Picked !!!

picked and loaded and ready to roll
it had better not rain

WIN TWINS!!!!!!

Pick, pick, pick

This diva is headed to the patch to pick. Dash home, change clothes (I'm dressed as a big girl today --- no more shorts and t shirts), change shoes -- heels and the garden don't go well together and head out to load up!

Above is my favorite customer -- Anna Kate --- isn't she cute!

Toodles

M

diva at the market -- I can cram a lot of stuff into one truck -- takes and hour just to get it all unpacked and set up --- then a quick cup of coffee and I'm ready to go!

toodles

Diva

TGIF

87' seems a bit extreme for September 26th --- what a weird week --- thunder, lightening, hail, monsoon (which was kinda limited in size) -- and today 87' and really windy.

Did my evening picking under the watchful eyes of the munching deer -- they were across the field taking in every move --- no amount of yelling, arm waving, swearing and general making a fool of myself got them to move.

I'm sure they moved in for desert when I moved in to load the truck --

Toodles
Marie

All Gone!

The green machine went into action late this morning and by 7:00pm cst! All was done and in the bin...I went up the hill to Jean and Lee's to pick tomato's and tomato's and Joe had just moved into the hillside. In the dark. I'm sure my deer friends are looking out wondering just how crazy is that guy in the green machine. After all it sat there for 4 days and didn't make a sound! So it goes.....

happy fall
m

Old Age

Diva is tired and grumpy. And it's not even October yet! Must need some attitude adjustment.

M

Circulation

So does anybody read this?

email me: dranttel@hickorytech.net

M

Rainy Tuesday

So it blew and it blew and it hailed and it rained. I was soaked. At least my canopy did not blow away. I didn't set it up. Occaisionally, I do use good judgement and the college degree and do the right thing. I had "pre" tarped the pickup truck so I was kinda ready when it hit.

After the big blow -- went home for dry clothes. It was an inch of rain and it was needed.

So much for a busy productive Tuesday.

Toodles
Marie

Ahh The Last Day of Summer

Okay, on the last official day of summer, I picked pumpkins and squash. Another fabulous day in the Valley. Fall is in the air, the beans are leafless, the trees are turning and the vines be drying up.

Enjoy it.

Marie

Market Day ....

Saturday is always Market Day -- so Friday Night is pick the produce night. I finished up in the dark last night -- then chased chickens (a losing battle), hit the shower and early rise. Well not so early -- I overslept and didn't start for town until 6:50.....no time for a gas stop --- but just as well the price per gallon dropped 7 cents during market.

There was a surprise in the patch last night. A large green John Deere combine -- ready to roll. Fall arrives on Monday, so it is time (or was it last Monday?).

New pictures to upload tomorrow. The sole egg has been consumed, perhaps I can find another.

Happy Weekend.
Marie

Another Day on the Road

So, my travels are completed for a couple of weeks. Another 2 1/2 hours of rush hour done and gone. It actually wasn't too bad this morning.

It was good to come home and check out the garden. Where upon clearing the wind break -- the first thing in my line of vision. That DAMN deer eating the remaining cantaloupe. So I finished up my tour. Went in and cooped up the chickens. "Orange" wouldn't be swooshed in -- so she's an outdoor chicken tonight (she's the egg layer) -- then proceeded to return to the patch and HE WAS BACK EATING.

Tomorrow will try constructing some scarecrows. Little good it will do -- they've ate all of the cantaloupe. Starting in on the pumpkins and butternut squash now.

Unhappy!
M

It's good to be a farm girl

So, i've spent almost 2 1/2 hours in metro traffic today and need to repeat it tomorrow. I don't like rush hour. I don't like 5 lanes of merging traffic.

M

An Egg !! An Egg!!!

So we finally got an egg. Yes, one small green egg. Per Dad, Brownie (cute brown hen with feathers on her legs) was dancing / carrying on in his shop (not allowed) this afternoon -- and when he finally caught up to her to kick her out (literally) --- she'd laid an EGG!!

So, the roosters are headed out to be butchered and the hens are going to get nesting boxes in their house -- and a larger yard to roam. I'm guessing there are eggs in strange locations all over the yard. They will not however be laying eggs in his shop. Or leaving other deposits.

So, he gets the egg.

Marie

Wow

What a week of fabulous weather on the way --- get out and enjoy it. It was fun picking in the patch last night --- cool/comfortable weather, light breeze -- no mosquito's (yet) ---

It's the week of full moon --- so with mild temperatures we should fend off frost 'til the next full moon. That's my only tidbit of the week.

Enjoy,
Marie

Found!! Green peppers....

