Words and pictures from the author of And the Crows Took Their Eyes as well as the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries . . .
Monday, September 6, 2010
Days of Pure Light (and Tomatoes)
Happy Labor Day! I expect to be laboring in the tomatoes. I picked quite a few yesterday and canned two runs (my canner holds nine quart jars so now I'm up to twenty seven quarts in the root cellar. Yee ha!)
Saturday and Sunday were days of pure light of crystalline intensity. On every side, there was something new to see in the world fresh-washed by Friday night's rain. It was a pleasure to be outside -- even if it involved the stoop labor of picking tomatoes.
And a trip down to the garden at the lower place affords photo opportunities -- the red barn against the Carolina Blue sky . . . the play of light and dark in the backlit trees . . .
And a friendly game of tug-o-war between Ali Ali and Otis.
You certainly will have a supply of tomatoes by the time you have finished; I m in awe of all your work. I loved the photos of around your farm, fantastic play of light and dark, wonderful shadows. One of the things I love about blogging is seeing how other people live.
Tomatoes, tomatoes - it sounds like you'll have plenty to get through the winter! I'm still doing fruit butters, finishing the plum butter and in a few weeks, apple butter. I am, in my small world, quite famous for my apple butter! But I would love a garden with tomatoes to put up - if I could keep myself from eating them all! Lovely photos Vicki.
It looks gorgeous there, as though you are still enjoying summer. The seasons are already on the change over here and there is quite a chill in the air once the sun goes down.
What a good little squirrel you are , putting away for the winter. Lovely colours in your photos. I've been out to the movie INCEPTION, to raise money for the Cancer Society. I'm wondering now is all this just a dream.
Your canned tomatoes are adding up in a hurry ... good for you!
We didn't get any rain, but winds sure have cleared things out and it's like there is a new, clear, fresh world to enjoy. A touch of fall can be felt also.
any day outside is a better day...wow, you got lots done in your canning...wonderful crisp pics...it has been cooler here so nice to be out...supposed to be hot today though...
Hey Vicki, I can still see all those tomatoes hanging from the vines @ your place. It seems the cool weather followed me home! We've had cool mornings and even though we still get to 90 by midday, the humidity is very low! Everything looks and feels fallish. :) XO
Marilyn - Oh, yes! A glimpse into the everyday lives of you all in NZ, or Martin and Friko in England, Maria Cecilia in Chile, Merisi in Vienna -- I feel not just like a world traveler, but more like a citizen of the world.
Witch of Stitches -- we're going to have to deal with apples soon. And I have about a bushel of cooking pairs on my porch, waiting ... waiting...
The rain came from a front moving from the NW, Martin. As a matter of fact, it was this same front that helped to push Earl away so that very little damage was done on the North Carolina coast.
It definitely feels like Fall is on the way, Alan. But at midday, it's still quite warm.
Joan, it's the cooler weather that inspires those squirrel-like urges. (Now if I could just remember where I buried those nuts.)
I know you're enjoying this, Pat, Brian, and Carol!
Friko -- soups, stews -- we could probably use a couple of quarts a week. And I'm not writing a novel, at the moment -- just waiting for my copy-edited manuscript to come back for a final proof read. I'm working like mad now -- next month I'll be on the road quite a bit with the new book -- at bookstores etc. Then, come November, I'll settle down to a new book.
When I was looking at the photos, the last one caught my attention because it actually looked (to my nearsighted eyes) that there was one dog, and possibly a large mirror in front of him. Large mirror? Nah. Not in the yard! Then I realized that it was two dogs instead of one: Ali Ali and Otis.
Our fields are full today with giant northern geese, leaving me to spend a winter alone. It is so sad to see them go.
This is my favorite time of year. I need to get outside more! The play on light is cool. Our tomatoes are done for the season. Picked three yesterday but that will be it.
What a beautiful place you have. We are also greatly enjoying our "normal" weather for a change. The hot humid summer we've had makes us enjoy these days even more.
We are having some lovely clear days, cooler, 'high sky' days here too. Love it. Tomatoes have been a bust for the most part here on the little farm. Just too hot most of the time. I had some that literally baked on the vines. Maybe a few late fall ones, but they best hurry! Ali-Ali and Otis looked well paired! Tammy
Ali Ali and Otis aren't even related. Otis is a pit bull from Arkansas and Ali Ali was a stray, picked up near our farm. But they look very similar.
Just finished another run of canned maters, two cookie sheets full of maters are roasting in the oven, as as soon as I drink my after lunch coffee, back I go to squshing maters into jars.
It's another beautiful cool day. I hope to poke my head outside a little this pm -- if only to take the laundry off the line.
Star -- the two dogs belong to my sun and his girlfriend. They aren't meant as guard dogs but if I were a stranger, I sure wouldn't walk into the house where Otis was unless his people were there.
