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We got our honey harvest bottled up today. It went from the extractor into one large pail with a spout which we let sit overnight close by the wood stove so the honey would be more liquid-y and go through the strainers more easily.
Flowing into the strainers which we placed on top of another pail with a spout. Talk about golden nectar!
As the unfiltered honey filled the straining equipment, it bubbled and swirled and created all kinds of constantly changing designs which was fascinating to watch. (We don't get out much. Can you tell?)
Here's the final product stored in half-gallon jars. A total of 48-1/2 pounds of golden honey from our own little busy bees. It's been a long while since I've had to buy honey so I don't know how much per pound it's selling for in the store, but I'll bet this harvest represents a tidy little amount.
I've washed the kitchen floor three times now and we're still sticking as we walk across it. The main counter where we worked has been wiped off a gazillion times but still seems tacky. This is with two fairly neat adults (no kiddies "helping" by spreading honey-coated fingers hither and yon) involved in the process.
Right now, for some odd reason, I don't have a taste for anything sweet. So just give me some potato chips and nobody will get hurt.
Because you asked, Erin . . .
As you can see, we made a pretty good dent in it at lunch time. Hubby informed me another piece is all he wants for dinner tonight . . . with vanilla ice cream, please.
Geesh, you give me three and a half days away on vacation and I don't want to get back into the routine and do what needs to be done!
Yup, I'm having a little trouble buckling down back here at home. I think it has something to do with the gorgeous weather we've had since returning. How's about we just put the canoe back on the top of the Suburban and go off on a day trip? Huh, huh, huh? Can we, can we? Pu-leeeeze?
Okay, I have not been a total slough-off. Yesterday both Papa Pea and I went to work and painted preservative on the boards that will be used in the reconstruction of our high-sided trailer. We hope to get that little (?) project crossed off the list yet this year before the weather makes it uncomfortable for working outside.
Some garden clean-up and a bit of late-season harvesting has gotten accomplished also.
In my effort to be nicer to myself, I spent some time in my quilt room today. I worked on what I hope will be a new holiday wall hanging for the kitchen.
There's this blank wall space between two south facing windows and I've been keeping a seasonal wall hanging there, but I don't have an appropriate one for Christmas/New Year's. The quilt of fall leaves pictured above is one I did a few years ago. I hand quilted the whole blasted thing and I remember it taking for-EVER to complete. But I have to admit I've always been very happy with the way it turned out. (Have I ever mentioned patience is not one of my virtues?)
I'm kinda winging it on this new one I'm making and it may not turn out at all, but I'm enjoying the process so that's the important thing.
Tomorrow will be given to extracting honey. Our guess of how much we will get this year is bouncing between thirty and sixty pounds. This time tomorrow night we'll know for sure. Harvesting the honey from our hives is always fun and satisfying, but at the same time a messy (to say the least) operation that will take up the better part of the day by the time all the clean-up is done.
We have some apples that we think are ripe on a couple of our fruit trees and hubby has been hinting strongly for an apple pie so I'm going to get one in the oven first thing in the morning while he's getting the extracting equipment set up and ready.
Like it or not, kinda looks like I'm getting back into the routine here on the homestead, doesn't it?
P.S. I DO like it.
My good blogging buddy Susan over at e-i-e-i-omg! posted a picture of one of her MONSTER Old German heritage tomatoes this morning. Well done, Gardening Maven! I haven't seen a tomato like that since my grandpa grew 'maters for all of his seven children's families (yes, he did) in the 40s, 50s and 60s. And the flavor of those old heritage varieties cannot be surpassed.
This seemed like a good time for me to brag that *I* can grow big things in my garden, too.
WA-hoo, get a load of them zucchinis!
I purposely let these guys grow and grow and grow since we had our fill of that rampantly growing veggie long ago. (Ooops, sorry, Susan, I meant to say v-e-g-e-t-a-b-l-e rather than veggie. Forgive me.)
