Harvest time in Colorado

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
If you were a seed, what kind of tree would you be?
An oak, so solid and strong? Maybe as Aspen, so willowy and pliable or how about an Evergreen that keeps all it's needles and green all winter long. Then there's a weeping willow or a very tall Red Wood tree. There's the gnarly old alpine bristle cone pine or a tiny well trimmed bonzae? Maybe you could be a common elm or a thorny Chinese elm. How about an apple or pear tree?
Can you identify this bark?
(answer at bottom of post)
Whatever tree you see yourself being or becoming, you are special and for different reasons than the orange tree person or palm tree person next to you. We all look different, smell different, give off differents fruits or nuts or seeds and we all live in different climates and altitudes and some of us are cultivated and well kept. Other's of us are old and beaten down from life's weather and there's the young saplings so tender and vulnerable, and there's the tall and thick and strong and ... you get the picture.

Rejoice in your differences and your strengths and your weaknesses because you can share and give to others and you can receive from other's something special. Oh, how I like our differences!

Just a thought!



BIRTH NOTICE:
My Newest Grandchild; Ruby, 6 lb 10 oz, born to my second daughter, Marti on September 13, 2009. This makes my 9th.
Ruby Margaret

This is the diaper bag I made for Ruby.

I am once again jumping back into blog land for a lookee see. I guess that I'm just a once in awhile blogger thru the warmer months when I'd much rather be outside while I can. Even on my down days I can enjoy the shade outside or a ride or just visiting relatives and friends.

Evan and Ethan teeter totter with mama Amber

We have been busy with a few projects, like sewing and yard sales and harvesting and cooking garden vegetables. Now we are into canning. While Brenda is living with us I am taking advantage of her willingness to jump in and help with whatever project we can cook up (pun intended). :)

Evan and Grandma trying out the tree swing

Evan's new pose now when someone points a camera at him. Guess he thinks he's being cute.....and he would be right!

The grandkids are by whenever they can and they love to help pick vegetables in the garden. They also like to taste the products for quality control.

So far they approve and are starting to really like and to try lots of new vegetables and fruits Amber says. Also, the garden has provided a handy way for the two homeschooling moms to teach some agriculture and science classes. Hands on is definitely the way to go no matter what the age.

Ethan with Grandpa's upside down tomatoe plants and with Grandma's wishing well.

Brenda and Grace and Myrtle helped pick apples from our grandma's old house. The easiest way to pick the ripe ones was to shake the tree limbs and let the apples fall onto sheets on the ground. Then Brenda bundled the sheet up and dumped them all into the plastic crate we brought along. The only downfall was the occasional apple that landed on heads or backs as she shook the tree.

Once we got back home Myrtle snatched one of the tart apples from the bin and claimed it for her own. She wanted to eat it since she likes apples but the tartness kept her licking her chops since she can't quite pucker up like we can.

We have already experimented with making and canning hot salsa and really hot salsa with our home grown tomatoes, garlic and onions. My husband says Brenda's yummy salsa, my hot salsa and 'really hot' salsa still aren't hot enough so guess I'll try one more batch of 'really extremely hot' salsa using the left over hobanero peppers I have waiting. We'll get to watch his ears turn red and steam come out his nose. Won't that be a hoot? smile!!!

We've also canned alot of pickles with two different recipies. We had so many cucumbers of all sizes that we have made 2 - two quart jars and 5 pint jars and I'll be making at least 2-3 more pint size jars of pickles yet. I didn't get any pitures of them yet but will ask Brenda to post some on her frugal site.

Now with all of the apples we brought home we are already canning apple sauce and then we'll make apple butter and will probably vacumn freeze apple slices for pies this winter. I wouldn't be able to do this all myself so I'm so thankful Brenda is here to help. We make a good team.

First came the apples, then the coring and slicing of apples (no peeling nessesary thank goodness)

Then came the cleaning and boiling of the canning jars and lids and cooking of apple quarters.

Next came removing apples from boiling water ( fork tender) and placing them in a food processor or blender.

We blended the apples until they were smooth like applesauce and no chunks.

iiiiiiiiiiii

Then we returned all the apples to one pan and added the sugar and some cinnamon and cooked just awhile longer.

Afterwards we removed one jar and lid set at a time and filled them with the applesauce and sealed the lids tightly and turned upside down on a towel.

After several minutes upside down the jars can be turned upright. Sometimes you can see or hear the lids 'pop' down wiath the suction and sealing of the lid due to the cooling process. Some lids may take awhile to pop down and sound more solid than hollow but it does work.

Brenda will put a complete recipie and instructions on her frugal site for those who would like to try canning applesauce or apple butter.

On my good days I try to take Myrtle for a walk down an old side road near here. It's along a ditch that is dry right now but the shade trees keep the walk cooler and it's very pleasant as long as we don't stop to rest beside one of the many huge ant hills along the way.

We found this old walk bridge that has seen better days and we made a wise choice in not trying to walk across it. Since the ditch was dry we decided to find a way down and look at the bridge from a different perspective. I found it to be very interesting and all the tree root systems and interesting bark was just at water's level where we would never have been able to see if water had been there. I love to get down and see things on a smaller scale and a different angle. Wouldn't it be interesting to see things from an ants perspective or a rabbit or some other small creature looking up at us just as I looked way up into the cottonwood tree above us?

Uh, oh, and analogy is coming on, I can feel it....

'Even when our lives are in a ditch and we look at our broken path, we can still see the light if we just look up!' rjm

Ok, this is long enough and I know there are many blogger friends that haven't heard from me in quite awhile so I'm going blogging around to their neighborhoods for a lookee see.

answer to trivia question: The bark belongs to a Cottonwood Tree

Hope you all have a VERY Good day :)