The cream peas I planted several weeks ago have produced well. I am happy with my first attempt at growing peas and will definitely plant more next year. I won't bother with a trellis next time because this variety doesn't really climb. An unexpected bonus is that the peas will just keep producing new sprouts until the first frost.
After consulting my cousin, I decided I'd try drying the peas for storage. This has turned out to be the absolute easiest way to store them.
I picked the pea pods, a few each day as they were ready, and shelled them. I put the fresh peas in a small dish open to the air. I left them there for a week or so until the peas were small and hard.
Then I put them in a jar and labeled it. I did add an oxygen absorber in the jar.
Our blackberries were big and juicy, but we didn't get as many as I'd hoped. They were bigger than the wild blackberries I had picked earlier.
I tried to pick them each day as I saw the ripe ones. After rinsing them quickly, I put them in a tub in the freezer.
I didn't know Texas had slugs, but I guess I was wrong. I saw this the other day out on the carport.
I finally saw hogs the other day! Not that seeing live hogs on your property is a good thing. But after hearing so much about them since we've lived here, I wanted to see them for myself.
I was out walking to feed the goats, dogs, and cat the other morning. (Our Mule had broken down yet again, but more about that later.) As I walk to feed the cat, who lives out in the workshop, I pass by one of our tanks (ponds). When I was returning, I heard water splashing in the pond. I saw them briefly, hardly enough time to process what I was seeing, before they dashed off in the opposite direction. I was thankful they had been scared of me, because in reality I was the one scared of them. It looked like a mama with about five or six babies.
I wasn't quick enough with my camera to get a good photo of them, but did manage to get a few poor ones. Sorry. I've tried to zoom in but that makes the photo blurry. I don't think I'm ever going to get an up close photo of a hog.
I was getting in our Mule the other day (on a rare occasion when it was running) and saw a paw or hand print on the seat. I was a little scared when I saw it, trying to work out what it might be. I think I've decided it is a raccoon print. I am hoping the print came from when the Mule was at the repair shop and not while it was parked in our carport.
I love Black-eyed peas. But when I can't get them, Purple Hull peas are a close second.
I bought some at the Farmer's Market I visited in Ennis. A few weeks later, friends gave me some from their garden. As they said, "maybe it will be enough for a mess." In Texas, a mess means enough for one meal. What a treat! It was best gift ever.
I enjoyed shelling the peas, but they do stain your fingers a little. Well worth it though.
After shelling, I blanched some and put them in the freezer for another day. The other half, I cooked up with a little bacon, bacon fat, and salt for a few hours.
I was reading an interesting article recently about Farmer's Markets. Most people like to think their local farmer's market is a true market where they can buy things produced by local farmers. But in fact, most markets are "resale" markets. You can read it here.
Last year I visited a smaller local farmer's market when I bought tomatoes to can and dehydrate. It was clearly a real farmer's market - only a few vendors, all selling mostly all the same in-season vegetables for mostly the same prices.
So in an effort to find another local farmer's market, I went along to one in Ennis, about an hour away from us.
After reading the above article, I went being very skeptical, asking lots of questions of the vendors. I came away feeling like about half were truly local (within 25 miles), and the other half were farther away (within 200 miles). But I didn't see any "resale" type stalls. So it gets the thumbs up from me.
It got extra points because my daughter, Ceramics Teacher, had a stall selling her new line of ceramic mugs. Click here: EvaCeramics
Our dogs that protect the goats have been digging big holes lately. I think it is caused by boredom, but I think they like to sit in them since it's been so hot. It makes a mess around the goat pen. And I have to be careful not to trip in one.
