Diary 8/10/13

Thunderstorms built up on the mountain before dark, but the lightning storm didn't hit until 11:00 at night. I saw flashes even with my eyes closed. Then rain started and kicked it into third gear with a waterfall off the roof as if someone were pouring buckets down. No hail thank goodness as our first round of corn is just about ready. I have seen corn turn corn leaves into something that looks like fringe.

Diary 8/9/13

With the help from the couple from Michigan and another from France, that I am wwoof(World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) hosting, we are slowly getting  few things cleaned up around here. The smoke is still terrible at times, at those intervals we have been canning. The jam stash is increasing with new batch of strawberry with a bit of raspberries, and a batch of huckleberry made from last year's berries.

Today it was pickling 101!

Diary 8/8/13

Made progress on a variety of garden fronts yesterday. Cleaned up the Thai basil which was trying to bloom. Once basil starts to bloom, the flavor can change. The flowers make a bitter addition. So, topped the plants and brought them home for pesto. Wasn't sure how great Thai basil would be for pest, but it was delicious with a more intense flavor than the Genovese I usually use. Now to give the plants a shot of nitrogen so they concentrate on making leaves rather than flowers.
 Pesto:  2 cups basil leaves,several garlic cloves (3-5), 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, i/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts,  and a little salt. Food process the first three ingredients and add the other processes a little each time.

Oh, here they are!

Camera was not out in the rain, hurray!

Diary 8/7/13

New crew of wwoofers are here and the garden will get the makeover it needs. Lots more lightning last night as smoky conditions continue. At least we received .2 inches of rain with it. Helps, but scant. Hoping it will help suppression efforts all around. Sorry, don't know where I left camera (in the rain, ha-ha? ) so pictures later.

Diary 8/5/13

Not a great start to the day. It is so smoky, you feel it in your lungs. I have three wwoofers coming in tomorrow and at this point our farm is a health hazard. If we can get berries picked, we will make jam. Hoping for the inversion to lift this afternoon to evening so I can go out to do something. Picked the first slicer yesterday. So excited! Writer's conference was super informative and I learned so much. I learned to pitch. If you don't know what that means, you are lucky. You have three minutes to enchant an agent into wanting to read more of what you have to offer. My initial idea was to wing it. After attending a class, I realized I needed to write one down and not read it, but know it. Then when I said that pitch in another class, thank goodness, it was shot down. I skipped my next class, try to calm my palpitating heart, and came up with a new pitch which flew enough to get a request from an agent for synopsis and chapters. A 7 out of 10 on the dart board. So, pretty good recovery. I learned I need more conflict and tension. I was told to turn my sweet story into a romance twice

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, and I think I will.

Diary 8/1/13

Off to writer's conference. Wish the farmer luck, ha-ha!