Okay, you guys know I'm just trying to be funny in comparing zucchinis to tomatoes. (I mean would YOU want to eat a BLZ sandwich??) There IS no comparison to a home grown tomato as just about anyone (even those of us way up here in the northern reaches) can grow zucchinis but surely not everyone can grow (I sure can't) humongous, luscious, prized tomatoes as Susan does.
Hubby and I just got back from a Monday through early Thursday mini-vacation. We drove about 35 miles to an inland lake and stayed at one of two cabins acquaintances of ours have as a part of their outfitting business.
We were able to do this because our dear daughter stayed here on ye ol' homestead and kept the home fires burning. Literally. We're definitely into a cooler time of year and the two tank tops and pair of shorts I took on our little getaway came home unworn. Luckily, we knew enough to take plenty of warm clothing also, and we needed it.
Although the weather was very cool, it could not have been more colorful or invigorating. We hiked and canoed until we could do no more and had a great time.
We saw deer, a moose, a fox, four grouse, two loons, a timber wolf and five otters that were about the cutest things I've seen in a long time.
We were canoeing back to the cabin into a strong wind and spitting rain when I saw two heads up ahead swimming across our path. I pointed them out to Papa Pea and they apparently heard my voice because they stopped and in unison popped up out of the water about a full 12", and held their pose while staring at us. Then they disappeared under the water and three more came up a ways behind the first two! The five of them put on quite a show diving and reappearing to oogle at us. It reminded me a lot of the synchronized swimmers in the Olympics! I tried to get a picture but the lake was too choppy, the weather was gray and rainy and Papa Pea was having a hard time holding the canoe steady while I was working with camera rather than paddle in the bow. What a treat it was to watch the otters in their natural element looking like they couldn't be any happier.
Our friends had told us they had a nuisance bear in the area so not to put any garbage out in the cans behind the cabin after 3 p.m. when they collected it. Next morning was okay to do so because the bear was only making his rounds at night. Turns out the garbage cans were on the other side of the cabin wall where we were sleeping and at midnight the first night, we both bolted awake to such a racket we were sure the bear was coming through the wall. Not so, as the next morning all we found were the perfectly clean garbage cans lifted out of the wooden structure where they were stored, the tops off and tipped over in front of our vehicle but no damage done. Two nights later the bear came snuffling up onto the deck by the door investigating but found nothing of interest so sauntered off on his nocturnal way.
I got a couple of pictures of the moose we came upon eating in a swampy area.
We're assuming this was a cow because I think the bulls would have a rack this time of year. If it was a cow, she sure was a biggun'!
It's really hard to describe how big a moose is. Even if you've seen a few of them in your lifetime, almost always the first thing out of your mouth when you come upon one is, "My gosh, that's a HUGE animal!"
I think we were lucky enough to take our time away right at peak colors. Each view was more beautiful than the last.
But we're home again now, we're unpacked and Chicken Mama (thank you, thank you, thank you) who took such good care of our place has left to go home for the remainder of her day off work today.
We're slowly easing back into reality but have lots of good memories from the last few days and are vowing (Vowing, do you hear me? VOWING!) to get in several more days (probably one-day outings) recreating in this gorgeous season of the year.
The answer to the question is: No, not until a few more of the outside fall chores are done.
I did spend a couple of hours over the weekend in my quilt room . . . cleaning and organizing.
There's no doubt I designed the room with lots of storage space.
And although it's all pretty neat and compact, I still don't have enough room for everything I'd like to have in there. (Can any of you relate?)
I won't even show you the stack of fabric and quilts I have in a corner because I can't find anywhere else to put them.
And most of my knitting supplies are upstairs in an unfinished storage area off hubby's office.
All the same, I'm very, very grateful to have a designated room of my own.
We've been going through a period where having a second bedroom in the house would be extremely handy, and I've given thought to giving up my quilt room so it could be made into a bedroom. But truth be told, that would just about break my little quilting heart in two.
Even though I don't spend as much time in my room as I would like, there's always the hope that I will find the time to do so in the not too distant future. Winter is coming, winter is coming, winter is . . .
