POT 'O GOLD

A rainy Monday with overcast skies and cool temps (59 degrees). Heaven after the 100 of last week! The flowers like it too.

This old apricot picker's bucket made its way to Oregon in the mid-1970's thanks to my mom. It was full of Agapanthas that remained in it until 2001 when I finally planted them in the garden here on Grey Eagle. The bottom of the bucket is rotted out but Mr. A pop-riveted in a metal pie pan with holes for drainage.

The main vine is a Thunbergia "Charles Star" which seems to like it fine in the bucket and is climbing ever skyward on the trellis.

After spending several hours on the computer working on Mr. A's latest book, a rainy day nap sounds fine to me and the pooch. Rough life being semi-retired.

SOUPED UP AND READY!

When the weather guesser alluded to cooler weather this weekend, my thoughts turned to soup...homemade split pea with lots of goodies, to be exact.
And yes, it did get down to a bone-chilling 47 degrees last night, with daytime highs predicted in the shivering low 70's with possible showers.
So I fired up the crock pot and we enjoyed some soup in August.
We're thinking that it's gonna be an early Fall this year...the Sunset Maples are already starting to turn bright red and our red table grapes are turning pink.

Split pea soup with carrots & celery, potatoes, mushrooms and of course a few dried tomatoes for extra flavor. Served up with crusty rosemary potato bread...some rib sticking stuff! We worked it off with a walk after dinner.

CHASE LOUNGE?

Some one has been sleeping in my chair...

I think Chase likes this chair because it's leather, so it warms up his butt quickly.

Chase says, "Only fitting that a cute dog like me should get the best chair, you know. I looked around and suddenly I was in Mom's chair...don't know how it happened! I fell asleep and had a good night's sleep in it. It's so comfy and secure for a little dog like me..."

"Aw, Mom, it's so warm and soft for a dog!
Yep, I guess we'll be calling it our 'Chase lounge.'

HAIL TO THE CHEF!

Just to prove that you're never too old to be a nut! And to prove that without 'lectricity we can still work in the office!

We "survived" the annual summer hail storm. We had picked lots of produce and wrapped the beans, tomatoes, squash, cukes and peppers in shade cloth, held down with clothespins. The shade cloth is left over from our trellis, used before the Wisteria took over. It is better than tarps because it lets the wind through but keeps the hail from damaging the crops.
This time the forecast was correct. The storm welled up in a matter of a few minutes...just enough time to get stuff covered. We were overdue anyway for this annual storm.
We Rogue Valley gardeners know we'll get one sooner or later. Unfortunately it was the grapes and pears that were hit the hardest in the Ruch area southwest of us. Hail up to 1" for them, only about 3/8" here in Medford.

Here is the last of the Honey Treat corn. It was the best I've ever grown!

I grew one eggplant in a pot...it has four sets! I just wrapped it with shade cloth after I picked the biggest one.
So we've had our "shot over the bow" that the Jet Stream will dip down from Alaska more frequently as we approach Fall and give us a bit of cooler weather, which would be okay in a normal year, but this year we have so many green tomatoes on the vine yet to ripen...

"Gentleladies, start your ovens...."

Our Amish Paste tomatoes are starting to ripen in batches...that means it's time to dry a bunch of 'em for use this winter in soups, stews and potroast. They add such a nice complexity to the flavor of meats and soups. Also great on English muffins with melted cheese for breakfast. Or in a roast beef or chicken sandwich, omlettes....I could go on.........but I do draw the line at putting them on oatmeal...

Peeled and cut in half. Easy peeling by dropping them in hot water for a couple of minutes, then into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. The skins will split and you can just roll them off.

Squishing the guts out makes for faster drying. Just press them on the side of a bowl and the seeds and juice will come out. If you're doing lots, you may want to wear kitchen gloves...the acid can get you your hands after awhile.

All ready for the oven with herbs & lots of olive oil ( I used a lemon infused oil I had been saving for this purpose). I put them on parchment paper for easier cleanup.

After about 2-hours (this varies with the size & juiciness) at 275 degrees, you'll have a great smelling kitchen and some dark roasted tomatoes. They'll still be a bit juicy...I don't want them to turn into shoe leather...

I just put them in baggies making sure to get all the oil I can (now the oil is tomato infused). I freeze 'em up and put them into seal-a-meal type plastic bags later. Less messy that way when they are frozen. As Jack likes to say as he wanders through the kitchen, "Bodes well for good eatin' this winter!"

JUMP IN!

Our neighbors, the Retzer's had a birthday party this Saturday for their girls. They warned all the neighbors that they would be having a "jump house" set up.
Yeah, they did! It looks bigger when it's in your street!

What lucky kids. It had a water slide which is a good thing on a 100 degree day!

They invited lots of kids...about 50-60 all together. They played from about noon to 8pm. Sure beats the clown, magician & pony-ride style birthday party from the "olden days"!

DON'T FORGET TO PHLOX

Obviously Isabella doesn't care about phloxing...she hangs out in the studio on hot summer days in her/my chair.

Phlox is an old fashioned perennial that takes no effort except a bit of staking as it grows to 7' in height with heads about 1' across.
I favour white in the summer garden...so nice and cooling.
I just use old pantyhose for easy & stretchy plant ties to keep them from flopping over.

The flower heads give off a slight honey aroma. They're good cut flowers and really fill in well.