Harvest Time means WORK

I don't know what I would do without my little wagon.  Those of you who have followed me for a long time know her as the JennyMac2000.  My friend, Jenny, was visiting me from California, and wanting to help me with my chores.  Before long she said this work was too hard, she was going to buy me a wagon.  I couldn't believe it, but she really did, and I am eternally grateful to her for this gift.

Today it has hauled a bucket full of pears to be made into juice and pearsauce for a certain Grandson.

And, a bucket full of Glowing Coal apples for the same purpose.  I have enough adult style applesauce on the pantry shelves to get us through the rest of this year.

Below is my new Steamer/Juicer that can be used for oh, so many things.  It's much easier to make apple juice with this than with the cider press.

Also in the kitchen today is a big pile of coffee beans.  My friend gave them to me raw, and I have been attempting to roast them.  Quite honestly, I don't think it's worth the time.

Now we will go outdoors.  Since the chickens have left, I finally get to eat the strawberries in my back garden.  Yum.  These are everbearing.

These are the new raspberry plants I acquired this year.  It is named "Ann" and it ripens the end of the summer.  They are ripe now, yellow.  Huge and juicy.  And once again, I do not have to share them with the chickens.  I have to say, my little venture with the organic chickens and turkeys was not a good one, and I count the days until all of them are out of my barn.  The pastures will be tilled and reseeded, thank goodness, because they are destroyed.

About those moles, do you think they could cause any more damage?

This is my friend and neighbor from the 'hood, Hunter, with the turkeys.  Hunter is 23 and is a special needs boy.  I have never worked with people with special needs before, so this has been a learning experience for me.  Hunter lives up the street in an
Adult Care Facility. One day we went blackberry picking together, and I was showing him how to do something, and he tells me:  "Slow and easy is how I go, Linda".   He is bored and wants to work.  He comes around here every day, and I try to find jobs for him to do.  Today he took me back to where the turkeys are kept and showed me how he had cleaned up the area.

He had done this of his own accord.  (the barn is a total mess)

So, I put him to work with JennyMac2000 spreading bark in my flower beds.

When he left he told me his arms were killing him.  Glad he did this for me.  Thank you, friend.