Star Gazing

We'll be star gazing Saturday night, positioning the plastic loungers and fluffy cushions for a nice view of the Perseid meteor shower that will peak late Saturday night into Sunday morning.  

I'll make some treats.

We'll have some tasty drinks.

We may have a little music in the background.

No doubt cats will be joining us!

The Perseid Meteor Shower 2012 hits its stride this weekend, late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. And what stride it will be: according to NASA, expect up to 100 meteors per hour. As an extra bonus, a waning crescent moon means that moonlight won’t completely overwhelm the meteors as they shoot across the sky.  link to meteor info

For others that are not lounging under the stars, our planetarium is having Cheap Date Night with a simulation of the shower and a showing of When Worlds Collide, classic sci-fi. That leaves plenty of time before the peak.  

St Louis Science Center -Planetarium

Perseids image

Rain, Gardens and Evacuation

Our neighbor came over to apologize, it was all his fault.

He both washed his car AND went camping.

You know what that means . . .

Rain!!!

Yes, Rain.

And what a rain it was.

My little acorn squash was happy, in fact, it had a baby!

Click to enlarge photos.

Hey little pumpkin!

Are you going to be Taylor's for Halloween ?

My priest apologized (??) too.

Maybe not an apology, more of an explanation

Within a half hour of singing Rain Down, the skies opened up.

It poured. It lightninged.  The winds howled.

The weather bureau estimated 70 mph winds were on the way.

Hail 2-3 inch in diameter possible.

They evacuated the Washington Town and Country Fair just as REO began to play. 

Tomatillos- just look at them.  Yummy salsa on the way.

My mom was in town visiting so Taylor, my graddaughter, was with us.  

She's seven and about to start school again.  

She was also terrified, tears were flowing. She doesn't like storms.

Storms in the dark are even worse.

A little watermelon.  Will you grow to maturity?

Not so sure but keep trying!

It wasn't nearly as bad at our house.  We had strong wind and rain for sure.

No hail that I could see but it was hard to see! 

Tom was at the ham radio so we knew we were ok.

The worst of it passed just around us but did hit Taylor's town.

Nothing widespread but we did get a CERT call that chainsaw teams were needed.

Large trees had fallen on a couple of houses.

Of course I had Mom and Taylor so we had to pass. 

They seemed to have plenty of volunteers.

Still more squash coming.

The ham radio operator in Pacific has a weather station. 

He reported the rain was so intense at one time that it was falling at over 7 inches an hour.  It overwhelmed gutters, our neighbor came back to a washed out driveway and water in the garage.  I believe I heard their front porch area was flooded as well.

This is our culvert and it had been bone dry.

  I stepped in to see how deep it was. I won't show you the photo- it's not very flattering- but it was about 18 inches deep.  This is the culvert that only fills when a great amount of rain falls.  Our patio fountain overfilled and the little frog pond on our garden wall was to the top as well.  

The plants got a nice drink but we need a slow, steady rain for several days so the ground can absorb it, this caused a lot of runoff into the creeks and rivers.  It was still very much appreciated except for the wind damage.  It looks like we will get some cooler temps this week - LOL cool in the 90s!  Funny how I think the 90s are cool now!

Linking to

The Country Garden Showcase

Having Company

I'll be taking a break for a few days while we have company. 

 I'll leave you with a photo of Spot, my alpha male.  I'm his human and chief back scratcher.

See you in a few days

Kathy

What's the Plan Now?

What's the plan?  That is the the next question we face.  

As much as we would like to think we prepare, this summer confirms that we're not in control.  Until this morning we haven't had a drop of rain in weeks, and today isn't a good soaking rain, just a gentle spot rain here and there.  It isn't enough to save the garden, the bushes or provide nourishing moisture for the failing crops.

What many people don't realize is that the drought is more than a slight inconvenience to summer activities or a hobby garden next to the patio. The impact to our lives can be enormous, outside of grocery store produce.  The farmers here are selling off their beef now because there isn't anything to graze them on.  They are feeding their cattle the same hay that was supposed to sustain them through the winter.  This will cause a glut of cattle to hit the market resulting in lower prices now.  That might sound good on the surface but think of the ramifications.  In another year, beef will be sky high, and anything made from beef byproducts.  

