Preserving memories

Recently, we've had more squash and cucumbers from the garden than we could use. I've given some to the neighbors and put a little in the freezer. This reminded me of the gardens of my youth.

I grew up in town in a big house on a small lot, but that didn't stop my father from having huge gardens. He always had a friend in the country who would give him an acre or two to plant. And my father would use every inch of it. Corn and tomatoes got the most space, but there was room for many other vegetables. 

He spent most evenings in the garden after work. Sometimes, my sister and I would join him for weeding or picking, but mostly he saved us for the preserving--meaning the canning and freezing.* We would start our vegetable processing jobs in the evening after he came home, and it would last into the late night if it was something like peas or corn that needed to be processed immediately for the best flavor. The next morning, we would handle whatever else was waiting--usually something like beans or beets or cucumbers for pickles. And the cycle would go on.

Canning and freezing were common in the rural area I lived in. However, I felt like I had to do more of it than many other kids my age. Whether that is true or just my perception, I'm not sure. And I wondered if, over the years, I have magnified things so that they now seem harder than they were.

But I found something the other day that suggests I wasn't too far off. I found an inventory list my mother made of what we had in the freezer and on the canning shelves. I don't expect you to read it all, but I'm going to share the lists here. It should give you a sense of what I did in the summers. 

Canned foods: 

Fruits: applesauce, whole apples, crabapple juice, crabapple sauce, blackberries, white grape juice, wild grape juice, wild grape jelly, apple butter, grape butter, pears, yellow peaches, white peaches

Beans: brown beans, dry beans, green beans, pickled beans

Tomatoes: catsup, tomato juice, pizza sauce, whole tomatoes, tomato juice cocktail, V-5 juice, tomato sauce

Other vegetables: plain beets, pickled beets, carrots, corn, peas, green bean juice, vegetable soup, spinach, vegetable broth, saurkraut

Pickles and relish: corn relish, dill pickles, sour pickles, sweet pickles, 14-day pickles, relish, sandwich spread

Freezer foods:

Vegetables: green beans, lima beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, carrots, celery, corn, peas, peppers, green tomatoes, tomatoes, pickles, squash, spinach, zucchini

Fruits: blackberries, blackberry jam, raspberries, cherries, strawberry jam, grapes, peaches

A few of those things were left over from previous years, but we did a good job of using most things up during the year.  The rewards of our hard work paid off with delicious food just about anytime we wanted it. 

I don't know many people who do things to that extent these days, except Granny Sue, who lives not far from where I grew up. She is always cooking or preserving something. 

Well, that's my bit of nostalgia for today. 

Until next time...

* Of course, my mother was a part of this but she was working long hours as a nurse, so the major responsibility was shared by my sister and me. 

The Sun is the enemy. Or Is it?

 When we lived in New Orleans and Houston, it was hot and humid for months on end. You may know that kind of weather. The kind where the air is so thick that it's hard to breathe, and the sun is so intense that all you can think about is finding some shade. During those sweltering months, Ward and his friends would often say, "The sun is the enemy." It became a catchphrase for them. (Although thinking back on it now, that may have been code for "Time to have a cold beer.")

Anyway, we have been experiencing the sun-is-the-enemy weather recently. The last time I checked, the temperature was 96°F. Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. So yesterday, to take advantage of a “cooler" day, Ward, Joe (a friend), and I went to the McKee-Besher Wildlife Management Area (McKee). 

McKee is part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and one of their goals is to provide habitats for a variety of wildlife.  Part of what they do to create a rich and diverse environment for the animals is to plant various crops for them to eat. They grow almost 2,000 acres of grasses, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, winter wheat, clover, and sunflowers, among other things.  Our goal was to see the fields of sunflowers that they plant every summer for migratory birds.  

We set out early to avoid the heat of the day. Did I mention that this is a wildlife area? That means that there were a lot of mosquitoes, ticks, and poison ivy. So, I was covered up from head to toe with a good dose of insect repellent to top it off. My preparations were successful for warding off pests, but I was hot! Too hot! As we hiked from one place to another, my mind kept going back to the saying, "The sun is the enemy."  Our "cooler" day was 90°F by the time we got back to the car.

However, the sunflowers were extraordinary. And I guess sunflowers don't grow in the shade, so maybe this time the sun was not the enemy. Of course, I only had this thought after I was back in the car, cooling off. 😅

Here are a few photos of our day.

They mow paths around the fields, but this is more for work access than hiking. Lots of tall grass makes it tick heaven. Ward is not as sensitive as I am and didn't wear his long sleeves.

The first field was just past its blooming peak.

but it was beautiful all the same.

The grass was shorter around the next field, but poison ivy was widespread throughout it. BTW, birds love poison ivy berries.

The flowers we saw here were not as mature as the first field. These fields are a photographer's heaven, and all the photographers have ladders to get better shots.

Ward was looking for the perfect flower to show Joe a Fibonacci sequence.

And he found it! Notice the intersecting spirals.

There's always one overachiever in every crowd. 😀

After the sunflower fields, we visited a pond and wetlands area.

Here, we saw a wildflower member of the sunflower family,

and wild rose mallow (hibiscus). Until today, I didn't know that Maryland had native hibicus.

Until next time...

I've run out of material

I am pleased that these petunias I started from seed are thriving. Once I set them out and let nature take over, they have been doing well.

