Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Book Review: "Pronto" by Elmore Leonard
Gotta love Elmore Leonard. He consistently wrote good crime novels with interesting characters and a well-paced plot. This one involves a bookie that gets set up--and ends up on a hit list. Who should come to help him, but Raylan Givens. Yes, all you "Justified" fans, the very same one. He existed before the TV series. I loved him in the series, and I love him in the novels.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Log
The Log
We had a big storm the other day. There wasn't that much rain, but the wind was really, really bad. Even so, we were still surprised at the number of branches on the trail--and 3 trees blocking it. All of the trees were small enough to step over, though not easily by a horses as short as Cole.
Ellen and I went out for a ride. We were able to negotiate all the trees and branches. On our way back, we saw Kevin heading out for his ride. We told him what we encountered, and reassured him that he could get through. After all, Starry is the largest of our horses; by far.
And he did. He only took Starry on a short ride--to the next river crossing--and turned around to go home. When he reached the log that Starry had willingly stepped over just a little time ago, he headed for the left end of it. The rest of the log was too high to step over. As he neared it, Starry saw a branch he could grab and eat. That broke their momentum--and then Starry decided it was impossible to cross the log. It didn't matter that he crossed it going the other direction. It didn't matter that he was going towards home. He didn't act frightened--he just felt he couldn't do it.
Kevin asked and asked to no avail. Finally, he got off--thinking Starry would follow him. That didn't work, either. He looked for a way to get around the log, but the shrubbery was too thick and the footing too swampy. He had to turn around and go away from home.
The whole time, he kept looking for a good way to get out to the street, but he didn't find any until he reached the river crossing. He then rode out to the street to the paved bike path. He had no choice but to ride along it to get home. Wherever he could, he rode on the grass. One bike passed him. Once, Starry tried to trot on the paved path when Kevin tried to get him over to the grass. Other than that, it was uneventful.
Finally, he reached a spot where he could cut back to the trail on the other side of the log.
The next day, Cole and I went with them on a ride. I was willing to turn at the log, but Kevin thought Starry would follow Cole over it. We had no trouble stepping over it on the way out, and we had a terrific ride.
On the way home, Kevin wanted to try, first. He had stopped by earlier in the day and cut the branch that originally distracted Starry. He was hoping with that gone; the problem would be gone, too.
It didn't work. Starry still refused to step over the log. After a number of attempts, I brought Cole up to it to lure Starry across. The very thing I feared happened. Since Cole saw Starry refuse, he did, too. I dismounted, and Cole was happy to follow me over it.
Starry would still not cooperate. Kevin dismounted to lead him--but Starry wouldn't follow him across, either. Kevin asked me to come back with him so we could go home on the bike path. Poor, little Cole. He had to step over the log that was way too tall for him--but not too tall for the hulking behemoth, Starry, once again.
He did, and we were on our way. We couldn't trot because Kevin needed a mounting block. There is one at the river crossing. He mounted, and we cut over to the paved bike path.
I was nervous about it because Cole's horse shoes were worn smooth. That meant he could slip very easily. Years ago, when I first started riding Cruiser on the trail, he spooked, ran onto the bike trail and slipped. He regained his balance, but I tumbled to the ground. With that in my mind, we tentatively followed Starry on the bike path. My other concern was motorcycles. The bike path is very close to the street.
It all went well. There was one loud vehicle that I stopped Cole for as it passed. Two bikes passed us, too, but we saw them before they could startle the horses.
The next day, Kevin didn't join Ellen and me. He went the other way on the trail. When we reached the log, Cole went over, first. Dante decided he wasn't going over it. He touched it, rubbed his face on it, looked for the branch that he tried to eat on the last ride and looked pretty. Ellen turned him away and tried again. This time, he stepped right over it. We continued on our merry way.
When we got back to the log on the way home, there was Starry and Kevin waiting for us on the other side. He wasn't even going to try. Dante marched right over; followed by Cole. The 3 of us had a lovely ride home.
We had a big storm the other day. There wasn't that much rain, but the wind was really, really bad. Even so, we were still surprised at the number of branches on the trail--and 3 trees blocking it. All of the trees were small enough to step over, though not easily by a horses as short as Cole.
