They're Gone...

   Each summer, a Carolina Wren will make a nest in my greenhouse/swamp shack.  This year, she chose a galvanized tub filled with huge pine cones that I had saved for my sister-in-law.  How the tiny bird squirmed her way into the midst of those prickly cones, wallowed out a spot large enough for the nest then build that nest without me noticing is quite the feat.  But...she did.  Then, she laid 5 beautiful, splotchy colored eggs and began her "sit" time.  Several times, I came close to accidently upsetting her but she held her spot and after a couple of weeks, she hatched her brood.  Then came the chore of feeding those 5 hungry mouths!  She and the male bird were constantly flitting in and out of the greenhouse/swamp shack.  I was careful to avoid the area as much as possible.

  At one point, it was necessary for me to retrieve some gardening tools that were just a couple of feet away from the nest so I took the opportunity to check the babies!  Those little rascals were already getting too large for their comfy home and were pushing each other out to the edge.  I knew it was time for them to make their first flight within days.  I, also, knew that Mr. Bat, the Bayou Prince Cat, would be an indoor kitty for a few days.  I was determined to let those little cuties learn the art of flying and foraging without the interference of a cat.  

  Sure enough, the birds made their exit the very next day.  It was a drizzly sort of day so the cat did not complain (much) about being cooped up inside.  He got extra treats, the birds took their first flight and all is well.  The greenhouse/swamp shack now seems empty so it is a good time for me to clean it up a bit.  The birds still come to roost near their snug nest each evening so that area will stay the same for the time being.  Happy flying, Little Ones!  I am glad your mama chose the safest place for your upbringing!

Pine Wood Floors

   There are several different types of wood floors in the Little Bayou House.  The kitchen has pecan wood, the dining room has cedar and the bedrooms have pine.  Why so many different types?  We used what we could get after several hurricanes ruined the existing floors.  Supplies are hard to come by after storms so you take what is available and do not complain.  I do not mind as I am just happy that the house withstood some of the worst hurricanes on record.  We were blessed to still have a home after Hurricane Katrina and after each storm since. 

  Today, however, the pine wood floors are not indoors!  As I was out tending the Small Gardens, a steady "plipping" sound could be heard.  It almost sound like raindrops but, with nary a cloud in the sky, that was impossible.  The sounds were coming from one of the pathways through the west gardens.  I made my way through the wandering maze of paths to the exact spot!  A lot had changed since I worked this area two days ago!  

  The plipping sound was caused by pine cone petals being dropped from the top of several trees alongside the garden path.  Squirrels were gnawing the cones and dropping the petals as they searched for the pine nuts hidden inside the cone.  Those petals had made a carpet covering every inch of the ground under the trees!  I now have "pine wood floors" in the west garden area!  

  The silly squirrels are not using their brains by eating the pine nuts now.  Those seeds would carry them over through a harsh winter if left on the trees.  There are plenty of fruits, berries and other seeds that will not be around during the winter months.  These critters just may regret their doings once food is a bit scarce but they did make the paths pretty!

Hey! You Forgot One!

   On my meanderings at dawn, there is plenty to see about the hillside.  Oftentimes, it seems that things change overnight...other times, it is as if nothing ever changes here.  This morning's hike was met with some drizzly rain which muffled the footsteps.  This muffling makes it easy to slide around without being heard so my critter friends are often surprised by their visitor.  I can view their comings and goings without much ado.

  As I came around the back grape arbor, I stopped to check the progress of the vines.  Sadly, it seems as if those same critter friends are being rascals.  The grapes were getting a mite scarce.  It was then that I felt something harder than a raindrop hit my head.  What???  I looked to the ground to find several chewed up pine cones and one perfectly intact one.  Even though I was beneath a hickory tree, I got pelted by a pine cone!  Thankfully, I got hit by a gnawed one.  That other one would have hurt!

