dep31

This series of texts is an accurate reflection of our little slice of reality today. Some of you might recognize parts of them; I’m actually drawing quotes from three different text conversations… [Mr. Caffeinated] hard boiled two dozen eggs and … Continue reading →

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