Ellen and I went out for a ride. We were able to negotiate all the trees and branches. On our way back, we saw Kevin heading out for his ride. We told him what we encountered, and reassured him that he could get through. After all, Starry is the largest of our horses; by far.
And he did. He only took Starry on a short ride--to the next river crossing--and turned around to go home. When he reached the log that Starry had willingly stepped over just a little time ago, he headed for the left end of it. The rest of the log was too high to step over. As he neared it, Starry saw a branch he could grab and eat. That broke their momentum--and then Starry decided it was impossible to cross the log. It didn't matter that he crossed it going the other direction. It didn't matter that he was going towards home. He didn't act frightened--he just felt he couldn't do it.
Kevin asked and asked to no avail. Finally, he got off--thinking Starry would follow him. That didn't work, either. He looked for a way to get around the log, but the shrubbery was too thick and the footing too swampy. He had to turn around and go away from home.
The whole time, he kept looking for a good way to get out to the street, but he didn't find any until he reached the river crossing. He then rode out to the street to the paved bike path. He had no choice but to ride along it to get home. Wherever he could, he rode on the grass. One bike passed him. Once, Starry tried to trot on the paved path when Kevin tried to get him over to the grass. Other than that, it was uneventful.
Finally, he reached a spot where he could cut back to the trail on the other side of the log.
The next day, Cole and I went with them on a ride. I was willing to turn at the log, but Kevin thought Starry would follow Cole over it. We had no trouble stepping over it on the way out, and we had a terrific ride.
On the way home, Kevin wanted to try, first. He had stopped by earlier in the day and cut the branch that originally distracted Starry. He was hoping with that gone; the problem would be gone, too.
It didn't work. Starry still refused to step over the log. After a number of attempts, I brought Cole up to it to lure Starry across. The very thing I feared happened. Since Cole saw Starry refuse, he did, too. I dismounted, and Cole was happy to follow me over it.
Starry would still not cooperate. Kevin dismounted to lead him--but Starry wouldn't follow him across, either. Kevin asked me to come back with him so we could go home on the bike path. Poor, little Cole. He had to step over the log that was way too tall for him--but not too tall for the hulking behemoth, Starry, once again.
He did, and we were on our way. We couldn't trot because Kevin needed a mounting block. There is one at the river crossing. He mounted, and we cut over to the paved bike path.
I was nervous about it because Cole's horse shoes were worn smooth. That meant he could slip very easily. Years ago, when I first started riding Cruiser on the trail, he spooked, ran onto the bike trail and slipped. He regained his balance, but I tumbled to the ground. With that in my mind, we tentatively followed Starry on the bike path. My other concern was motorcycles. The bike path is very close to the street.
It all went well. There was one loud vehicle that I stopped Cole for as it passed. Two bikes passed us, too, but we saw them before they could startle the horses.
The next day, Kevin didn't join Ellen and me. He went the other way on the trail. When we reached the log, Cole went over, first. Dante decided he wasn't going over it. He touched it, rubbed his face on it, looked for the branch that he tried to eat on the last ride and looked pretty. Ellen turned him away and tried again. This time, he stepped right over it. We continued on our merry way.
When we got back to the log on the way home, there was Starry and Kevin waiting for us on the other side. He wasn't even going to try. Dante marched right over; followed by Cole. The 3 of us had a lovely ride home.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
His Favorite
His Favorite
With the cooler weather, the horses--particularly Cole have been much friskier. He is living up to his name, Smokin' Cole Train! The other day, my sister and I were trotting along. Her slow horse, Dante, was in the lead. Things were going great, then I think Cole may have gotten hit by a falling acorn. I suddenly felt him sink low in the hindquarters and he dashed forward at a gallop.
Sigh...A Cole burst is one thing, but why this?
Dante is very reactive whenever another horse does something sudden. He is afraid when they merely swish their tails at him. Well, Cole thundering up behind him set him off running, too. I wasn't the least bit worried about myself. The big sister in me kicked in. I must protect Ellen!
