Finally a new car

After 157,000 plus miles I finally gave up my 2002 Subaru Legacy Wagon. It was really sad to see it go, but it was time if I wanted to do some traveling this fall. So here it is. It's a 2011 Subaru Outback and as you can see it's red. I've had it 6 hours and it drives really well so far.

Busy, Busy

Yesterday I spent the third day looking at and driving cars. A Toyota Rav4 was the surprise of the day. I'll have to include pictures here soon. A lot of trade offs go into making a decision for a car for me now. Bob liked a bright red Rav4. I'm kind of tending toward a silver Subaru Outback.

I've also been canning peaches in the last two days and today made a couple of Peach Crisps. One to eat and one to put in the freezer. I think I already mentioned the peach jam. This is the first time I have ever gotten Georgia peaches. From the back of a truck no less. They came with good recommendations and I'm hopeful. I still have about 10 left so Peach Shortcake are in my future.

Today's Harvest

Today's harvest included my first large tomato. I think its a Wisconsin #?. I think it will become a bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich since it's too hot to do much else in the kitchen. At dinner time the rest of it will become sliced tomatoes served alongside fried potatoes and corn. My first potatoes from my garden. I'm using the tiny ones. I also have creamed cukes leftover from last night. Kind of like hog heaven for me.

Since I've about ODed on the green and yellow beans, I pulled out the yellow ones this morning. They were bush beans and just about finished producing. I need the room for the cukes, cantaloupes, and watermelons, which have gone on a growing spurt in all of this warm weather. In another week I will have to pull the green ones too. I have enough cukes to start a stand and several melons of each variety. I've had to put up caution tape out in the yard so that Russ, our mower, won't mow over the long tendrils that have escaped the garden.

Tomatoes

Picked my first tomatoes this morning. Three tiny Sun Gold tomatoes were ripe and ready to eat. I have millions more to ripen, but this year I have a real variety of tomatoes. I have two large size tomatoes, different varieties, a Better Boy and a Wisconsin #?. I also have two small varieties, a Sun Gold and a Sweet 100. I also have a plum tomato variety. I don't want to take the time to look up the specific names now, but will another time. One of the large varieties has a tomato about the size of a softball that is getting ripe. I see a bacon and tomato sandwich in my near future or maybe a Great Northern. I can't wait!

La Fete de Marquette

Went to La Fete de Marquette on Thursday and Sunday nights with Bob. In the past we've heard some really good Cajun and Zydeco music at the neighborhood festivals, but this year was not one of them. Lots of good music and musicianship but not my niche favorites. The best I've heard is probably Rosie Ledet or Curley Taylor. Pictured is Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys. Sorry the picture is so bad, but I took it with my phone.

Busy Day

Yesterday at the farmer's market I picked up lots of red raspberries and a pint of black raspberries. In the afternoon I made two batches of red raspberry jam and froze the rest of them. The black ones I ate over rich vanilla ice cream, not all of them, just half a pink. I'll have the other half pint today. They were nummmmy!

Lemon Cookies

I tried another Lemon Cookie recipe last night. It was from Cook's Country. Kind of a cake textured cookie with a glaze on top. I liked them, but I think crisp is better.

BD Art Fair

Sunday morning was the BD Art Fair, well mostly craft fair. It was very busy but being so spread out under the trees, it was still nice. Got a few gifts and some warm kettle corn. What a breakfast! Latte and kettle corn.

Shave Ice

At the Art Fair I had a shaved ice cone, not as good as Door County, and way below Hawaii. But boy it tasted good in the heat.

Art Fair

Got up early and went to the Farmer's Market, then the Art Fair. This is what it looks like when I like to go. About two hours and I was through, it was getting hot and crowded by then. Didn't buy anything except a sale t-shirt from two years ago. This year's shirt wasn't too interesting.

MM Project

My current multimedia project with tiles is progressing, slow but sure. These are some of the tiles in place within the black and white border. So far they aren't sealed, etc. Slow but sure.

First picking of beans

Today was the first day I picked beans. I put the yellow bush beans in a week and a half later than the green pole beans so that they would mature at the same time. We like them mixed for holidays, so I freeze them together. I should get a couple of bags in the freezer out of today's picking. But I may sneak a few for lunch.

Today's Harvest

I got up early in order to beat the heat, but it beat me, I'm just in from the garden and drenched with sweat. A pretty picture isn't it. I dug up the potatoes this morning. They were taking up more room than I thought they would have and were crowding the tomatoes. This is what it looks like after I was through. I was amazed at the size of the potatoes that were there. I had bought three seed potatoes, cut them up, and planted them as an experiment and this is the result. I can't imagine how big they would have gotten if I had left them until fall.

Garden Update

As you can see my garden is flourishing in this sauna weather we are having. It's to the point where I have to start eliminating plants as they mature to give the rest of them some air. So far I have pulled some bush yellow beans, leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and onions. I'll have to replant lettuce and green onions for August canning.

Hot Fudge for a Dollar

Bob and I took mom out for a ride to see all of the 4th activities. Drove through the park to see the carnival, swimmers, deer and other things going on. But what impressed her the most was the number of lawn parties that were still going on long after the parade was over. Bob rated the parade one of the worst in recent years. Then we took advantage of Culver's Sundae Sale. Mom really enjoyed it despite the frown on her face. She doesn't like me to take pictures of her.

Early on the 4th, part 3

It's amazing what can be accomplished when you get up early. I guess I'm back on the "Murphy Schedule". Thank goodness. I also cut three trays of herbs to dry. It's really too hot a day to do it but I wanted to get it done. On to more things, I hope to see some of the parade and play bingo at the park. There is supposed to be a good band out there this afternoon. More later. Boy is it hot and muggy, maybe I should stay home.

Early on the 4th, part 2

I also got a head start by baking another sheet of tiles for my project. I'm making headway, but I keep finding more interesting things to try.

Early on the 4th

Knowing it was going to be a hot day I got started early and accomplished much more than I expected before CBS Sunday morning finished. I made a batch of jam from currents that I had purchased at the Farmer's Market on the Square and put to drip last night. It's a beautiful red and I can hear the lids popping as I write this.