 Now that I've finished my travelogue, I don't have much to say. But when has that stopped me from posting? Well, actually, many times. In my mind, I need to have a purpose for a post — ideally with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Guess what? Every day life usually doesn't play out that way. And since my byline is "Observations of Everyday Life", I'm not going to worry about it. (But you know, there will be a little voice in the back of my mind saying, "This is a boring post and no one cares.") And those of you who have been around for a while know where this is leading me once again. SPEED BLOGGING. The timer is set. Hold on. Here I go.

My friend sent me some bare-root roses that we planted a couple of months ago. We were surprised to see a bloom so soon. We got to enjoy it a couple of days before a deer ate the whole flower.

The summer weather has been hot and humid, making a lot of bugs happy. They have ruined the beans and the zucchini, and the yellow squash is not far behind. But with all of that being said, I saw the coolest thing the other day. I saw a stink bug laying eggs. I had seen little, tiny orange eggs under the leaves the day before, but I didn't know what they were. The next day, I saw a stink bug's bottom moving slowly up and down, depositing the eggs. I don't like stink bugs or the damage they cause, but I found seeing nature at work fascinating. It reminded me of the time that Sarah held a cricket in her hand, and I watched its jaws move as it munched on a leaf she was holding. 

You can see the orange eggs that the stink bug was laying. Eggs were usually in clusters of about 2 dozen and the size of a pencil lead.

Although I found the egg-laying interesting, I have been annoyed by the bugs that are biting me. Three nights in a row, I have come in from working in the yard with bug bites. One day it was ants, and the next two days were mosquitoes, I think. I didn't see any around. I had on long sleeves, pants, socks, and a hat. And I got bites in several of those covered places. 

A bug I do like: the bumblebee on allium.
It wouldn't stop moving enough for me to get a clear picture of it.

Along the back of the yard, where Ward's shop is, there are mosquitoes sometimes. He has put out mosquito dunks for them. We're still waiting to see how they work. My niece said they tried everything in the world to get a handle on the mosquitoes in their yard, and the mosquito bombs were the only thing that worked. BTW, I was working far away from Ward's shop when I was bitten.

So, time's up. I guess I could have started out with an insect-focused post in mind, since that's where my speed blogging took me. And I didn't even have time to discuss the hummingbird moth that has been visiting recently.

Until next time...

Not Quite Home

 Recently, Ward and I took a trip to Alaska, with stops in Seattle on the way there and back. I am chronicling it here.

After an uneventful flight from Anchorage, we found Caroline waiting for us at the baggage claim in Seattle. On the way back to her house in Poulsbo, I said the first thing I wanted to do was visit the famous Sluy's Bakery, which was recommended by blogger friend, Lili. So that's what we did. There was a line out the door, but the peanut butter and chocolate cookie I had was worth the wait.

The day was hot, and we were tired, so we didn't spend any more time exploring the charming town of Poulsbo. We spent the rest of the day at Caroline's house catching up and watching the fun movie, Enola Holmes. The movie is based on the children's books by Nancy Springer and features Sherlock Holmes' younger sister, Enola. 

The next day, we had a leisurely morning before heading out to the Grand Forest for a hike.

We hiked through a lush hemlock forest.

This was not quite what we expected when we saw a lake on the map.

After Indian food for dinner, we watched another Enola Holmes movie. These have inspired me to finally read the books. I have the first one on deck.

The next morning, Caroline took us to the airport, which involved a pleasant ferry ride. 

Our trip was not delayed like it was when we flew to Seattle from Baltimore.

From the plane, we had one last look at the spectacular, rugged mountains in the west
before we flew home to our beautiful, rounded mountains in the east.
(That's Mt. Rainier in the distance.)

We were happy to be home, but not happy with the temperature. A lightning strike damaged our air conditioner while we were gone. Theo had met with a repairman, and a part had been ordered, but it was not in yet. We really appreciated our cool(er) basement and fans until things got fixed the next day.

It was a wonderful trip with beautiful scenery, experiences, and friends. We couldn't ask for anything more. 

Alaska, June 28, 2025, Last Day

   Ward and I recently took a trip to Alaska. We flew into Anchorage (via a stop in Seattle) and used our friends' house as our home base. I am chronicling our trip here.

One of our souvenir stops

This was our final day in Alaska, so it was a day to do all of our last-minute things. First up were souvenirs. 

Bo and B took us to downtown Anchorage for shopping. Our first stop was the Ulu Factory. Ulu knives were a new thing for me, but I learned they have been around since at least 2500 BC and were widely used by the indigenous people. Now they are one of the most popular souvenirs from Alaska. We'd stayed with the trend and bought two. We used one the other day to chop nuts, and it made the job easier than it ever has been. 

Ulu knife with bowl-shaped cutting board

After visiting another souvenir shop and having lunch, we headed to the Anchorage greenhouse. There, we saw a wide variety of tropical plants. 

Next up was Chugach State Park, where we got a good view down into the city of Anchorage. We also watched paragliders. 

In one direction, we looked down on Anchorage.

In the other direction were the Chugach Mountains.

Then we had to face reality, and that it was time to leave. We packed and got airplane snacks for tomorrow before heading out to dinner.

Ward was especially happy with our choice for dinner.

The next morning, we left Bo, B, and Charlie at 6:30 a.m. to head for the airport. It was sad to leave our incredible hosts, but all good things must come to an end. Everything went smoothly at the airport, and a few hours later, we were back in the Lower 48, meeting our friend Caroline in Seattle. 

Until next time...