Summer Harvest

 We have been busy. In two different trips we picked 7 gallons of blueberries at friends yards. Translated into plain English that means free.

 Our friends from the farm drop off their surplus of what doesn't sell at the farmer's market.

 It's really great to have friends like that. My garden is doing a little something too. This is from my yard.

 I cannot take credit for these. The type is Goliath. They are as delicious as they look.

 All ten tons of them...well it feels like 10 tons.

 When you are standing at the sink dicing them.

 When the counter gets cleared we can start on this boxful.

 The daughter is working up all the peppers.

 and the onions.

 Can you guess what we are making yet?

 Roman thinks it smells good, he is so beautiful. I am in love, stuck to the hip style love. What do you think of that tail? The fur has never been cut.

 It IS possible to have too many flowers in one place.

 My new roof! The chimney is fixed too. This is a digression but if I don't digress you won't know who you are reading. I would not want you to feel lost.

 Do you see how tall the Zenia's are in the side yard? It is nuts over there again. Next spring I need to thin ruthlessly! Be ruthless and pull those little sprouts. I am so ridiculous, it is hard for me to thin plants. Then I get this overcrowded mess and can't get to anything. I need to bush whack flowers.

 Yum mm  spicy home grown jalapeno and banana peppers, delicious. Can you feel your sinuses burn?

 Could you thin them?

 Lindsey wanted to know how I do this? I had to tell her it was God.

This is what we made 17 quarts of homemade salsa and 7 new quarts of dill pickles. Also have some plain canned tomatoes and I reduced down into a strong "spaghetti sauce base."  Lindsey named our second batch of salsa, "The Crowd Pleaser." Since it is tomato based we just make it the way we like it no recipe. This one was full of all kinds of peppers, everything that was here. It really gave it a great flavor. When tomatoes are at their perfect peak of ripeness you can't go wrong.

Tomorrow is blueberry jam day. Most of them went into bags in the freezer but we need some good home made jam.

After researching dill pickle recipes I decided to try Mrs.Wage's dill mix. It seems people like it very much and I'm tired of making dill pickles that don't taste good.

Speaking of good.

Roman has been a good boy. He is getting smart now. He gets to lay on my bed and there is almost room for me, but not much. He likes it like that. This morning he was sprawled on his back with his hiney on my end so that I could massage his back foot. He loves a good foot rub, just lays flatter and flatter until he resembles a poodle pancake extra large.

The new roof is very good. The fixed chimney is very good. Keeping the paint the same is very good.
If HGTV showed up to do a curb appeal redo that would be very good.  All our trees and trellises completely block the house from view which may be good, or not.

I have more good days than bad, and that is very very good, OR as we say back here vera vera.
I lost my accent or most of it in one week back in California. Amazing.
It has returned quickly.

 This is my dearest Aunt, my Auntie Mum. We took a walk one day with her dog which maybe on the list for the cutest dog ever. Don't tell Roman that I said that. She thinks she is a Tibetan Spaniel. We think she is Tubby Tuna.

Her name is Molly and she is the reigning Queen supreme of the house, approximately 35 pounds of personality plus. Did I mention she is cute?  OK just so I don't forget that part.

Salsa and chips anyone?