Corn, wheat and soybeans are suffering.  Ears are barely producing and the cost of harvesting these poor ears may exceed their profits.  Some are simply plowing their fields under.  With less corn in the market, prices will rise.  This isn't just your basic canned corn or a few good ears on the bbq or roasted edamames.  This affects your entire supply chain from food to clothing and industrial applications.   

Non Food Uses for Corn

Adhesives, cardboard, charcoal (a binding), plastics, medicines, distillation, cosmetics, pet foods, sweeteners, ethanol, oils, hypoallergenic bedding and even tattoo inks! It's not only about eating the kernels but about the starches, oils and fibers. What does end up in the produce section of your local grocery will likely be affected by transportation costs.  Barge traffic is affected by low river levels with some ports completely closed to commercial traffic.  Now you're looking at potentially rail along with trucks running on diesel which is at a premium.

What about wheat?

Again, paper products, construction materials, fuels, medical supplies, health and beauty products, textiles and other industrial applications.  

Soy?

Everything.  Think about everything that is soy related from the flour to seeds, hulls and oils.  The list is too numerous to mention but again encompasses food, construction, medical  and textile applications.

Packaging

Now that we know these crops are used in making plastics, cardboard and adhesives, think about packaging.  Everything you purchase in a package may be affected.  Manufacturers will have to pass on higher costs to consumers - this is already happening so think of what costs packaging will add.

Prices will rise.  Income isn't going up too quickly.  

How much more can you cut back?

So, what's the plan?

I don't have the answers - I'm trying to figure it out.  

Food

Can, dehyrate and vacuum seal where you can.  Watch for sales on canned goods, dried beans and pastas. Put up some shelves in your basement if you have room and store what you can which you find a good price.

Personally I would warn against freezing too much.  It's fine to freeze some of your stock pile but in times of high heat there are also chances of power outages.  For anyone who has not gone for a week or better without power, it's a battle to keep your perishables safe.  One the members of our blogging community discussed the recent outages when powerful storms came through their area shutting down power for an extended time.  People lost food that had to be frozen or kept cool.  Pantry items were consumed, store shelves depleted.  Then how do you restock unless you have ample funds, not to mention the extra costs associated with maintaining your household during these outages.  Their power company is currently sending shut off notices to those that fell behind during this time and can't afford  the payment arrangements the company is demanding.  Some of these are folks that struggle paycheck to paycheck.  Working folk that just need a break.  

Not all dinged and dented cans are bad.  Check the USDA dating charts  to see what is not acceptable, everything else should be ok.  Don't let expiration dates fool you either.  They are generally Best By dates and I know some of the guidelines for food panties allow for a year past expiration on vegetables such as green beans but no allowance on any baby formulas.

Garden

I discussed Early Crops  but neglected to look at drought tolerant crops.  From what I have pulled off seed catalogs and the internet:  black eyed peas (cow peas), millet, sorghum, spinach, collards, mustard greens- some of the same early crops I found.  Tomatoes, surprisingly, are drought tolerant.  I found a discussion that speaks about a method where you intentionally do not water them until their leaves start to turn yellow.  It forces the plant to concentrate on fruit production rather than vining.   Beans, if I could keep the darned deer away, tolerate drought well, particularly pole or snap beans with a short growing season.   Also squash, which might explain my success this year even if I did battle the squash bugs.  Deep rooted vegetables reach water where shallow rooted do not.

Watering

Using grey water is a good alternative so long as you watch your detergents.  Accumulating additives can damage your crops more than the water is helping.   I have seen some posts where plumbing (from sinks) is disconnected, allowing the water to run into a bucket.  You would need to move this water immediately if humidity is a factor, again being cautious of what you are putting down the sink.  Mulching where advised - not for squash. Drip hoses rather than sprinklers will allow your water to be placed exactly where you need it rather than spreading it over grasses and weeds. 

