Why have I not posted anything to my blog?

Working 8 hrs a day, working in the garden the rest of the daylight hours, and preserving all the food, that's why!

But I have been taking lots of pic's, and later this fall will do a follow-up on lessons learned from this season - to help your first-timers out a bit...

So this is what I have been doing since the last time I posted in July...

Tomato Harvest started out small

Then everything started to get ripe!  This view is with Sage and Tickweed

Borage (in front) really drew the bees in to pollinate

Rain was predicted last weekend, so picked everything that was ripe

Plenty of sauce still from last year, so have been drying the paste tomatoes

Delicious dried...

But also packing them in oil with garlic and rosemary, and sealing them in a hot water bath

What I went out and picked quickly tonight, before it got too dark

Apple tree produced for the first time - this is the tree I grew from a seed - 13 years old

Enough apples for one pie and one tart

Drying catnip for winter use, and chocolate peppermint for sachets

Harvesting Calendula (pot marigold) seeds.  Let me know if you want any!

Harvesting Borage seed - let me know if you want any of these also

Ever-bearing raspberries still blooming in September

Still harvesting berries

Still picking a good handful of berries every day

let some leeks and onions go to seed - found that bumblebees hide up in the seedpods at night to keep warm

Laying down fresh straw for mulch - only a small portion of the garden done so far

Sometimes I just sit close to the sunflowers and watch the finches come into feast

Sunflowers were really tall

A Grey Mammoth ready to harvest

Corn is ready to harvest too - saving some to dry and grind for cornmeal

First ear I harvested

I take the kernels off the cob, blanch and cool, then freeze on cookies sheets and pack in freezer bags

Back yard near last years compost is covered with volunteers - mostly butternut and acorn squash.  And a few tomatoes

My oldest daughter and my granddaughter during a family visit

My son hates having his pic taken, which is why I have to post this!  This was during my daughters visit from Minnesota

Had to work in a visit to the State Fair - since we live just a few blocks away

Yum - ice cream on a hot day!

One of the amazing quilts on display - all hand embroidered

It wasn't all animals, food and quilts at the fair.  I also was able to make a good connection with some bug people from the Extension Service who will help me get a handle on some of my bug issues.

Peas and carrots for fall  - and a volunteer tomato plant from the compost.  Not sure what kind it is, but plan on putting row cover over it and trying to keep it going till Thanksgiving.

Last but not least, we are in full swing with the Grape Harvest!

Thompson  Seedless

So if you don't hear from me for another week or so, I am still here.  But am working my you know what off processing tomatoes, corn, keeping the garden cleaned up, spreading down mulch, have to put compost on the berries and mulch them, finish gathering the last of the beans, and am cleaning out the sheds ( once we are done drying herbs in there) to make room for the chicken coop.  Hope to have more time to blog in detail by October.

Robin