I knew that I had to keep Cole as far away from Dante as I could or my sister would have a very big problem. Starry was just up ahead. All we needed was for him to start running, too! I tried and tried to stop Cole, but he merely slowed down. By now, he thought this was a fun game and wanted to keep playing. I did get him to a slow canter, and my sister was able to get control of Dante.
Cole was no longer a threat to her, but he still wasn't stopping. I was getting frustrated--bending him to the left and then the right. Ellen then turned around, looked at Cole and said in her sternest "mom" voice, "Cole. Stop. Behave yourself." Wouldn't you know, he did just that. The funny thing is--this isn't the first time this has happened. I've written about it, before. Cole simply adores her. He always listens to her. A few days before, Cole was swishing at the bugs, causing Dante to worry. She told Cole to stop, and he did.
When we leave the barn to go home, I will toss some treats in Cole's dish. He won't even go to them. He just stands there and waits for my sister to toss treats in his dish. Then he eats both sets of treats and thinks they are all from Ellen. He only h,as eyes for her...
I am sure it is because she isn't the one in charge, telling him what to do and when to do it. Instead, she says loving things to him and gives him all the best treats! If I am Cole's mother, she is Cole's grandmother. She spoils him all she likes and then sends him back to me.
With the cooler weather, the horses--particularly Cole have been much friskier. He is living up to his name, Smokin' Cole Train! The other day, my sister and I were trotting along. Her slow horse, Dante, was in the lead. Things were going great, then I think Cole may have gotten hit by a falling acorn. I suddenly felt him sink low in the hindquarters and he dashed forward at a gallop.
Sigh...A Cole burst is one thing, but why this?
Dante is very reactive whenever another horse does something sudden. He is afraid when they merely swish their tails at him. Well, Cole thundering up behind him set him off running, too. I wasn't the least bit worried about myself. The big sister in me kicked in. I must protect Ellen!
I knew that I had to keep Cole as far away from Dante as I could or my sister would have a very big problem. Starry was just up ahead. All we needed was for him to start running, too! I tried and tried to stop Cole, but he merely slowed down. By now, he thought this was a fun game and wanted to keep playing. I did get him to a slow canter, and my sister was able to get control of Dante.
Cole was no longer a threat to her, but he still wasn't stopping. I was getting frustrated--bending him to the left and then the right. Ellen then turned around, looked at Cole and said in her sternest "mom" voice, "Cole. Stop. Behave yourself." Wouldn't you know, he did just that. The funny thing is--this isn't the first time this has happened. I've written about it, before. Cole simply adores her. He always listens to her. A few days before, Cole was swishing at the bugs, causing Dante to worry. She told Cole to stop, and he did.
When we leave the barn to go home, I will toss some treats in Cole's dish. He won't even go to them. He just stands there and waits for my sister to toss treats in his dish. Then he eats both sets of treats and thinks they are all from Ellen. He only h,as eyes for her...
I am sure it is because she isn't the one in charge, telling him what to do and when to do it. Instead, she says loving things to him and gives him all the best treats! If I am Cole's mother, she is Cole's grandmother. She spoils him all she likes and then sends him back to me.
The Strange Ride
The Strange Ride
The other day, Ellen, Kevin and I were going out riding. Kevin left ahead of us so that he wouldn't be in our way. We followed along. We knew we would meet him at the end of the trail where we turn around to go home.
It looked like rain. We checked the radar on Ellen's phone, and we thought we might be all right, so we decided to take a chance. There was one other concern on our minds. Kevin told us there was a car club that was planning to drive through the park. Our trails thread between the street and the river. Sometimes it is closer to the street--and sometimes the river. We have been caught out in previous years when all the cars drive though, and it can be difficult. These aren't ordinary cars. They are noisy hot rods.
The ride was uneventful on the way out. We couldn't cross the river at the second river crossing because it was too high, so we walked the horses across the ford. There wasn't much traffic because of the weather, so it was an easy crossing.
As we approached the end of the trail, we could see Starry in the distance. He started neighing for us. Once we got closer, he got very quiet. I guess he didn't want us to know that he missed his buddies so much.
We put Starry in the lead on the way home. Kevin told us the time that the cars were supposed to leave their starting point. I looked at my watch and realized we might be in trouble. We had to get across the ford before the hot rods showed up.