Textiles

Shop resale shops, particularly the ones that use proceeds to help the poor and hungry.  There is no shame in purchasing second hand items especially if those purchases allow the organization to collect money for utility bills, food and rent for those in desperate need.  Many sell items for $x.xx per BAG!   One stay at home mom that I knew installed shelving in her basement.  With six kids and very limited income, she knew she had to score some great deals to outfit the kids.  Well, with six children spread over five ages, she purchased whatever was in the resale shop in several sizes.  She folded them and placed them on the appropriate size shelf.  Somewhere along the line Someone will be able to wear those jeans or this T-shirt.  Brilliant.

   

Seek out fabric sales at your local quilt shops, fabric store or on line sources.  Many are reduced down to $4-6 per yard, far less than the $8-12 for new lines.  Those same fabric were all the rage just a few months ago and will look just a nice made into tops, skirts or home decor.  Many second hand purchases can be repurposed cheaply into wonderful items.  Check Totally Tutorials for some great ideas shared by our blogging friends!  

Conserve

Conserve what you have--don't waste.  Be cautious with your purchases. If you need a critical product, stock up on it just in case.  What will it hurt?  If everything works out just fine, you got a great deal on something you needed anyway.

Prayers

For guidance and mercy.  For ourselves and all those in need.

As we have seen, we are not in control. 

The Angelus by Jean Francois Millet

What's Your Plan?

I'd like to know, maybe it will be my plan too.

Image credit    MO Drought Info (FB)  Mo Corn Growners

http://www.kswheat.com/consumerspageid261_UsesofWheat.shtml

http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soybean/uses_soyproducts.html

http://hiddencorn.wordpress.com/wheres-the-corn-in-non-food-products/

Linking to Homestead Revival Barn Hop 72

It's a Little Warm Here

It's a little warm these days, temperatures in excess of 100 degrees is unusual for our area.  While the reported temperatures have hit 108 some areas have exceeded this, in fact, my  Jeep registered 109 just yesterday.   It's starting to affect electronics as well.  My dash lights were dim in the middle and  dials were not working correctly.  Can I use that excuse if I'm picked up for speeding?  (LOL)

We've hit the point where no matter how much we water, the heat has stressed the plants too much.  Bushes and trees weep, leaves withered and fading.  I'm not sure if we'll get anything more out of the garden if we don't get rain soon.  I can't keep up watering everything we have and if push comes to shove, the permanent bushes will win out over tomatoes especially since I have so many dehydrated and canned.

 I will say we have a bounty of acorn and spaghetti squash, thanks to a little duct tape for removing the squash bug eggs.  I can't believe how much I like acorn squash with butter and brown sugar. I guess they are mostly mine, the hubby likes a plate of meat with meat side dishes and perhaps a meat pie for dessert!  

I can't believe I'm saying this but I hope we have lots of snow this winter to replenish what we have been lacking.  The wells in some areas are not keeping up.  We're lucky ours is deep.  I hope you all are keeping cool.

St. Louis is seeing some unbelievable heat this summer: On Wednesday, the city hit 108 degrees, says Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters. "This marked the 11th day this summer in St. Louis with temperatures of at least 105 degrees," he says, "beating the old record of 10 such days in 1934."

There was some relief in St. Louis on Thursday: the temperature didn't break 100.  

Twenty-four people have died from the heat in St. Louis so far this summer.

USA Today

Linking to Farmgirl-friday-blog-hop-68.html

Kitchen Gadgets

I've always loved kitchen gadgets, nothing better than the kitchen section of a mail order catalog.  I thought I'd introduce you to some of our gadgets.  I'll bet you all have some too!

The scale was manufactured by Wm Enders Oak Leaf of Walden, NY and patented in 1906.  We really use this scale and it works well.  This was from my grandmother's house and now it sits on our counter.  We set things on top and the arrow points to the weight.  There are no digital readouts that glow in the dark.  

The timer- hand wind and listen for the ding, just once so don't miss it.  The advantage to this timer is that I can go outside and take it with me.  What can be better!  Our new oven display lasted all of about 8 years, after the warranty ended of course.  This is a nice dual oven with convection option too.   Our new motto is the fewer electronics, the better.

The Ecko high speed beater- what power outage?  None here, crank and beat.  Normally we use a whisk and I do have a very nice Kitchen Aid mixer that we purchased years ago.  The Kitchen Aid was expensive but very well worth it as far a gadgets go.  We have attachments for grinding and sausage stuffing too. This manual model will work in a pinch though, so we made sure to keep it as well.  It really says high speed beater!