  The squirrels are already gnawing the pine cones even though there is plenty to eat.  They may be sorry about this come later this year.  According to the almanac, we are to get some pretty cold and slushy weather.  While this will suit me just fine, the critters might feel otherwise.  It might be wise for them to be stashing a bit of their treats away for those colder days.  I studied the squirrel a bit longer and realized that this was a male squirrel.  Makes sense.  The males do very little in preparation for the winter.  On the other hand, the females work themselves to a frazzle storing food and remarkably can find at least 80% of what they stow.  They are smart as most of them can overwinter in their snug nests with food stored nearby.

  Folks, in view of the world today, it might be a good idea for all of us to stow in a few supplies.  The price of groceries keeps skyrocketing with no hint at lessening any time soon.  Plant a garden, stock up on a few staple foods, learn to cook, take a proactive stance against what is to come.  Be like a sensible squirrel and store food for the hard times.  Better to be prepared than to whine about it later.

Keeping It Simple

  While I love the holidays and all of the trappings that go along with them, sometimes it can all be a bit overwhelming.  I have always gone all out on decorations, gifts and baking but there comes a time when all good things come to a screeching halt.  Not that I have decided to forego the holidays altogether, I have just taken inventory of my own thoughts and decided to scale back a bit.  Simplify!  Make life easier!  Save time, effort and money!  

  Last year, the decorations and gifts were kept to a minimum but I must admit that the baking was something that I just cannot give up!  I felt more at ease and the holidays were far more enjoyable.  Afterwards, cleanup was a breeze!  That said, I had thoughts of doing the same this year.  Box after box of lights, decorations and gift wrap were hauled from the closets and toted downstairs only to be opened, checked and toted back to the closet.  Some day, I shall have the guts to discard some of the unused items but for now, they will remain in the closet.  The rustic decorations that I have created look far more appropriate in the Little Bayou House anyway so there is no need to glitz everything in sight.  

  The house is nigh on completely decorated but with a few chosen items.  Everyday things were incorporated into the decorations instead of being removed from the rooms.  Already, I feel happier.  Simpler is better.  My brain does not feel as cluttered as that upstairs closet.  Now.....about that baking.  Nope...I just cannot minimize that.  Cannot do it.

A New-found Respect!

  I have always adored my sister-in-law, Linda.  She is smart, beautiful, sweet and talented.  This makes her one of those rare people that come in your life and brighten it ever so much.  She and I hit it off from day one.  We both love crafting.  While others are scouring the internet to find pictures of what they like with never any intentions of making the thing, she and I both get ideas and just put them into action.  There is never "I have no time.", "I don't have all the right materials." or "I can't do that.".  We just do.  We both lead busy lives but never too busy to craft, it matters not if we are lacking in materials...we improvise and if we can't do it at the moment...we learn.  Linda is one of the few people who will sit and talk crafts with me at any function!

  Each year as Christmas gifts, Linda coats pine cones in wax.  These not only look pretty but are great to use as fire starters if you can ever part with one to chunk in the fireplace.  I keep mine in a large basket just because I like them.  Well, I got the bright idea to steal her idea!  I needed a basket of something to put in a charity raffle.  I figure with fall being in the air, fire starters would be a great basket filler.  I had just picked up hundreds of pine cones before I cut the grass so that part was done.  I was going to go a step further and make mine scented by using the spent wax melts from my tart warmer/candle melt burners. (Yep, I save them.  Nope, I have no idea why.)  Anyway, I gathered my cones and wax.  Linda had told me to heat the wax, dip the cones and gently shake the drips before setting them either on wax paper or foil.  I could do that!  Easy-peasy!

  I was brilliant!  I salvaged an old crockpot from the discard box.  (This, too, was headed to the same charity event but I needed to "borrow" the crockpot!)  The slowcooker would allow me to heat the wax unattended! Smart!!!!  Yep, yep!  So I started.  So....I tried.  Somehow, Linda's cones turn out gorgeous!  Mine...not so gorgeous.  The first one looked like one big ball of wax.  It weighed a ton! That would never do!  Linda had said that you needed to have the wax at the perfect temperature.  What temperature is perfect?  Who knows?  I kept trying.  Eventually, I found if I scooped the wax and dribble it on the cone, it stuck without making a wad so big that you could not lift the cone.  