20 comments:
You certainly will have a supply of tomatoes by the time you have finished; I m in awe of all your work.
I loved the photos of around your farm, fantastic play of light and dark, wonderful shadows. One of the things I love about blogging is seeing how other people live.
Tomatoes, tomatoes - it sounds like you'll have plenty to get through the winter! I'm still doing fruit butters, finishing the plum butter and in a few weeks, apple butter. I am, in my small world, quite famous for my apple butter! But I would love a garden with tomatoes to put up - if I could keep myself from eating them all! Lovely photos Vicki.
Everything looks so fresh, after the rain, Vicki. We were wondering if this was the aftermath of hurricane Ernie. I read that it was heading your way.
It looks gorgeous there, as though you are still enjoying summer. The seasons are already on the change over here and there is quite a chill in the air once the sun goes down.
What a good little squirrel you are , putting away for the winter. Lovely colours in your photos. I've been out to the movie INCEPTION, to raise money for the Cancer Society. I'm wondering now is all this just a dream.
Your canned tomatoes are adding up in a hurry ... good for you!
We didn't get any rain, but winds sure have cleared things out and it's like there is a new, clear, fresh world to enjoy. A touch of fall can be felt also.
any day outside is a better day...wow, you got lots done in your canning...wonderful crisp pics...it has been cooler here so nice to be out...supposed to be hot today though...
What are you going to do with all the tomatoes?
And how do you find the time for all this work as well as writing novels?
Lovely pictures of your world, Vicki;
Hey Vicki,
I can still see all those tomatoes hanging from the vines @ your place.
It seems the cool weather followed me home! We've had cool mornings and even though we still get to 90 by midday, the humidity is very low!
Everything looks and feels fallish. :) XO
Marilyn - Oh, yes! A glimpse into the everyday lives of you all in NZ, or Martin and Friko in England, Maria Cecilia in Chile, Merisi in Vienna -- I feel not just like a world traveler, but more like a citizen of the world.
Witch of Stitches -- we're going to have to deal with apples soon. And I have about a bushel of cooking pairs on my porch, waiting ... waiting...
The rain came from a front moving from the NW, Martin. As a matter of fact, it was this same front that helped to push Earl away so that very little damage was done on the North Carolina coast.
It definitely feels like Fall is on the way, Alan. But at midday, it's still quite warm.
Joan, it's the cooler weather that inspires those squirrel-like urges. (Now if I could just remember where I buried those nuts.)
I know you're enjoying this, Pat, Brian, and Carol!
Friko -- soups, stews -- we could probably use a couple of quarts a week. And I'm not writing a novel, at the moment -- just waiting for my copy-edited manuscript to come back for a final proof read. I'm working like mad now -- next month I'll be on the road quite a bit with the new book -- at bookstores etc. Then, come November, I'll settle down to a new book.
When I was looking at the photos, the last one caught my attention because it actually looked (to my nearsighted eyes) that there was one dog, and possibly a large mirror in front of him. Large mirror? Nah. Not in the yard! Then I realized that it was two dogs instead of one: Ali Ali and Otis.
Our fields are full today with giant northern geese, leaving me to spend a winter alone. It is so sad to see them go.
Clear, beautiful light. Looks like Fall light to me, crystalline, and clarifying.
AliAli and Otis look like they are having fun.
This is my favorite time of year. I need to get outside more! The play on light is cool. Our tomatoes are done for the season. Picked three yesterday but that will be it.
Have a wonderful Monday.
What a beautiful place you have. We are also greatly enjoying our "normal" weather for a change. The hot humid summer we've had makes us enjoy these days even more.
We are having some lovely clear days, cooler, 'high sky' days here too. Love it. Tomatoes have been a bust for the most part here on the little farm. Just too hot most of the time. I had some that literally baked on the vines. Maybe a few late fall ones, but they best hurry! Ali-Ali and Otis looked well paired!
Tammy
Your dogs are beautiful! The red barn in the sunlight reflects the color of sun ripe tomatoes. -- barbara
Ali Ali and Otis aren't even related. Otis is a pit bull from Arkansas and Ali Ali was a stray, picked up near our farm. But they look very similar.
Just finished another run of canned maters, two cookie sheets full of maters are roasting in the oven, as as soon as I drink my after lunch coffee, back I go to squshing maters into jars.
It's another beautiful cool day. I hope to poke my head outside a little this pm -- if only to take the laundry off the line.
Happy Laboring in the Maters Day!
Lovely pictures as usual Vicki. Your two dogs look a bit fierce! Are they guard dogs?
Blessings, Star
Star -- the two dogs belong to my sun and his girlfriend. They aren't meant as guard dogs but if I were a stranger, I sure wouldn't walk into the house where Otis was unless his people were there.
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