Finally!

Good grief it has been a long time since I have posted an update! Without internet here on the farm I have to depend on my cell phone tethered to my computer to be able to be on the internet. This only happens with a functioning cell phone (which mine has not been). I have been able to use it for a phone but most of the other functions just caused it to shut itself off. I was pretty sure I could make it until the September renewal date to get a new phone. I finally had enough and got a new one. I am connected with the real world again!

It would be nearly impossible to try to fill in all of the pieces since the last time I posted. I’ll try to give a short synopsis but I am sure things will come up in the future. Really, one statement could really sum it all up. It’s dry.

I thought it was dry back at the beginning of June during wheat harvest but it has gotten so much worse since then. I helped one of the neighbors during harvest by driving wheat trucks for her. I remember thinking that we really needed some rain way back then. We’ve only had just a bit over an inch since. As I sit inside and look at the thermometer hit 102 outdoors all I can do it wonder what will happen next. I had heard that our June was the second driest on record since 1911. That’s pretty scary considering the dust bowl lasted longer than one year. Yikes.

One thing that seems to be doing well is the garden. Right now I have a batch of tomato soup boiling on the stove to can in a bit. It is the third batch I have canned this year which should just about do it for the winter. I have also canned vegetable relish, pasta sauce, salsa, and plain tomatoes. I have been picking 30-40 tomatoes a day, so I have to do something to use these things up! The blackberry bushes produced well and I have about 25 gallons frozen for making jelly and crisps this winter. I have been watering the garden by hand each night from the cistern. It has held up well so far but the water level is dropping steadily. The last I measured there was 15 feet of water left in it (it’s 23 feet deep). I am going to measure it tonight again if I can force myself to do it. Not knowing almost makes it better.  I'm not sure what will happen when that runs dry.  Legend has it that it has not been dry since it was dug in 1936.  This could be the year.

I’ve also been watering the 20 trees I planted this spring each day. It is lots of carrying water and dragging hoses but I am determined not to lose those, too! I will post a picture of those soon (I took one a few days ago but they are growing quickly). They appear to be 4-5 feet tall now. They were suppose to grow 12-15 feet the first year but that probably does not take this heat and drought into account. We need all of the shade we can get around here as some of the mature tree are dying due to drought. We lost one of the big shade trees beside the house and four in the shelter belt behind the silo. The pear tree and peach trees are loaded with fruit so I have been pouring water to those so that they don’t drop their fruit. It really is amazing to me that I spend so much time thinking about rain. We have been so careful around the yard for fear of fire. The yard is so dry that it would burn like paper and the pasture is even worse. A neighbor is coming over tomorrow to cut and bale the pasture so it at least won’t be so tall. Each day I worry that some dork will drive down the road and throw out a cigarette. This whole place would be gone in no time with three sides bordered by dry pasture or wheat stubble.

My soup is about ready to can so I have to post this and run back to the kitchen. You better check back often as I will probably have to post frequently to catch you all up. I am putting a few goodies below - the recipe for the tomato soup I have on the stove and a picture of the project from the end of June. The old manure spreader either needed to be scrapped or overhauled so I chose the latter. She’s an oldie but looks much better with new wood and a coat of paint. After lots of greasing and adjusting it works as good as it did 60 years ago!  I have a "before" picture on the old phone but I am not so sure that I can get it off of there.  I can't recall when I took this picture but the yard still looked kind of green (sad to say!).

This tomato soup is a recipe that I put together several years ago. There’s not much in it but is a really good simple soup. It cans well and makes about five quarts. I just put all of the vegetables in the food processor and chop them. I don’t like tomato soup that is thin liquid like the stuff in the can. This is more of a bisque. I probably boil it an hour and a half or so.

Tomato Soup

4 quarts tomatoes

3 cups onion

2 cups celery

2 cups red peppers

½ cup carrot

2 T. salt

2 T. basil

4 t. pepper (I like it spicy)

2 T. sugar

1 bay leaf

Pray for rain!