  In the midst of all my hard work, Son came into the kitchen.  "Umm, sorry Mom.  If you are cooking pumpkin, it smells like you did something wrong.  It smells more like a candle."  Well, duh!  I had picked out all the "fall" scented wax chunks and some were pumpkin scented so I can see what he was saying.  I plopped another pine cone into the vat of hot lava of wax.  "Ok, well now I know I am not eating that." he mused.  Well, duh!  I should hope not!  I explained that I was making Aunt Linda's waxed cones.  "Umm, no you are not."....I chased him out of the kitchen!  Fifteen cones later I was finished!  No more!  I had succeeded in totally wrecking the kitchen but I had tried something new and was pleased with the results.  (Yes, I definitely need practice!)

  All in all, I managed to get enough waxed cones for a basket. I have to admit that the basket is not too shabby and has the added benefit of smelling divine!  Since it is for charity, hopefully someone will overlook the mistakes.  Maybe if I put lots of ribbons on the basket, no one will notice that my cones are pathetic.  Maybe if I add some whimsical knickknack, it will draw attention away from the drippy wax.  Maybe I should have asked Linda for more help!  Yep, I have always admired her but I now have a new-found respect for her abilities. She is amazing!

Grass vs Wood or "Who mulched my lawn?"

  Yesterday's post found me bewailing the fact that algae is taking over the Bayou.  I was placing most of the blame on neighbors who insist on dousing their lawns with chemical fertilizers.  While I suspect this is helping the algae flourish, I may be jumping the gun on accusing anyone and for that I apologize.  Perhaps it is just a prolific year for algae!  Still, the fact that I have a green and slimy Bayou makes me bit sad.  That type of bayou does not belong here!  Maybe it has a place in some zombie movie but not in real life.  All I can do is hope and pray that it does not get too bad.

  Today, however, I am seeing a different lawn in my yard compared to that across the Bayou.  My neighbors have lovely green grass.  I have wood!  I guess you can call it wood, more like mulch.  No, I did not mulch the entire yard but the squirrels are well on their way of doing it for me. Pine cone petals are being layered almost an inch thick under most of the trees.  Maybe because of the lack of food elsewhere, but the squirrels are attacking the pine trees with a unheard of vengeance!  This would not be unusual if it were late November through mid February but in August? The pine cones are still green!  The seeds held within cannot be fully matured so just what are those varmints thinking?   I know that squirrels do not "think" ahead too very often but if it were up to me, I think I would let those seeds develop a tad more.  The larger the seeds, the quicker my belly would fill!  But like I said, squirrels are not known to use a lot of logic.  They are hungry so they scrounge whatever they find.  My pine cones fit the bill just fine.  Come this winter, though, it will be a different story and these same rodents will be begging for a handout at my birdfeeders.

  The question at hand now, however, is what to do with the thick layer of prickly pine cone petals.  The petals wreak havoc on bare feet!  My habit of trotting about the hillside barefooted during the summer months has had to come to a halt for the duration of the munching of pine cones.  The leather moccasins that I wear the rest of the year do not even provide much protection.  The sharp points can cut right through the thin leather. I suppose my hikes will have to be routed around the piles of petals and pine cones for now. Squirrels...I may just not feed you greedy things this winter so you had better be storing a good bit of your seeds!  Hmmmmph! Now I need to figure out how to make a squirrel-proof birdfeeder.  Silly squirrels!

Wishing for Winter...