We did some trotting towards home to make up time. All was quiet, so we brought the horses onto the ford. We knew the cars would make such a ruckus that we would have ample warning.
Once across, Kevin hurried on ahead. He wanted to get to a good spot where he could stop Starry and watch the cars. Things like that don't make Starry nervous the way they make Cole and Ellen nervous. (Notice I didn't mention Dante?) He wasn't even out of sight before we could hear the rumble of engines. We made it across the ford only a few minutes too soon.
We decided to walk because the trail where we were at was far from the street. Maybe by the time we got close to the street, they would be done. All went well as we walked along. I was hoping that Cole would just gradually get desensitized to the noise.
We saw Kevin and Starry standing over by the street; watching the cars go by. Starry was a statue. He didn't care at all. He is such a strange horse.
By now, we could also smell the fumes. As the trail got closer to the street, Cole's head kept getting higher and higher. The cars kept coming and coming. Cole's steps became faster. I wasn't feeling very safe, so I stopped him and hopped off. A few steps later, he leapt into the air! He had had enough. I circled him to contain his outburst and asked him to stand. He then parked out and waited. Of course, I praised him. Dante just watched.
The cars were soon gone, Since it looked like rain, there was a poor turnout for the event. We were relieved. I led Cole for a little ways. When he seemed settled down, I mounted back up. He was still walking very fast, so we were way ahead of Dante. We would stop and wait for them to catch up periodically.
When we were nearly back to our river crossing to go home, I stopped to wait for Dante. Far up ahead, I heard a noise that started getting louder and louder. I thought it might be a big gust of wind, but when it got to us, it turned out to be a wall of water! This never happened to us before. The only thing Cole hates more than loud engines is heavy rain. Poor Cole was having a bad day. Not only could we see the rain moving as a wave, but we also could see the wave moving toward us on the leaves of the trees and shrubs.
Ellen caught up with us. I asked Cole to go forward, but the rain wall had him so confused and upset that he uncharacteristically started backing up. For the first time ever, I had to ask her to bring Dante ahead of my typically very bold Cole because he was afraid of something. Was Dante afraid? Of course not. He was amazed at the way the rain was hitting the leaves. He was looking from one side of the trail to the next. He wanted to go touch the leaves--and possibly taste them.
Ellen persisted and Dante took the lead. Cole immediately settled down, and we crossed the river. Once we reached the other side, we got off to lead. You get less wet if you are leading than if you are riding.
We were home shortly, and Starry arrived a little after us. Of course, once Starry was inside, it quit raining.
It was a strange ride.
It looked like rain. We checked the radar on Ellen's phone, and we thought we might be all right, so we decided to take a chance. There was one other concern on our minds. Kevin told us there was a car club that was planning to drive through the park. Our trails thread between the street and the river. Sometimes it is closer to the street--and sometimes the river. We have been caught out in previous years when all the cars drive though, and it can be difficult. These aren't ordinary cars. They are noisy hot rods.
The ride was uneventful on the way out. We couldn't cross the river at the second river crossing because it was too high, so we walked the horses across the ford. There wasn't much traffic because of the weather, so it was an easy crossing.
As we approached the end of the trail, we could see Starry in the distance. He started neighing for us. Once we got closer, he got very quiet. I guess he didn't want us to know that he missed his buddies so much.
We put Starry in the lead on the way home. Kevin told us the time that the cars were supposed to leave their starting point. I looked at my watch and realized we might be in trouble. We had to get across the ford before the hot rods showed up.
We did some trotting towards home to make up time. All was quiet, so we brought the horses onto the ford. We knew the cars would make such a ruckus that we would have ample warning.
Once across, Kevin hurried on ahead. He wanted to get to a good spot where he could stop Starry and watch the cars. Things like that don't make Starry nervous the way they make Cole and Ellen nervous. (Notice I didn't mention Dante?) He wasn't even out of sight before we could hear the rumble of engines. We made it across the ford only a few minutes too soon.
We decided to walk because the trail where we were at was far from the street. Maybe by the time we got close to the street, they would be done. All went well as we walked along. I was hoping that Cole would just gradually get desensitized to the noise.
