We've been saving our figs as they ripen and are about ready to make
another couple of pints of jam. The mockingbirds have been seriously
wasting some of our crop as they get into the tree and just peck a fig
here or there.

We started making some headway yesterday morning in that we sunk a
couple of eight foot long two by fours in front of the tree and started
hanging netting that the birds can't get through. The day was really hot
so I had to stop, take a really cold shower and then drink about a
gallon of water. I was very close to passing out from the heat so the
job has been stalled until tomorrow, early morning tomorrow as the heat
lingers at night here.

I've been saving my black crowder peas until I get a couple of quarts,
sealed in containers in the fridge of course. I've already frozen two
quarts of peas on a bun pan and then vacuum bagged and sealed and into
the freezer again. I don't think we will get a very big crop so decided
not to can them in the pressure canner and just go with freezing. I will
let y'all know how the experiment comes out.

Not much stuff out of the garden to preserve right now. The kumquat tree
is putting on a lot of fruit and I have high hopes of kumquat pies,
kumquat marmalade, etc. In addition our pear tree, two years in the
ground, has produced a goodly amount of nice, red pears. I have high
hopes of making pear jelly, pear sauce, and just eating them out of hand.

George