Canned Carrots

Even if I could work on the house right now, I'd be too busy with the garden now. The harvest has begun...

I think I have enough in me again to finish painting the shed that only got one coat last year... if the weather holds out.

Attack of The Blob!

Survived BlobFest yesterday in Phoenixville. Any nostalgia buffs out there would really enjoy doing this at least once! The Colonial Theater is great and well preserved. This is where they filmed the scene when The Blob attacks the theater. The town is great too... so many old houses and buildings almost untouched. Too bad so much of it is empty right now with the loss of Phoenix Steel and now the bad economy that has hurt the turn around that was starting to take place.

First Batch of the Season

It's canning time again... the second year of doing this. I learned alot last year and did pretty good for my first time. This year should be even better as long as the garden does it's part. This year I planted two types of pickling cucumbers. My pickles last year came out ok, but regular cukes get to big and seedy for pickling and you end up with mushy pickles. OK for slices, but not for spears. Besides changing the plants, this year I also tried a totally from scratch pickle... no seasoning pack, but actual dill flower heads from a plant in my garden, plus pickling spices, mustard seed, pickling salts, vinegar, and a clove of garlic. The only down side is having to wait a month or so to know how they turn out!

The tomatos are a few weeks away... that's when things will get real busy. Carrots are ready to harvest and I'll process them this weekend.

Meanwhile, feeling a little better, back to work, and maybe ready to do some small items on the house again in a few weeks. I might start with the shed which still needs to be finished painting. Then maybe rebuild the window sill in the old upstairs kitchen that got hacked away when the house was aluminum sided and smaller windows added. The bedrooms... well that will have to wait a bit since it's still dirty in there and I'm not taking a chance of a 2nd round of this!

And Russ Hoge is sending me an L. Norris Hall ruler from the old steel business!