on the fence

 

This summer has been busy.  We haven't gone anywhere but thankfully the kids and grands have all been here at one time or another.

My little garden has been  invaded by the chipmunks and squirrels.  The little buggers have been snatching green cherry tomatoes, taking one bite of them and leaving them behind.  Grrrrrr.

The flowers have been gorgeous tho'.  The Resident Fisherman works hard, feeding, weeding and pruning.  So lovely.

Worse than the chipmunks and squirrels tho, are the large 'rodents'.  The deer are thick as thieves here and do a lot of damage.  So, we hired some friends to install a fence in our backyard.

It turned out great!  

We are looking forward to filling it up with flowers and food.  And places to sit so we can stop and smell the roses.

Of course, the fence won't keep out this fella: 

He stopped by for a visit about 6 weeks ago, but we didn't roll out the welcome mat.  He has apparently moved on to greener pastures/dumpsters.

While the Resident Fisherman is out working in the flowers, I am often in working in the kitchen.  I know I am not alone in feeling an urgency to put food up for the winter.  Yes, I can buy it from the grocery store.  However, I am only going to the grocery store once a month.  The rest of the time I am shopping at the Farmer's Market.  

I am filling our freezer,dehydrator and canned goods shelves with things I buy there:

squash, onions, peppers, peas, beans, celery, and cucumbers. Soon I will be getting a few boxes of tomatoes to can.

I am so thankful to see the freezer full. The canned goods shelves are crowded.  Yes, canning is work, but I love knowing where my food comes from.  I know the names of the farmers and chat with them at the market about how things are going on their farm.

I'm thankful to live in a place where, although the winters are long and cold, things grow well here.

I also buy food from our local farm share.  Tonight's dinner will be Swedish meatballs with ground beef and pork from about 50 miles away. The potatoes for mashed potatoes and the summer squash, sauteed with garlic, were grown even closer than that.

What's for supper at your house tonight?