We saw Kevin and Starry standing over by the street; watching the cars go by. Starry was a statue. He didn't care at all. He is such a strange horse.
By now, we could also smell the fumes. As the trail got closer to the street, Cole's head kept getting higher and higher. The cars kept coming and coming. Cole's steps became faster. I wasn't feeling very safe, so I stopped him and hopped off. A few steps later, he leapt into the air! He had had enough. I circled him to contain his outburst and asked him to stand. He then parked out and waited. Of course, I praised him. Dante just watched.
The cars were soon gone, Since it looked like rain, there was a poor turnout for the event. We were relieved. I led Cole for a little ways. When he seemed settled down, I mounted back up. He was still walking very fast, so we were way ahead of Dante. We would stop and wait for them to catch up periodically.
When we were nearly back to our river crossing to go home, I stopped to wait for Dante. Far up ahead, I heard a noise that started getting louder and louder. I thought it might be a big gust of wind, but when it got to us, it turned out to be a wall of water! This never happened to us before. The only thing Cole hates more than loud engines is heavy rain. Poor Cole was having a bad day. Not only could we see the rain moving as a wave, but we also could see the wave moving toward us on the leaves of the trees and shrubs.
Ellen caught up with us. I asked Cole to go forward, but the rain wall had him so confused and upset that he uncharacteristically started backing up. For the first time ever, I had to ask her to bring Dante ahead of my typically very bold Cole because he was afraid of something. Was Dante afraid? Of course not. He was amazed at the way the rain was hitting the leaves. He was looking from one side of the trail to the next. He wanted to go touch the leaves--and possibly taste them.
Ellen persisted and Dante took the lead. Cole immediately settled down, and we crossed the river. Once we reached the other side, we got off to lead. You get less wet if you are leading than if you are riding.
We were home shortly, and Starry arrived a little after us. Of course, once Starry was inside, it quit raining.
It was a strange ride.
Open All Night
Open All Night
Cole is a great horse, but sometimes he is more energetic than I like. The hardest part of riding him is keeping him calm so he doesn’t take off at high speeds. It is even more complicated if I am riding with my sister because her horse, Dante, is slow. I either don't want him to get too far ahead, or I don't want him to rush up behind Dante. It isn't so much of a problem with Starry because he is a pretty fast trotter.
I previously wrote about how I am teaching Cole to slow down while trotting behind Dante so I don't have to stop and start the whole time. He is improving with leaps and bounds--by not giving me leaps and bounds. He has also slowed down enough to match Dante's speed much of the time. If Dante speeds up, Cole speeds up. If Dante slows down, so does Cole. Most of the time, we are trotting with light rein contact. Often, I am able to comfortably sit his trot.
I am really surprised how fast Cole is learning this. It seemed like it was something that was simply impossible with Cruiser. He would get closer and closer--and then take off past the leading horse.
I have found that if I talk to him, he listens so much better. He just turns his ears back to me, and doesn’t think of trotting off too fast or breaking into a gallop.
So, I have taken to singing when I ride him at a trot. If I hear a good song on my drive over to the stables, I will sing that. So often, I don’t, so I just pick out a Springsteen song. Lately, “Open all Night” has been one of my favorite riding songs. At his first trot step, it is “Well, I had the carburetor, baby, cleaned and checked,
With her lines blown out she's humming like a turbojet." (That so much sounds like Cole.)
The beat matches Cole't strides, perfectly.
I don’t sing loud, though. Just loud enough so Cole can here. I don’t want to disturb anybody else’s ride.
I love this version of it:
(It’s not the one I sing, though)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvwKQkzSUlM
Cole is a great horse, but sometimes he is more energetic than I like. The hardest part of riding him is keeping him calm so he doesn’t take off at high speeds. It is even more complicated if I am riding with my sister because her horse, Dante, is slow. I either don't want him to get too far ahead, or I don't want him to rush up behind Dante. It isn't so much of a problem with Starry because he is a pretty fast trotter.
I previously wrote about how I am teaching Cole to slow down while trotting behind Dante so I don't have to stop and start the whole time. He is improving with leaps and bounds--by not giving me leaps and bounds. He has also slowed down enough to match Dante's speed much of the time. If Dante speeds up, Cole speeds up. If Dante slows down, so does Cole. Most of the time, we are trotting with light rein contact. Often, I am able to comfortably sit his trot.
