Diary 4/29/14

I am posting a picture of flowers for my friend, Prudence, who died today. She would like that~

Dairy 4/28/14

Heading into some record breaking hot temperatures over the next few days. The grass is getting so tall. We bought a new weed eater, small enough I can run it, oh boy!

Comfrey

 Eventually when we weed eat it dries up and doesn't come back. Hope it is this next time, but I also hope for more rain. Most of the lakes around here never filled this winter and some are only half full and usually used for irrigation in the valley. They are already talking water rationing in town and it is really drastic in Northern and Central California.

Diary 4/26/14

Look what is ready! The first crop is usually pretty small and sometimes mis-shapened from bug and a cold spring. This year they look nice and taste great, too!

Diary 4/25/14

Our first lettuces are finally ready to eat. That is about a month later than usual. I must be retired!

Diary 4/24/14

Fairy Bells will make it to the Wildflower Show! Not sure about Trout Lily or Hound's Tongue...

Post Easter Eggs?

 What to do with those lovely eggs? There is deviled eggs, of course, and the old stand-by, egg salad sandwiches. Here is another option for what to do with those eggs we so happily dyed a dozen of.

 This year I made a basic brine of 1 part water to 3 parts vinegar which I heated to a boil, then added  two tablespoons salt and a tablespoon each of dried basil and dill seed. I let it cool and poured it into a glass canning jar, subsequently tossing in the slightly colored hard-boiled eggs for a good snack of pickled eggs that I don't have to eat right away as they actually gain more flavor the longer they sit in the brine. I don't plan to keep them forever, no thousand day eggs or anything, but it seems like another way to make use of the fun product we created last weekend.!

Diary 4/21/14

Busy weekend full of family and friends. Hikes on the "old road", morel mushroom hunting, a sunny egg hunt, and a hike in the mountains. Egg hunt went well with fun prizes, nice sharing, and not a whimper. I wonder how many eggs are still out there?
Now, we are a month closer to summer and the longer days are nice. I want to start eating dinner earlier and have that after dinner time to go back out to the garden to work. It is a peaceful time; no one is mowing, blowing, weed eating, or making machine noises of any kind. The road below is quiet with no traffic going by. The birds are busy, and sometimes I am joined by deer.
We are about to have a real rain event with up to 3 inches. This is extremely good news. I was at the top of our drainage yesterday and not only was there no snow, it was dry. Lovely hike at the edge of my ability to the saddle aptly named Goodview Ridge.
All in all, I am a lucky woman!