On Thu, 20 Aug 2015 13:43:52 -0500, George Shirley >
wrote:

>On 8/20/2015 10:29 AM, Ross@home wrote:
>> On Sat, 15 Aug 2015 10:49:26 -0700 (PDT), Randal Oulton
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On Friday, 14 August 2015 13:59:05 UTC-4, George Shirley wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Just back from a visit to the stupor market, egad! canning jars and lids
>>>> at retail are ridiculous. Probably by mid-October both will be heavily
>>>> discounted. I don't need any as I have about eight dozen jars of varying
>>>> sizes up to half gallon. I AM NOT A HOARDER, no matter what my wife and
>>>> children say.
>>>
>>> George, what are the jars going for now? In Canada, sometime in the past few weeks they *raised* the prices of jars about an average of a buck a dozen. Bernardin brand (Ball's sister brand in Canada) pint jars (with lids and rings) are 8.99 or 9.99 now depending where you get them; you can get Golden Harvest pints at Crappy Tire though for 7.99. Replacement metal (flat part) lids are basically 30 cents each. (3.60 for a box of twelve.)
>>
>> Are you talking about the standard 70mm lids?
>> If so, head over to your local Dollarama. Their price has gone up
>> twice in the last two years but, as of a few days ago, Bernardin
>> standard 70mm lids are still only CND $1.50/doz.
>> We used a box and a half yesterday on 3 batches of spiced pear jam
>> (six - 250ml jars per batch).
>>
>> Ross.
>> Southern Ontario, Canada
>>
>Hey, Ross, long time no see. How's things in the mostly frozen north? We
>got over an inch of rain yesterday and today so far and it is greatly
>welcome. After getting over eighteen inches of rain back in early
>spring, causing several deaths and lots of damage, we have been in a
>small drought until yesterday.
>
>Spring garden is mostly dead, have some pitiful looking eggplant,
>tomatoes, and peppers still going but everything else has croaked.
>
>I'm working on a design for a drip system to be used on the raised beds
>and the fence line beds but it will be built after cooler weather gets
>to us. !@#$ soaker hoses from the big box stores only last a few months
>so I'm getting rid of those.
>
>We put up about eighteen pints of green beans in early spring and have
>frozen over a dozen bags of chopped sweet chiles and many bags of ready
>to cook zuke and eggplant fritters so the garden wasn't a total loss
>this year.
>
>We're looking at a fall garden later this month or early September but
>not sure what we want to plant now, got plenty of seeds and can get nice
>fall plants close by so it won't be long. Have to amend the raised beds
>every time the seasons change so that chore is coming on too.
>
>George, NW Harris Cty, Texas

Hi George,

Glad to hear you got some needed rain. Wish we could say the same.
We watch it go north of us and south of us but not much arrives here.
It's about a 15 km drive from our little farm to the city of Cambridge
where we do most of our "in town" stuff. We were in a few days ago and
encountered a couple of torrential downpours when the windshield
wipers on high could hardly keep up and the storm drains were backing
up. We thought we'd at least get some needed moisture but, when we got
home the ground was totally dry and the rain gauge registered zero.
We do have drip irrigation installed in all of our garden but we also
have to use it carefully 'cause we're on a well and don't want to run
it dry.
Must be thankful for what we do harvest though, both bush beans and
pole beans gave bumper crops, we blanched, vac packed and froze enough
till the harvest next year. Gave some to friends and took some to the
local food bank, hope they get some value from them.
Cucumber, squash, zucchini were a total bust, no cucumbers, no
zucchini and only a coupe of Delicata squash still looking like
they'll make it to harvest. Starting to get a few tomatoes but, there
definitely won't be enough to bother trying to can any.
Onions, leeks and potatoes doing very well. Gerry was digging some of
our Yukon Gold potatoes yesterday and there were some really large
spuds. Largest one so far weighed in at 802 grams.
Hot peppers doing fine, bell peppers nada.
You've mentioned your unbearable temperatures a few times lately and
I'm glad they're not here, I know I could not live in 104F - 106F. Our
daytime temps for the last few days have been in the mid-60'sF which
suits me fine. Unfortunately, weatherman is calling for mi-80'sF by
the weekend.
Stay well George, our best wishes to you, Miz Anne and Tilly.

Ross.
Southern Ontario, Canada