Success and Failure

We made a start on all the fruit we brought back from our little trip. I made this batch of Apricot and nectarine jam. I think it turned out a lovely colour and tastes fine too.

While I stirred jam in the kitchen DH sat out in the shade cutting apricots in half and filling the dehydrator. We've had that thing for many years but it has been a few since last we actually used it.
As you can tell it has 4 trays and holds quite a lot of fruit.

At this moment it has been 9 1/2 hours that they've been drying but they are still very moist. Worse yet is the fact that they get more and more tart as they dry. I had not expected this to happen. I know I'll be able to use them ( I now plan on freezing them when they cool off)  but had hoped they would be a nice snack. WAY too sour, I'm afraid.

Guess I'll stick to drying apples. I've never had a problem with apples at least.

Luckily apples aren't ready just yet because we have our hands full right now.

Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow....and the next day....and maybe even the next......

             Granny Marigold

A Short Get-Away

We went on a road trip with our camperized van to the Okanagan. We took back roads as much as possible ( some were gravel and very bumpy!!) but the scenery never failed to please me.  It is so different from where we are located in the Fraser Valley.  Look at that blue sky!!

               Yes, that does say Avalanche area

There are a multitude of fruit and veg stands in the area where we went. We found lots of good deals and came home with around 60 lbs of peaches, about half as many lbs of nectarines and also apricots.
We paid between .30 and .75 a pound, depending on the  ripeness. We were looking for slightly over ripe ( and therefore cheaper).

We have our work cut out for us now as we choose which ones need to be done first. Most will end up in the freezer but I will be using my dehydrator as well.
  We had a lovely place to stay for the night, right beside a river ( Picard Creek, for those who know the area). As seniors we pay only $^6 to stay.

This post was very heavy on photos so if you're still reading I'll be surprised.  Please leave a comment so I'll know you were here.

              Granny Marigold

Poems

I don't know if these rhymes qualify as poetry or not. Are you familiar with them?  I used to know what day of the week each of my 5 children were born on but have now forgotten. It seems my brain can only hold so and so much and useless knowledge is the first to go.

I used to read poems to my children and grandchildren too. I was fortunate in that I had the care of the first three grands 5 days a week while their moms worked and the last two grands live right here in the same house.  So although I don't think I read them these sayings, I did read many others to them.

I gather these illustrations were part of an ad for thread.

I looked it up and I was born on a Wednesday. Whew!  Sure glad I wasn't born on Thursday.

        Granny Marigold

Hot, hot, hot

Yes, it continues to be hot here. 34 degrees today and tomorrow is forecast to be the same.
 ( about 94 F., I think it would be)  I puttered in my flowers this morning, after my walk. It wasn't that warm yet but when I came inside I figured I should close all the windows and doors and keep whatever cool there was safe. Didn't work. By afternoon the house was so warm I figured I might as well bake. I've been meaning to try making Custard Tarts. If any of you watch the BBC comedy As Time Goes By you'll remember that Lionel LOVES his custard tarts. Anyway, found a recipe and proceeded to make them. They were a disappointment, mainly because the pastry part shrunk ( it was supposed to be pre-baked) and I couldn't put enough filling in ( to be baked a second amount of time).  A lot of work for not much results BUT I had taken out 2 disks of frozen pie dough and had enough to make a "rustic" blueberry pie. The kind you make on a cookie sheet with the dough sort of pulled up all around the filling. That at least turned out. So well that there's not much left to even take a picture of.

This is pretty well what mine looked like ( photo is from the internet ).

Hope you had a lovely day. Stay cool,  Granny M.

A lovely Day

I love the cool, clear mornings we're having followed by sunny afternoons that are too hot to be outside doing much,  but it cools off again in the evening so the house is not as unbearably hot as it has been.  I had a nice walk, remembered to take my camera but there wasn't a lot to take pictures of. I did come upon this 1956 Chevy Bel Air parked on the street not far from the park. I'm glad I stopped to take pics because when I came back it was gone.

The only other picture I took was of this Magnolia leaf which for some reason has already changed colour. After I took the picture I picked it off the shrub it had fallen onto and brought it home. I am pressing it in the phone book where I press countless leaves every Fall. Can't resist bringing home handfuls from my walks.

That was my rather uneventful day ( I was going to put 'boring' but it really has been a very relaxing day).  I hope you have had a pleasant one as well.

           Granny Marigold

Another Busy Monday

Mondays are my busiest days of the week and today was no different. I got everything done on my to-do list and then had fun changing the "vignette" on the dropleaf table in the sunroom. Remember all the Lavender I cut and  dried?

 Here's what I did with it....  stuck all ten bunches in this white crock that I've never known what to do with. So glad now that I didn't get rid of it.  I moved the birdhouses and nests to other spots and got out some white jugs.

I haven't inflicted any pics of my Teddybears on you for a while so here are the "livingroom bears".
 

We had a most welcome rain on the weekend. A couple of days of not being able to get out there and dead head my flowers meant I had an hour or so to do that also to pull out the Calendula that are about done. I left some to self-seed but most went into the compost.  The Feverfew also are looking ratty and will have to be pulled out. Both the Calendula and Feverfew pop up everywhere in Spring and have to be thinned out ruthlessly.
Enjoy the coming week and remember it's your last chance to get anything done that you meant to do in July!

    Granny Marigold

Garage Sale Finds

Found a few treasures this morning. There weren't many gs but we did find a few that were more or less in the same area.  Unfortunately the grands, who set out with much enthusiasm, found very little.
I bought the Amelia Bedelia book for my own pleasure ( I'm sure they'll let me read it to them!! I'm more of an AB fan than they are), and the "water wand" I got for a few cents, more to give my GS SOMETHING since there were no boy's toys for his age.

The grands called this a deformed pumpkin but I really like it and it will most certainly be part of my Fall display.

            I am fond of white dishes and this covered veg. bowl is perfect ( paid a dollar).

             Pretty blue cup and saucer  (is this a demi-tasse??)

I don't have a clue yet what I'll do with this quilted pillow sham but I like it and it was .25

We had a good rain last night, heavy enough to bend the Phlox and Hydrangeas down to the ground. More showers are forecast so there's no use going to shake them off. Oh well, we are so thankful for rain at long last.
  Off to make myself useful,    Granny M.