The egg slicer, could it get any more simple?  Perfect slices every time for salads or just packed in my lunch bag accompanied by fresh tomato and cucumbers with a little ranch dressing on the side.

  

The can opener.  We gave up on electric can openers years and years ago. They became dull, the dropped the can or opened only a portion of it.   This is a pretty fancy one for us, it has handles-with grips!  Normally we used one that would fit in the palm of your hand with a small key type winder.  The one in our emergency bag doesn't even have that, it's a military type - my husband always calls it a John Wayne opener. 

We opted out of the pretty granite counter tops because cast iron is our cookware of choice.  Instead, we chose a very sturdy tile that will stand up to heat and heavy cookware.  

We rescued this cast iron piece from a flea market- completely covered in rust. After some clean up it is just perfect and a great pot for frying smaller quantities.

This old Griswold dutch oven is from my husband's great aunt.  It's been in the family since 1926.  In 2012 it continues to be one of the most used pieces of cookware we have.

To accompany our gadgets we also have some awesome cookbooks that have been passed down through the family.   Some early 1900s, some fun 50s/60s, novelty and themed plus enough church cookbooks to fill a library shelf!   Of course Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking has the place of honor next to the wine rack along with The Joy of Cooking.

The Boston Cooking School Cook Book  (this edition 1927)

My dad was a gadget type of guy too.  He always tried to give mom something super great and every time she returned it.  One year it was a combination meat slicer and something I can't quite remember, but it was really cool.  Back it went.  Another year it was an AM/FM clock radio/light/alarm combination that probably massaged your back and dried your hair too.  Well, I might be exaggerating just a little.  But back it went.  All the good stuff, back when these sort of things were not the norm! 

It's good to have the old standbys though, the "through thick and thin" items that are proven.  

What gadgets are your favorite?

The Country Homemaker Hop

A Sticky Situation

I've decided that we can learn some lessons from the squash bug- Don't get yourself into a sticky situation.

I've been battling the pesky demons all seasons and found success with the duct tape method.  Every day I walk to the garden with a mega roll of duct tape which I fashion into little "bracelets".  I turn over as many leaves as I possibly can, examining them for eggs, nymphs and adults.  Eggs are easy, just press the tape, fold and go.  The nymphs are not too bad either.  I catch most as very recent hatchlings so they don't move much.  I end up with a wiggly blob of legs on the tape.  Fold and move on.

The adults see me coming but I'm fast.  I bring the tape from above and behind them.  They aren't ready for that.  They perch on a leaf or climb a vine- in plain sight.  They take chances and think they are indestructible.  Even if you get one, hundreds are awaiting the hatch.  They think they are the Borg- resistance is futile. 

Then I bring down the tape.  It doesn't take much, you barely have to apply any pressure. They hang from the tape, legs kicking in the air trying to grasp anything that might release them, but it's too late.  I fold over the tape and give it a little squeeze.  Another one bites the dust.

My husband says that I'm probably the nightmare adult squash bugs warn their nymphs about- the Freddie Krueger of the garden.  The little ones tremble when it's time for bed, grabbing a firefly as night light.  Mom bug has to check under the leaves, just to make sure the hand of tape isn't hiding beneath their beds.  Be good kids, or Sticky Hand will get you.

It's good advice.  Don't get yourself in a sticky situation.

photo credit

Duct tape link from On Just a Couple Acres

Linking to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

It's Just So Pretty

It's just so pretty I really hate to eat it- but we will.

This is why it's all worth it

Fighting the deer

Battling squash bugs

Fencing against little diggers

Weeding

Watering

Praying for rain.

May your harvest be bountiful.

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

Tomatillos

Tomatillos- a first for us.  

The plants are at least five feet tall and have begun producing the husk covered fruits.  This is the first time we have grown them so I'm not sure what to expect. We planted   If all of the flowers turn into fruit we will have a bumper crop -- of salsa!  

It looks like the husks should turn brown but the fruit should preferably remain green, although they say some let the fruit turn colors too, it just changes the taste.  