Just the other day, I was reading where the Farmers' Almanac predicted a cold, wet winter ahead of us.  This, in itself, does not bother me as I like winter.  It is my favorite of all seasons even with the cold and all its trappings.  Of course, that said, I have to concede to my neighbors to the north that have truly cold winters..we do not.  I find myself longing for a good freeze with a hefty bit of sleet or snow!  The most we get here is a few cold days and at best snow flurries.  The humidity here does make our "cold" chill you to the bone but ours is not a true winter in comparison to most.  But..according to the Almanac..it is supposed to be quite frigid about the country.

All of this made me ponder today as I came across evidence that the squirrels have been rather busy. I knew they were making short work of the sunflower seeds and corn that I put out in the bird feeders but never realized the extent of their scavenging.  Every pine tree in the yard is now devoid of cones.  The squirrels have chewed their way to the small seeds inside.  Nary a pine nut has escaped their munching!  Since they have devoured all of the cones near the house, they have moved to the outer edges of the yard.  One pine tree actually sits out in the marsh and sometimes has its roots submerged in the brackish water.  This has not stopped the squirrels from raiding the tree during low tide.  The pier is littered with the petals of the cones.  I have noticed that the females are storing seeds and nuts but the males go right behind and raid their cache.  Those rascals are far too lazy to put away a few nuts for themselves!  Now I am a bit concerned that the critters won't have much to eat come this winter.

So, if the Almanac is correct..(and it usually is)..we are in for a cold winter. It will be time to don the jackets, chop firewood and drink cocoa!  Since those silly squirrels are eating everything in sight now,  I suppose it will also be time to put out more corn and seeds for the critters than I normally do.  Between the coons and squirrels, the birds will not stand a chance at the feeders!  Ms. Ezzy, the old Bayou Dog, had better perk up a bit and do her job! That cozy bed seems to demand a lot more of her attention nowadays and during a cold winter, she might just refuse to chase any pesky squirrels!  Ahh..a cold winter sounds pretty good right now with the temperatures still in the mid-nineties during the daytime hours!  Think cool..think cool!

"Always be Prepared!"

Once again, I am rushing the seasons.  I am so ready for some fall-like weather that I am already thinking of Halloween and Thanksgiving!  Whoa...a bit too early according to the calendar!  I blame it all on that old "be prepared" rule that we were taught while kids.  "You should always prepare ahead of time.  You never know when something might come up during the last minute that could change your plans and make it difficult to do something."  This was usually directed to us as kids when we were supposed to be doing our homework for school! Well, I want fall to come so I think I will prepare!  I was telling Michael just today that I wanted to get my decorations out of the upstairs closet.  He looked at me a bit strangely so I had to make up an excuse of sorting the decorations.  "I might get rid of some of them", I told him.  Ha!  That is highly unlikely!  Me?  Toss decorations?  That is crazy talk!  So tomorrow, he has agreed to pull out the many boxes of fall and Halloween decorations for me!  Whee!!!

Speaking of fall, I am not the only one with the thought that summer should be over!  I went out to stroll about the gardens late this evening and could hear several squirrels barking.  For some reason, squirrels sound different during the fall.  Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but I think they are calling for a season change as well! I can remember "back in the day" picking up pecans and hearing the squirrels fuss at us to stay out of their orchard.  Even then, I thought their barks were of a different tone than earlier in the year.  I did notice that, although there is plenty of ready food, the squirrels are chewing the pine cones a bit earlier this year.  When I passed by a bench in the garden, I found a telltale pile of pine cone petals.  Perhaps the squirrel is "squirreling away" the pine nuts for later use but he sure is making a mess of my bench!

The young squirrel eyed me with a bit of frustration as I cleared the bench and tossed his supply of cones down the hill.  Tomorrow, I am quite sure he will have toted them all back to "his" workbench but I won't see them..I will be playing in the decorations!  Come on, Fall!  Mr. Squirrel and I are so ready for you!  We are getting prepared!

