Fall Colors

Word of the Day

Tjuzs - To fashionably roll up the sleeves of a shirt. Also: tjuzing, tjuzed.

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I've been busily adding and checking off things on my To Do List. This morning, even though it wasn't on my list, I mixed up the pie crust that needs to sit and chill in the fridge before I can roll it out and make the pies that I promised to bake for tomorrow and the next day. Then, again not on my list, I washed and detailed my stovetop and my kitchen sink. I still need to do a bit more canning but, I just couldn't stand it anymore. Besides, I really don't have too much to can anymore.

I pulled in the hummingbird and oriole feeders and cleaned them...in my clean sink. I'm not sure how the wasps ended up inside my bee/wasp proof hummingbird feeder but at least they were dead. Yucko! I ended up having to clean the sink again. I'm waiting to pull the seed feeders in until they're empty. By the look of things, they'll be empty tomorrow. The woodpeckers have hit the seed really hard. They'll have to find a new source since I really don't have much more time here at The Lake and refuse to store the feeders away with seed that could mold. And...since I haven't seen any bugs that are bugging me (no mosquitoes) I unplugged and stowed away my Stinger BugZapper. There's LOTS of wasps out but I'm keeping my handy-dandy tennis racket style bug-zapper a the ready when I'm sitting out on my cushion-less rocking chair.

Since I was out on the deck with the six-foot step-stool, I decided to bring the wind chimes in and store them (now I can only hear the wind)...and then I moved on to the rain gauges. I plan to leave the temperature sensor out until Thursday or even Friday morning. In the past, I've been too quick to pull the sensor and then I have no idea what the real temperature is outside.

I brought the geraniums inside and stowed them in the basement service room. I had planned to throw them out but there is a possibility that they may survive the winter without water if they're in the basement. It's happened in the past. If they don't make it, I'll throw them away when I get back here next spring. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I emptied out the freezer in the basement and unplugged it. Done! I thawed out the steaks and will bring them over to BW's place tomorrow for our meal on Tuesday night. I thawed out the ground beef and made meatballs (also going over to BW's) for our meal on Monday night. I thawed out three quarts of tangelo juice...guess where they're going. Yup, BW's, along with three packages of my homemade spaghetti sauce (Monday night). Are you noticing a trend? Actually, some stuff I'm keeping. I vacuum-sealed three packages of ground beef and some lasagna, and I'm keeping a couple quarts of lemon juice and a couple quarts of grapefruit juice. Some stuff will keep. Other stuff....I'll either toss or gift to BW Babe, or #1 Son and #1 DIL.

I've decided that I've done enough for one day. The hoses will have to wait until tomorrow and I'll finish cleaning out the fridge after I bake those pies. That way I can bring a load of things over to BW's before The Harpist and Lord Douglas get here AND on the way back here, collect the garbage barrel and store that away for the winter.

My mind is really trying to do things in a logical fashion. I'm itching to load the car but that can't be done until Wednesday...or even Thursday since I've still got things that need tucking in and laundry to do with more things to tuck in. Oh well, this isn't my first parade.

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Quit worrying about your health. It'll go away.

Robert Orben

Harvest Moon - Photograph Taken by Willie

 

Word of the Day

Tubswizzle - To slide oneself back and forth in the bathtub in order to mix the extremely hot water with the cooler water.

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Six Days and a Wake UP! ACK and CRAP! There's so much going on here that it'll actually be a relief when I pull out of the driveway on my way back to Arizona. Don't get me wrong. I really love being here at The Lake but all the To Do Lists and Packing Lists tend to spike my blood pressure and cause endless nights of spotty sleep.

I'm packing. I'm canning. I'll start loading my car sooner than HTP would think necessary. I sit here writing my blog, feeling guilty that I haven't blogged since the end of August and, as the same time, feeling guilty that I'm taking the time to blog. I've got so much to do and so little time for the doing of those things.

Since I blogged last, I harangued my folks into a trip to The Big City to see Willie and his family. I guilted Ma into it. Yes, she was going to back out at the last minute but this might be the last time she gets to see Willie's daughters and wife. Ma is turning 90 in January. I brought Willie back for a short visit...really too short. He stayed two nights here at my place and one night over at BW's. JC took him for a wild ride through the woods on his UTV. Fun times. Willie took the moon photo here at my place. I'm planning on blowing said photo up and framing it for here...and probably for back in Arizona. However, maybe, just maybe, DD Daughter can paint me a picture of it. I'd love that.

I have a new tooth! OK. It's not a real tooth but it feels like a real tooth. It's an implant. The implant process started last summer and yesterday was the culmination of the process. I'm amazed at how real it feels. No tribble at all. My tongue isn't even flapping around feeling the oddity of something strange after dealing with a gap for the last year. I was a bit stressed by the sharp instruments entering my mouth but....I DID IT! No gas, no meds. OK...let's be honest, I thought I was going to go a bit crazy there for a bit...sweaty palms and all...but...I've got a new tooth and even though I forgot to bring my mouth guard in for adjustment, my mouth guard fit just fine last night. I will not have to go to the dentist again until next year. Yeah!

I made ten more pints of salsa from the last of my green peppers. I'm out of onions now. I still have more tomatoes ripening on the top of my kitchen table. I expect that I'll end up canning a few...maybe. Or, I'll end up gifting them to BW Babe. I already gave her all my remaining green tomatoes along with their vines....attached. This year was an awesome year for tomatoes and all my efforts to fight the blight paid off. I've put all my gardens to bed for the year and covered my Earthboxes with a HUGE, REALLY HUGE, tarp. I got fed up with the two smaller (free with rebate) tarps that I used last year and that the mice nibbled. For goodness sakes, what was I thinking when I bought this new tarp? It's big enough to cover my entire deck...and I have a HUGE deck. Oh well...at least it isn't too small.

I've brought the Acadia in for an oil change and a tire rotation. It's all ready for my return drive to Arizona. The leaves are starting to turn. Fall has arrived. The only birds at my feeders are the Flickers, the woodpeckers, the nuthatches and the chickadees. I need to bring in the hummingbird feeders but I'm reluctant to battle the wasps. LOTS of wasps.

BW and I will be attending a farewell dinner/celebration for a good friend that will be moving from The Lake to Idaho. *sigh* I made a vegetarian lasagna from some of the last of my summer produce. We'll miss him but have only best wishes for him. Then, The Harpist and Lord Douglas are coming on Monday (staying at BW's place) for a couple of nights. It'll be great to see them. However, I'm soooo glad that they're going to be staying over at BW's place. The Harpist and Lord Douglas are going to a harp exposition in Canada...driving. Both BW and I are going to gift them some of our summer produce and some of the Arancello and Limoncello that I made last winter in Arizona along with some of my summer wine. I wish I could have had them stay here but I've only got six full days and a wake up before I'll be heading back to Arizona. NOT a good time to entertain. However, I plan to make two more pies (desserts) for while their here. Lemon meringue and rhubarb. This I can do.

Meanwhile, in the news, #1 Son and #1 DIL have purchased a home...closing in November if the home inspection checks out. Happy Belated Birthday to Little Jon! DD Daughter's divorce is still processing. Ms. En has started school. Kindergarten.

I will blog but don't be surprised if there's gaps. Six days and a wake up don't allow for too much free time.

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Random Quote of the Day

The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it.

Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986)