I am really surprised how fast Cole is learning this. It seemed like it was something that was simply impossible with Cruiser. He would get closer and closer--and then take off past the leading horse.
I have found that if I talk to him, he listens so much better. He just turns his ears back to me, and doesn’t think of trotting off too fast or breaking into a gallop.
So, I have taken to singing when I ride him at a trot. If I hear a good song on my drive over to the stables, I will sing that. So often, I don’t, so I just pick out a Springsteen song. Lately, “Open all Night” has been one of my favorite riding songs. At his first trot step, it is “Well, I had the carburetor, baby, cleaned and checked,
With her lines blown out she's humming like a turbojet." (That so much sounds like Cole.)
The beat matches Cole't strides, perfectly.
I don’t sing loud, though. Just loud enough so Cole can here. I don’t want to disturb anybody else’s ride.
I love this version of it:
(It’s not the one I sing, though)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvwKQkzSUlM
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
The Ledges Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
The Ledges Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Book Review: "The Mysteries of Winterthurn" by Joyce Carol Oates
Another fine book by Ms. Oates. The book is written in 3 sections that cover 3 murders. In both, the protagonist is a man who investigates them. The section I liked best was the first one when he was a young man and was just learning how to investigate things. And then, he fell in love...
I love how the narrator describes things one way--and you just know that it isn't what is really happen. For example, when the townspeople decide who the murderer is and all the clues point strongly that someone else did it. She does that a lot.
But I don't understand the use of the word "Divers" which appears in probably all the chapters!
A very worthwhile book.
I love how the narrator describes things one way--and you just know that it isn't what is really happen. For example, when the townspeople decide who the murderer is and all the clues point strongly that someone else did it. She does that a lot.
But I don't understand the use of the word "Divers" which appears in probably all the chapters!
A very worthwhile book.
Book Review: "The Longest Journey" by E. M. Forster
I loved "A Passage to India," so i had high hopes for this book. I was disappointed. The journey referred to love being born and dying in an unhappy marriage. The characters were well-drawn, but I didn't care for them, at all. If they were real people, I would have avoided them. The story didn't go anywhere, and I was happy when it was over.
Book Review - "Blacksnake's Path: The True Adventures of William Wells" by William Heath
It may seem weird coming from a woman, but I happen to be very fond of books about the settling and Indian wars of the frontier--particularly if it is about the Midwest area where I live.
This is a fictional account of a factual story, and it was fascinating. I really enjoyed it. Wells was taken prisoner by the Miami tribe as a teen, and became one of them. Years later, he left the tribe and worked for the Americans as a scout, sometimes spy, interpreter and Indian agent. He wanted peace between the tribes and Americans, but it seldom worked out. There are hints of him being duplicitous, but there wasn't any solid proof.
As always, these stories are sad. There were good and bad people on both sides--the rest just wanted to live their lives the way that suited them the best.
The book was very well researched and gave an accurate portrayal of the lives of our natives. How I wish that they could have kept them that way.
This is a fictional account of a factual story, and it was fascinating. I really enjoyed it. Wells was taken prisoner by the Miami tribe as a teen, and became one of them. Years later, he left the tribe and worked for the Americans as a scout, sometimes spy, interpreter and Indian agent. He wanted peace between the tribes and Americans, but it seldom worked out. There are hints of him being duplicitous, but there wasn't any solid proof.
As always, these stories are sad. There were good and bad people on both sides--the rest just wanted to live their lives the way that suited them the best.
The book was very well researched and gave an accurate portrayal of the lives of our natives. How I wish that they could have kept them that way.
Garden Update
My garden is nearing the end of its season. It was a good year, and it kept me very busy.
The tomatoes had blight, but I picked so many that it didn't matter. I was lucky they got blight. I dried the multitudes of cherry tomatoes and cooked salsa with the big ones. I think I will plant less of them next year.
My peppers also had blight, and I got very few of them. I did plant a row of green beans with them, so the space wasn't wasted.