The Exciting World Through a Child's Eyes

I have always said that we as a human race could learn a lot by looking through a child's eyes. Kids have a way of seeing an amazing, beautiful, exciting world.  If we could only see the beautiful world before us instead of the mess we have created, then things would be a lot better. The other day, I had an awakening of my spirit merely because of a small person that came to visit the Bayou.  Evan is one of my favorite youngsters.  He is so interested in everything nature.  His parents, Eva and Erik, are raising him to not only be interested but also protect all things. This makes me happy. When he was here, he took a intense interest in the Frog Pond.  There, he was able to scoop around and catch tadpoles of all sizes.  I had given him an old canning jar to hold his catch.  This he proudly brought around to the garden to show his mother and grandmother.  They both oohed and ahhed over his prize!  Then Eva suggested he put them back into the pond so the tadpoles could turn into frogs.  Immediately, Evan did just that!  He did not fuss or balk about returning the tadpoles but rather understood that these needed to be in nature.  I am proud of Evan.  I am proud of Erik and Eva.  Mother Nature needs more caring folks like them to help her maintain the beautiful place in which we all live.

After a bit, Evan brought me a pine cone.  It was a fine specimen of a cone and had most likely produced many seeds at one time.  He asked if this was something that he could take home with him.  Ahh, yes, Evan. Pine cones are something that, although serve a remarkable purpose in nature, you can take home.  Their use  in the grand scheme of things has already been spent. The seeds that had been housed inside the cone not only grow into fine pine trees but, also, feed a lot of critters.  Birds, squirrels and even mice love to munch "pine nuts"!  Now, the cone is there as a thing of beauty.  Evan can see that beauty. I can see that beauty..through Evan's eyes.  He makes me see things in a different and intriguing way.

With the introduction of video games and indoor activities (or rather "inactivities"), it is refreshing to find a youngster that truly loves the outdoors and all that is in it.  I hope that Evan remains this way.  He will be a fine protector of all things nature.

Candles on my tree!

Back in the day, Mom used to always herald in spring with the announcement that the pine tree candles were visible.  When I was a wee tot, I had no clue what this meant.  I would stare and stare at those pine trees with the full expectation of seeing one lit up like a Christmas tree.  It never happened.  Stare as I may, I never once saw any candles..lit or not..in the top of the pine trees.  I began to ponder if this was akin to the faces Granddad would tell me were peering out from flowers.  Adults always seemed to be telling youngsters things that just were not so!  Faces in flowers..candles in trees..who ever heard of such things?  Once I aged a bit, it finally dawned on me just what Mom seeing.

Come to find out, Mom was actually using a proper term for the new growth shoots on pine trees.   The new growth shoots are usually covered with reddish-brown or white scales and point upwards toward the sky.  From a distance, they do resemble the old-fashioned candles that used to adorn Christmas trees.  (Of course, they are not lit like the Yule candles!)  Later as the shoots mature, they turn green and start to spread outward.  These are the needles that we are used to seeing on pine trees.

While Mark and I were out on one of our daily hikes about the hillside, he called my attention to the candles in the pines.  Hmmm...this cannot be!  It is far too late for the trees to be candling!  I looked up and, sure enough, one pine was in the late stage of candling.  When we examined nearby pines, we noticed that those had long since put on their needles.  Those trees already had large cones dangling from the limbs.  Why was one tree so much later with its new growth?  I could understand if the late tree had poorer soil or was exposed to harsher weather conditions but all should be the same with each tree in this stand.  They are so near together that even soil conditions should be identical.  Did one tree just forget to wake up this spring?  Perhaps our crazy, mixed up weather confused the tree?  Who knows?  Then, again, perhaps this tree is smart.  Tonight's weather forecast calls for more winter-like dealings!  Not so cold as our neighbors to the north but still cold for here on the Bayou.  Brrr...you have to be kidding me!  In the forties?  Tonight?  In May?  Maybe that pine tree should light those candles.  A little warmth might feel good!

A perfect gift for the Little Bayou House!