The hubby has been googling recipes- he's a salsa lover but prefers his hot while I need mine ultra mild.  He mentioned chili verde with pork.

Anyone have some good recipes?

Linking Homestead Revival Barn Hop

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

To Survive Until Spring

What would it take to survive until Spring?

The Scenario

It's the dead of winter and snow is falling, a good thing following the summer of the great drought.  You need to find more dry wood to keep your family warm.  You didn't cut enough last fall of course, last winter was almost non existent.   The economy has gotten worse, if you can believe it.  Few jobs, food prices are through roof and who would have planned for these power outages?  Utility company and municipality bankruptcies?  This never happened before.  Rations are starting to run low, even after stocking your pantry better than most.  How will you make it to Spring?  

*************************

I looked at our garden in this year of excessive heat and drought.  I wondered, how would we have survived if it were 200 years ago, without Wal-Mart, grocery stores and fast food restaurants.  Even 100 years ago we would not have had the the ability to turn on our hoses for instant water.  What if the harvest had been poor the year before as well?  We need Food, Clothing and Shelter, the basics- add fresh water to that too.

What keeps us alive?

The cities  will have serious problems, not only food but potentially riots and widespread disease.   Even in the rural areas it would be bad, especially in more populated areas. There won't be enough wildlife to support the amount of food that would be required, especially if people had to do tasks manually. Clean water might be a luxury.  Unless you have spent mega bucks on preparedness, your food supplies would run out pretty quickly, and what about those that had not prepared at all?  

What should I plant? 

I ordered the Botanical Interest seed catalog and with sharpie in hand checked off the seeds that produce the earliest crops.  I have a garden center that stocks this brand so I purchased a few packets locally.  Anything they don't have I can order.  I want to select heirlooms when there is a choice.  Our volunteers from last year are from heirloom seeds. Don't choose Genetically Modified (GMO) from any seed catalogs.  I don't think Botanical Interests has any GMO.  I needed to plan against time- what crops come in the earliest or last through the winter without canning or freezing?  Just in case.

I stumbled onto parsnips, which I have never tasted in my life.  From what I have read, these are slow to grow and best harvested after a frost, even better if overwintered which allows the starches to turn to sugar.  They can be eaten in soups, stews, mashed, roasted and in stir fry according to the package.   They require some depth that I don't have with my rocky soil but we have come up with a possible raised bed plan that is cheap and easy.     That's a good start. 

• Potatoes, an obvious choice.  They can be stored and can overwinter.
• Radishes mature quickly and are easy as pie to grow.
• The Redeemed Gardeners discussed ramps at his post here.  The earliest of greens and one that sustained early settlers. You can purchase the plants but the source I checked was not shipping until fall.
• Collards- mine overwintered and and became larger every time I picked some.
• Spinach at 28 days- I chose Bloomsdale which is also good in the fall.
• Sorrel- one of the earliest greens.  According to the package it can stay green down to 10 degrees F.
• Swiss Chard- I can't get this to stop growing, even when it wilted!
• Buttercrunch lettuce- keeps going and going.
• Cress- sow before the average last frost- Early!  
• Zucchini of course, not super early but the Baby Round matures in 45 days.
• Peas, if the deer don't get them
• Catnip- I can't forget the kitties, can I?  Plus we can make tea.
• Maybe not early, but a treat-  Watermelon Moon and Stars- if I can get it to grow this had the best reviews. 

I have identified a bed of purslane and several other edible "weeds" but I hesitate to taste anything I am not certain of.  I did purchase some purslane seeds, just in case it doesn't come up next year.  I also have my herb garden.   For longer season vegetables we have tomato seeds from heirlooms so they will come up next season and of course several bean varieties- which I have yet to eat thanks to birds, deer and beetles.

We are well stocked for normal times.  We dehydrate, can,  freeze, vaccum seal, hunt plus have some canned goods and dried beans on the shelves when we hit a good sale.  If things change, well, what's normal suddenly changes.  There would be a lot of adjusting to do so my theory is to practice now, while we're ok.  We might not cover all the bases, nowhere near, but we might be more prepared and less panicked if something did change our normal way of life.

What would you all grow?

How would you survive?

linking to Country Garden Showcase

Homestead Revival Barn Hop