Making GardenScare Crows; 1st CSA Baskets and Canning Cherries

 

It has been a busy week here at the farm.  We packed and delivered our #1 CSA baskets to our wonderful members.  Unfortunately, I was so busy, I forgot to take pictures.  I started taking photos of the veggies as I picked, washed and bundled.  Then the time crunch happened and I had no time!!!In the baskets were turnips, beets, strawberries, apricots, small cucumbers, zucchini, pin wheel squash; snow peas, two types of onions, lettuce, two types of kale, Swiss Chard and cherries. A few of my members posted photos of the basket on Facebook which reminded me that I had not~~~

I was weeding the flower section of my garden when I remembered I needed to dress my scare crows.  All my gardens have figures in the garden, They are made by either raiding our own closets or picking some items up at yard sales as I see them and keeping them in the garage until I am ready for them.  I started out with the cross.  Then I started to dress them, last year I had 3, this year I have two.  I will show you the finished Mr. Scarecrow next time.  I think I may try and make a dog one. 

Mr

Bag full of clothes
 

Mrs Scare Crow

My friend Jackie called me and said her friend had a cherry tree that nobody was going to use and we could pick it.  So off we went on Thursday evening and picked the tree.  Friday, she came over along with some surprise visitors that showed up that night and we all canned our windfall cherries.  Sarah and Megan made a canned yummy sauce to put over cheese cake; Jackie and I canned some pitted cherries and some that we left the pits because we got tired of pitting!!! Canning goes so much faster and more fun when you do it with friends.  You would think my kitchen (we did it in the house!) would be covered with pink.red. and stained, but it wasn't.  Only thing I had to do the next day was mop the floor as it was a little sticky.

What was really fantastic is Jackie brought sausages, fixings for a huge salad, rolls; Sarah brought a kale/cabbage/sunflower salad; I had a huge steak and we made all these things and shared a wonderful dinner.  After eating, we cleaned up and started our canning.  Wonderful friends!!

Best news this week is-the gopher that has been plaguing me in my garden eating my basil, the beets, the turnips the bean plants-has been out smarted by Frank.  Frank has been trapping him for 3 weeks, with each hole being filled in and a new direction made.  Well Frank put out 9 traps in a circle and the gopher had his last basil plant!!!  Thank goodness.  Farming is not for the "faint of heart". 

To the men and women in the armed forces; to the service people who have given their service or lives for this country, Frank and I give thanks to all of you, God Bless you on this Memorial Day.