Once in a while, someone will give you a gift that just fits.  It is rare that I don't truly appreciate any gift I receive but there is just something about a homemade one that warms the heart no matter how simple the gift may be.  My sister-in-law, Linda, has taken it upon herself to create the most fanciful gifts for everyone on her list.  How she does this is beyond me!  She is one busy lady but still sends not one small homemade gift but a whole bagful of goodies!  She always sends handmade ornaments and I have yet to ever see any two times be alike! Also, she will make and send candy wreathes or candy trees and a few scented candles.  If you look really far down in the bag, you will find some really tasty homemade jams.  These are all amazingly beautiful and all impeccably wrapped but regardless, my favorite thing she sends is pine cones!  Yep!  For the past few years, she has sent a basket of pine cones!  Not just plain, old pine cones, these are coated in scented wax!

This year, the pine cones were piled high in peck. (Now there is a word that you city folks might not recognize so I will clarify.  I am sure that you have heard of a bushel..well, a peck is one fourth of a bushel!  The baskets look much the same only the peck, of course, is much smaller!)  Like I said, they pine cones were piled high in a peck making the most delightful display!  I love to receive these pine cones since as soon as the plastic wrap is removed, the entire house starts smelling like Christmas!  There is just something so homey about pine cones piled in a basket or lining the shelf during the holidays!  Linda always tells me that I am supposed to use the cones as starter for my fireplace but I have news for her!  I never do!  I save the cones from year to year and am getting quite the collection now!  This Christmas, I have them on the shelves in the dining room, in the antique coal bin that sits by the dining room wood stove and on the mantels in both the living room and dining room!  They add a bit of color and a lovely "down home" touch to any decorations..perfect for the rustic look of the Little Bayou House.

Thank you, Linda!  I love my pine cones!  (And, nope, they will not be burned!)

The Pine Cone Bush

I was just wondering..is a tree identified by the fruit it bears? I mean, just think about it for a minute. Is an apple tree named because it bears apples? Does a peach tree get its name from the peaches on its limbs? An orange tree? A pine tree? These are all good assumptions but does the tree get its name from the fruit? Or does the fruit get its name from the tree? I think not! (In either case!) And to give proof of this, I present this counterargument!

Down near the pier there is a small, scrubby bush. On this bush is a goodly number of cones! Not just any cones...these happen to be quite positively identified as "pine" cones! Now, I ask you..does that make this a pine bush? A pine bush? Who ever heard of a pine "bush"? Well..there it is...a certifiable bush with certifiable pine cones hanging all over it! And...to top it all off, there are no pine needles on this bush! It has little slender leaves (what leaves are left hanging on the bush in the middle of Winter!).

I walk past this bush every day on my way to and from the pier but I have never noticed the cones even once until yesterday. As Ezzy and I were about to step off the pier the light from the setting sun spotlighted the little bush. The cones caught my eye and caused me to stop in my tracks. Pine cones on a bush? This truly deserved investigation! I stepped closer to the bush..yep!..pine cones, all right! Wow..I was duly impressed! There in the edge of the marsh was the one and only pine cone bush in the world! I poked at one of the pine cones and to my disdain it plopped right off the bush. Aww, now..how can I lay claim to the one and only of its sort if the cones fall off of the branches with a mere touch?

I am teasing with this whole thing as the pine cone bush is simply a Groundsel bush that was decorated with a slew of cones from a nearby pine tree. The cones had fallen from the treetop and became wedged in the network of branches of the bush. It did give the appearance that the cones belonged on the bush but perhaps that was due to the position each cone had taken. The number of cones in the bush caused me to look around under the pine tree. My goodness! The ground was littered with the cones and such pretty ones at that! I ran to grab a basket! I quickly gathered a number of the cones to be used for my pine cone garlands for the next holiday season! Gathering them in February will give me plenty of time to string the garland together! Pine Tree or Pine Cone Bush...it matters not to me as long as I can reap the benefits of a good cone crop! Pretty! Pretty!

