Let's Do It Again: The Farm Report 10-10-2024

 Let's Do It Again

The Farm Report
10-10-2024

When last we spoke.... I was talking about everything turning into 'bird's nest' soup. It's been a long hot hard summer out here on the estate. But I'm ready to get back at it. These little barn swallows - living in an actual bird's nest! - make me smile all summer long. I love 'em. Yes, they're messy. But they are so much fun to watch flying and cavorting. Wish I could fly like they do. These little guys were just ready to jump ship and go sailing off when I took this pic. They've all gone south to their winter home now. See you next Spring!

So, there's a lesson here. You can see their mud nest built under the eaves of my shop building. But back a little farther is the nesting tray I built for them last year. Last year, they used it. This year, they wanted a better view, I guess.

Let me whine just a little to get it cleared out of my system. What's been going on in my life? First, the shop AC decided it needed attention. There were mouse houses, leaves and general detritus spread all around the insides of everywhere.

There was cotton wood lint clogging all the heat exchanger veins inside and out. I had to literally tear down the entire sheet metal box that holds the unit. Of course, the engineers had designed it so the little tee-ninney screws that hold the sheet metal on were carefully hidden RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM under a folded lip where you could not see them. The Braille system was the only way to get to them. Of course, I'm an inflexible (I mean physically inflexible, thank you) old man. So since we were in the cold wet rainy season at the time, I was laying in the mud with a screwdriver cussing all engineers who ever were each time I found another hidden screw to take out.

I'm more stubborn than brilliant, so I eventually got it open and cleaned out - AND BACK TOGETHER - just in time for the sudden hot dry seasonal shift. For the record, there were no left over screws, either.

After a hot dirty miserable session fixing the AC, a nice hot shower was certainly anticipated. However, right at that exact same time. The Exact Same Time! My well decided that if the AC could act up and get attention, then the well would try the same trick, too.

New pressure switch and I thought we were good to go. 

It only took two days without any water whatever at the Manor House before we were clean again....

That lasted for about a week or so. Then the well said that it was so much fun to get attention, it did quit again. Yes, two times in two weeks without a drop of water when I turned the faucet. No warning, no signals. All I got was just a well's high and hardy middle finger stuck way up high in the air for me to see and deal with. 

This time, we pulled the entire pump up out of the well. We replaced all the pipes and the pump itself. We also put in new controlling electronic stuff that I don't understand - but need.

And I have water again whenever I want it. For those of you who are 'Townies' and think that since I have my own well and don't have a regular monthly water bill to pay, I have 'free' water.... Let me explain it as my Grandpa used to: Free, like Hell! Well guys don't work cheap. They dropped everything and came running to my rescue like the cavalry surging in on an attack when I called them, which was much appreciated. Still, it ain't free.

"How's your garden?", they ask. Here you go. This pic pretty well sums it up. We went from cold wet to hot dry in the wink of an eye. The crops didn't like it; the weeds thought it was great.

The garden got ragged and I lost interest.

Still and all. A messy garden can be a productive garden. The magazine photographers won't be pestering you for pics, but the garden will still help feed you. Here's my new Digital Electric canner and some green beans for winter.

The 'mater crop was minimal, too. But, we make do with what we have living out here on the edge of civilization.

Juice for chili, plain old drinkin' juice and whatever else will be good when it gets cold.

I even had enough tomato juice to make some pizza sauce. I know, it's a pretty crude setup, but hey, any port in a storm, they say. A spare camera tripod, a 5-gallon paint straining bag and a little scrap rope, and we're draining off all the unwanted 'mater water to get down to the thick pulp we really do want.

From strained pulp into dryer pans to make the pizza sauce even thicker and richer.

135F for about 24 hours seems right.

Thick and rich tomato sauce. It costs about 85 cents a can at the store, but I like to make my own. It can't always be about money.

I like it thick enough to be able to stand a spoon - or spatula - up on its own.

Peppers just love hot and dry!

From the look of her tongue, you'd think Annie had sampled some. I don't think she did, but maybe?!
She's not a big pepper fan.

I got boxes of Big Jim Numex and Jimmy Nardello peppers. They are not the hot ones - just lots of flavor for omelets and whatever next winter.

Ready for the dryer.

This is my homemade dryer for big bulky stuff. I actually made this a long time ago when I was teaching furniture finishing classes. We used it to dry our high quality real hair brushes. Now I dry peppers and sage in it.

Fun, historic and easy. 

I even built in a little thermometer so I can keep track of what's going on inside without opening the door. "If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'" as they say.

These are Numex Anaheim peppers. Again, not much heat but gooooood chili flavor.

I have discovered that if I pressure cook them for just 1 minute, then I can peel them like magic.

Like this easy magic. The 'meat' of the pepper just slips right off the tough outer skin by simply sliding a rubber spatula under it.

Into little jars with a bit of salt and I can 'em up. "Tim, your chili is always so good. What do you do?" I add my own home grown Anaheim chilies to it!

Here's another 'old school' trick I use. I'm lining the tables inside the greenhouse with plain old burlap. I discovered that Walmart sells it in bulk - cheap! It is a wonderful, sustainable fabric that has lots of garden uses.

I put my onions on it to let them cure for a few weeks before their final cleaning and storage.

I put a second 'blanket' of burlap over the top to keep the direct sun off them and to help wick away any unwanted moisture. All told, I put away 45.5 pounds of onions this year. That's fantastic for the season we had!

And now we're back around to Fall and time to clean up the garden and put everything away for the winter. I've had a miserable summer weather-wise. But it hasn't been anything like the folks who have been trying to survive the hurricanes in Florida. How can I be anything else but optimistic and tell you that, in spite of it all, All is Well at Oakdale Farm. Thanks for letting me have a summer break. Cheers until next time!