I had way, way too many green beans. The pole beans only produced for a short time, but I picked a lot of them. The bush beans are still producing. What I didn't use at the time of picking, I dried. I have so many dried beans.
The dried shell beans did very well. I have nearly 2 quarts of them. It is silly to plant then in the sense that they are so cheap to buy, but I like to look at them in the jars all winter. Plus, I set some aside to plant for next year, so I don't have much invested in them. I try one new variety a year. I also plant them in an area that nothing else thrives in.
The lima beans and the butter beans were extraordinary. I picked loads of them and many are now in my freezer. They are still producing.
The tomatillos and ground cherries did pretty good, but not as good as last year. They are still loaded with fruit, so it depends when we get our first frost. Most of the plants were volunteers.
My summer squash did well enough, but I got so many from the barn that it didn't matter. (285) I have some lovely winter squash that I will be picking soon. Many of them were volunteers.
My cukes were lousy for the amount that I planted. Most of the problem was they were over run with winter squash. Since I pickle most of my cucumbers, it didn't matter much. I just pickled the squash I was picking at the barn. It is nearly as good.
Our first frost is usually the 3rd week of October or later. The last 2 years, the frost was in November.
The tomatoes had blight, but I picked so many that it didn't matter. I was lucky they got blight. I dried the multitudes of cherry tomatoes and cooked salsa with the big ones. I think I will plant less of them next year.
My peppers also had blight, and I got very few of them. I did plant a row of green beans with them, so the space wasn't wasted.
I had way, way too many green beans. The pole beans only produced for a short time, but I picked a lot of them. The bush beans are still producing. What I didn't use at the time of picking, I dried. I have so many dried beans.
The dried shell beans did very well. I have nearly 2 quarts of them. It is silly to plant then in the sense that they are so cheap to buy, but I like to look at them in the jars all winter. Plus, I set some aside to plant for next year, so I don't have much invested in them. I try one new variety a year. I also plant them in an area that nothing else thrives in.
The lima beans and the butter beans were extraordinary. I picked loads of them and many are now in my freezer. They are still producing.
The tomatillos and ground cherries did pretty good, but not as good as last year. They are still loaded with fruit, so it depends when we get our first frost. Most of the plants were volunteers.
My summer squash did well enough, but I got so many from the barn that it didn't matter. (285) I have some lovely winter squash that I will be picking soon. Many of them were volunteers.
My cukes were lousy for the amount that I planted. Most of the problem was they were over run with winter squash. Since I pickle most of my cucumbers, it didn't matter much. I just pickled the squash I was picking at the barn. It is nearly as good.
Our first frost is usually the 3rd week of October or later. The last 2 years, the frost was in November.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Dante High-tailing it Away!
Ellen Gets an Award
The “Award for Staying in the Saddle” in September certainly doesn’t go to me. Ellen will get the award this month.
Ellen, Kevin and I were out for a ride. We were nearing the spot that we planned to turn to go home when we saw a man we have known from the trails for years. We don’t remember his name, but his dog’s name is Daisy. Daisy is one of those sweet dogs who never gives us any trouble. She doesn’t need to be on a leash. She will just sit and wait for us to go by.
We stopped to chat for a few minutes. Then, he went on our way and we went on ours. We didn’t get very far when I saw Dante’s head go straight up in the air. He started panicking. All I saw was him stepping backwards into the woods behind him. I think that is when he decided to spin towards us. All I knew is that Cole decided to spin and take off. Starry was in between us, and he half-heartedly followed Cole. Dante saw the commotion going on with us--and spun the opposite way. Poor Ellen got spun to the left--then spun to the right.
I didn’t have much problem stopping Cole within a few strides. I quickly looked back and saw Ellen leaning over Dante’s neck. She was hanging on with all her might--and she did it! Dante stopped, Ellen readjusted herself and all was well again.
We then found out what happened. There was a man just wandering through the woods; picking up garbage. Dante must have thought he was a bear. The man startled Dante, Dante startled Cole, Cole terrified Dante and Starry never did figure out what was going on. The poor man, when he realized what happened, felt so bad. We told him not to worry about it. That’s just how horses can be.
So Ellen got the award for staying on during a double-spin spook.
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