"Mimi" > wrote in message
...
<snip> . . . and I hate all of you in zone 5 or higher. <snip>

<snip> You must really hate me Dave, USDA zone 9b. <snip>

Okay, I am in zone 8b so Dave hates you more George than he hates me.

But, then, he probably hates us both.
: - )

My herb garden is growing steadily. Really should be doing more
harvesting and drying right now. My Hun Bun salvaged some wood fence
material from a job he did and made the raised beds look fabulous--and
very sturdy!!!

Only got 2½ gallons of dewberries. We were so busy with work, life,
that we didn't get out to pick as much as I wanted to.
: - (

Coming to the end of working at home for the past two weeks. Cranked
out three batches of smooth fig jam last week when work was slow.
This second week I've had more to do so, not much getting done around
the "old homestead". Made my Dad happy though--mailed him enough to
see him through for a while. He *loves* fig jam.

I've been promised muscadine grapes from a friend with 30+ acres of
land. Went and checked on the pears and figs at our *new* friends
place last weekend. They are lookin' good. Praying that I have the
time and energy to keep up with all of it when the time comes. Still
plan on picking mustang grapes on the 4th of July.

Amazon has remarkable timing. I ordered "The Joy of Jams, Jellies,
and Other Sweet Preserves: 200 Classic and Contemporary Recipes
Showcasing the Fabulous Flavors of Fresh Fruits" by Linda Ziedrich.
It arrived the weekend before the two weeks of working at home. I
feel like a school kid on vacation--I get to stay up a bit later than
I would if I had to go into the office so, been reading until I can't
keep my eyes open in bed every night. I like the book. Lots of good
tips / ideas and I am probably going to try the carrot-apple butter.
Hmmm . . . I wonder if pears would be a suitable substitute for the
apples???

I also got "Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up
Small Batches of Seasonal Foods" by Eugenia Bone. Haven't really
looked at it too much, just a thumb-through so far and nothing grabbed
my attention.

Shalom Y'all from Mimi in USDA Zone 8b
: - )
We've planted our raised garden. Tomatoes, beans, cukes, lettuce. Garlic
went in last fall. Our walking onions are flourishing. I just planted
basil in my raised herb bed. I'm also planting flowers of course.


--
mompeagram
FERGUS/HARLINGEN
http://mompeagram.homestead.com