So, I'm cruising around checking up on stuff this morning. Drove up to Jean's to check out the bird house gourds, indian corn, and other stuff I planted up there. I ran out of room at my space. And since her garden looked a little neglected I checked it out and found GREEN PEPPERS -- large, healthy, tasty looking green peppers. So it is a stuffed pepper night at our house. Can't wait.

Rainy Saturday

So, it's rained most of the day....a nice gentle pitter patter of drops. Good for everything and everyone. Our rainfall is almost 4" behind "normal". It's been several generations since normal so, ....

Maybe my friendly deer will find some juicy and tasty weeds to eat in the woods. I must be positive.


Happy Raindrops
Marie

Damn Deer

So in order to make the cantaloupe less appetizing -- I parked Dad's little red GEO Tracker smack dab in the middle of the cantaloupe. Hoping it would deter the deer.

Come home from supper (in Mankato -- it was cook's night out) and drove out there to see if the Tracker was up to the challenge. A deer was standing next to it eating.

Next vehicle -- the township gravel truck and/or road grader ---

I'm going to have to sit out there with a gun and some bird shot and keep 'em hopping.

Needless to say I've picked 2 -- yes only 2 cantaloupe from 65 Hills!!!!!


I'm beginning to think I might like deer sausage after all.

Toodles
Marie

TGNF

thank God no FROST

gotcha on that one eh!

it was close --- like 35 miles away

finally we're catching a break with the weather

Ooooooooooohhhhhh

Frost --- a nasty 5 letter word. 7:00am tomorrow will tell the tale. I'm keeping my fingers, toes and dug out all of my lucky charms.

Although it rained this evening -- we had a double rainbow and it is not a full moon. Per Dad, the chances for frost are greater during a full moon. And then again, he's been wrong before. I have a lot of weeds -- tall grasses -- might be my saving grace.

Sunrise will tell the tale. If not, well there's next year.


thinking warm thoughts
Marie

Squash --- it was good!

So we had a squash for supper..... a carnival. Just scrubbed it up, cut it in half, and roasted in the oven -- with some new potato's ......

Really tasty!

Toodles

Marie

Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potato's

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato's -- scrubbed and chunked into bite sized pieces.
Olive Oil
Rosemary (fresh or dried)

Coat the sweet potato chunks in the olive oil, sprinkle with the rosemary and roast in a 400' oven until tender.



receipe courtesy of Peggy Carlson !

happy roasting
Marie

'Tis the season (for squash)

Okay, so this is a less than mature buttercup "sweet mama" to be precise. But I picked an entire bushel of carnivals today for market tomorrow. The rest of them are lagging behind. Just like everything else.

A lot more sunshine and heat is needed to make the squash ripen...although the cool nights are turning the pumpkins orange. Lovely pumpkins in the patch. So time will tell.

Happy Friday Night.

Marie

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........

I didn't realize 56' would feel this chilly.


shivering,

Marie

)*$*&$)@$@@^$&_@! Weather

Okay, now it's cold. Mother Nature is attempting to drive me nuts.

First it's cold and dry. (May)

It rained in June.

It didn't rain in July.

When it rained it poured and blew (75mph winds).

Hasn't rained again.

Now it's cold.

Snow must be next.

Ho Ho Ho

Marie

All Gods Creatures

Yes, they are cute -- not so cute when the eat every canteloupe in the patch. In my nightly stroll I found 10 more that had been taste tested by our less than friendly neighborhood deer.

This picture came from Adam's "deer cam" set up at his deer stand. Fat and sassy from all the canteloupe and pumpkin he's been consuming! He's evidently eating well. Unfortunately, he feels the need to sample a bite from each melon, until he finds a tasty one.

At midnight, the coyotes were howling -- they pull melons off the vine and roll them around the farm....evidently "melon bowling" is an olympic sport. This too needs to come to an end!

Happy Hunting!

Marie

Spagetti Pie (the famous hotdish!)

Ingredients:

1lb box of spagetti or angel hair pasta
1 lb browned hamberger
1 egg slightly beaten with a dash of milk
pepperoni
1 jar of Ragu
1 package of mozerella cheese
chopped olives

cook spagetti
layer into a 13 x 9 baking dish ....

spagetti
beaten egg
pepperoni
browned hamberger
olives
pour Ragu over the layers

add cheese to the top

cover with foil and bake at 350' until cheese melts and heated thru
remove foil and bake a few minutes longer to brown cheese
(total baking time --- should be just under an hour)

Sometimes we add chopped onion --- mushrooms
it could be anything!

Dig In and Serve!