Pine Cones and Holly Berries (and handmade quilts!)

There is just something about pine cones that makes me all Christmassy! (That might not actually be a word but it sure describes the feeling!) Throw in a few holly berries and I am set! Meredith Willson wrote those words in a song and as soon as I heard it, it became a favorite. Like I said, there is just something about pine cones and holly berries! I have baskets of pine cones that stay in my house all year but come November they seem to take on a new persona. Now they are no longer just everyday cones, they are Christmas Pine Cones! They have an air of importance about them for now these lowly seed cases are decorations! Above the windows in my livingroom there is a nice wide shelf that just begs to be decorated for the holidays. This shelf received an array of garland, pine cones and the next best thing to real holly or at least the next best thing I had on hand. There was a basket full of artificial berry branches sitting on the mantel, so off it went to the shelf to become friends with my pine cones..ahh! Beautiful! A few little lights and the shelf is part of a Christmas Wonderland that will soon take over my entire house. A bit closer to Christmas, I will cut some fresh pine branches to poke in the garland just to add a nice woodsy scent. My first decorations are up!

Being in the Christmas Spirit, I pulled out one of my favorite things! (Ha! There is another song for you! "My Favorite Things!" was a song from "The Sound of Music" and while not actually a Christmas tune, it is almost always included as a holiday favorite!) The favorite thing that I am talking about is a gorgeous Christmas quilt! My beautiful daughter-in-law sewed this one for me several years ago, she makes the most fantastic quilts that I have ever seen. I am so blessed that she made this one for me! Actually, she has made two lovely quilts for me..the Christmas quilt and a Ragtime quilt. The Ragtime quilt is done in homespun fabrics and I keep it on my sofa year round. The Christmas quilt is reversible with I believe a Log Cabin design on one side and a lovely Christmas print on the other. It will be prominently displayed as it brings so much cheer to my home. Sweet Joanna is so very, very talented and I am so very, very blessed!

Two For One!

If you recall in yesterday's post I wrote about the lovely tomatoes that my sister-in-law brought to me and how I used some to make tomato sauce. Today, I used the remaining ones to make some delicious salsa and ketchup. When looking for a good recipe for salsa, I was almost disgusted that it said to drain and discard the juice. What a waste! Then, when reading the recipe for ketchup, another disturbing instruction...drain, save the juice and discard the pulp! What a travesty of good sense! I decided to make both recipes, following my own good sense and discard nothing. I come from a family that has always believed in the motto of waste not, want not..and I would be hard pressed to ever "discard" anything without at least trying to find a use for it.

So after several hours of skinning tomatoes, chopping them along with bell peppers and onions, mincing garlic and stirring in herbs and spices, I have seven jars of salsa and seven jars of ketchup. (This is minus the half cup of ketchup that Hubby ate with his supper!) I am thrilled that both turned out so well. The salsa recipe called for "salsa mix" which I am sure would have probably made just as tasty salsa but I used my own "mix" from the herb garden. I would much rather use my homegrown herbs and wholesome spices since it seems that there is just something a tad wrong with "artificial flavorings". Why use something artificial..something not "real"..when food in itself has amazing flavor. And don't even get me started on "preservatives"! I have this intense dislike for anything on a ingredient label that I cannot pronounce!

After being in the kitchen for several hours today, Ezzy, the dog, and I went out for her afternoon romp on the hill. She did not do much "romping" today as the temperature was in the high nineties. Instead she did more of a leisurely stroll to a shady spot in the grass, flopped over and was happy to stay there until I finished my walk. While walking, I came across a pile of pine cone shards and knew immediately that I had disturbed a squirrel's dinner. The pile was neatly placed on the end of a plank bench near the Marigold bed, a perfect place for a picnic! My little friend was in the Hickory tree nearby chattering fussily at me to get away from his meal! Such a cutie..as long as he stays out of my garden and away from my birdhouses!