Quiet month

There is something about writing a blog that leaves a person thinking that they should have something important to say with some degree of frequency.  At least that's how I feel.  Not sure what the protocol is but especially when the rest of my biological blogging family members crank out deathless (truly) prose as if they had a direct pipeline to the information of the universe I feel somewhat lacking when days go by and I have nothing I think is worth sharing.

That being said, lately I seem to be too scattered to be able to focus on any one thought long enough to get it written down anyway.

The gardens are winding down - more tomatoes into jars - either as salsa or just plain tomatoes.  Relishes of various kinds all socked away in the cellar with an eye to Christmas presents or, at least as importantly, my consumption throughout the winter.  And enough pickled beets to charm even the most voracious pickled beet aficionado.

Strawberries in the freezer in jam sized packages are starting to haunt me.  I should be making that jam.  Once upon a time a friendly shrink of mine told me that sentences that start with "I should" refer to things that (a) you probably don't want to do and (b) might not even "should" do!  I cherish that thought whenever I'm putting things off that I "should" be doing.

Babying the well has taken up a good part of my time these past several weeks.  Not knowing exactly how much water is in there or how fast it's going to be replenished means that I have to treat it as if it is going to momentarily run dry.  Don't run the water while you are doing the dishes - just enough to rinse.  And save the rinse water for the gardens!  Don't squander it while you are brushing your teeth - don't do laundry just because you want a particular item of clothing.  Find something else to wear and wait until you have a full load.  And showers?  Fastest.  Ever.

Never ever water the gardens with the hose - only use the soaker hoses and do it early in the morning and run the timer so you don't accidentally run the water too long

My well water is never deep so there's no sense in taking the cover off and peering down there.  The real question is the replenishment one.  I'm on top of an old river or creek bed full of sand so as long as the creek runs, I'm good.  But all the water restrictions in the area, never mind the official "severe drought" warnings, make for a very uneasy time.

Been experimenting with essential oils in various ways.  Some of them seem to actually be of benefit while on others the jury is still out.  But there is no doubt that historically there is a lot to be said for a gentler way to manage life than throwing more chemicals at a given situation.  Besides, most of them smell really good.

Along with everything else I have been finding out some fascinating (yes, that is sarcasm) facts about a variety of weird things that can happen to a person's health.  No details to follow but I can tell you I do not recommend prednisone as a way of life!  I'm sure it could be held accountable for a number of otherwise unexplained actions committed by those formerly considered fairly rational!

On a brighter note, here is a picture of probably my last canning effort - unless I do end up pickling those hot and sweet peppers.  It's my green tomato relish with just a hint of jalapeno pepper.  Every year I swear I'm not going to do it but those otherwise going to waste green beautiful tomatoes seduce me every time!

So let's do the proverbial girding up of loins and get ready to head into fall.  It's my favorite time of year and I look forward to riding my motorcycle, getting up to camp for some final fishing and being able to walk outside and actually breath the air without feeling as if I have to chew it first!