What a weekend!

Still tired enough that I am almost cross eyed, lol

I am happy to share that I got nearly everything on my mental "to do" list done. The only items that didn't get attention was starting on the final stripping of the garden-but that's okay, I am pretty sure we are going to be gifted with another week or so before frost. (Crosses fingers and toes!)

The really big chore of putting up the cauliflower is basically done-only one smaller head remains in the garden. I was just astounded at the size of these heads, a couple had to go well over eight pounds. Yes they were pretty gnarly looking, all split and purply, but the purple cooks out and the flavor is still great. I didn't do an actual count of it all, but some got sent home with my SIL, and some with my ever helpful friend, and I still have 19 family size packages in the freezer, wow!

Also completed over the weekend: My first try at making a pie filling. I have 7 quarts of apple pie filling done-and man are the jars pretty! Plus two quarts of apple slices in a light syrup in the pantry. With the aid of a food processor, I now have a double batch of sliced carrots done as well, a beautiful bright orange in the jars. Last year I sliced by hand which took forever and then some, not to mention the wear and tear on hands and wrists, lol A food processor is the way to go! Also did up the bell peppers-and I still have peppers to take out of the greenhouse too.

Yesterday was milk test for my neighbor, and she is busy too, trying to put up items from her own garden in between farm chores and the herding lessons. It can be pretty difficult to set aside six hours to deal with this stuff, for anyone. It worked out pretty well for me that the hay van does not get delivered until today, whew.

On a puzzling note, both my horses are off. The mare remains very flatfooted, and she is slow to develop depth-but the heels are nearly level now and the balance is finally where it should be-right on schedule at ten months after I got her. She had a big bar release this trim and I have a hunch that had contributed to her discomfort. Tonight I will move her over into the other stall, so she is off the large rocks for a week or so.

My big boy, I am not sure what's happened other than he has been standing in his stall due to the rainy weather. He is a little stocked up, so last night and this morning I have been feeding hay way out away from the stall-this gets him away from the muck at the stall entrance too. He has a bar on one hind that continually kind of grows over, and it just does not let loose on it's own for some reason. Anyway, this morning he is moving much better but it's obvious he's very stiff so he got started back on his joint sups last night. This week I will see about finding some liquid HA for him, that should help a bunch.

Also yesterday, my unlce John passed away. RIP, John Church. I had hoped to go see him this winter but it was not to be.