Late summer nights.......

   Last week was our county fair, and while it was hot, (most days were in the 90's and high humidity) the days we went out were manageable.    At the start of the fair, I ended up with some pickles from my friend Andrea at www.chicky-bit-run.blogspot.com and from my Dads garden too.    I canned some dill pickles and some relish...both firsts for me!

Pickles getting ready to be scrubbed... I repurposed a plastic mesh bag that oranges came in, which worked great to scrub them....

                                         

Kiddie Tractor Pull

We took the boys out  to the fair a couple times.....for the Kiddie tractor pull, and for the kiddie pig chase, and one day to walk around with some family.  We tried to focus on a few activities for them, rather than let them ride rides.   I had intended to let them ride rides one day, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend $32 for them to ride those rides.    I miss the days of old where one could afford to enjoy the fair on a twenty dollar bill.   We also enjoyed a concert last Friday of a great up and coming Nashville recording artist, Kate Hasting.   She is great!!!! You can check her music out at www.katehasting.com and you can get her music on Itunes too.  She is an amazing singer, song writer, and guitar player...... We got her Cd while we were there, I had to buy it!!!   My boys have been singing,  "I like boys that drive tractors" ......so I'm going to have to watch that...lol    Oh, did I mention that my name is on the back?   I did her photo shoot for her website/Cd cover!  I have a great job!    
 

Towards the end of the fair, the green beans started coming ready.......one small picking so far, but tons of blooms on them.

So, a busy week ahead.   As much as I try to get to bed at a decent hour, it seems like I am up late canning many nights in the summer.      I think I will just do one load, or one batch, and I end up staying up.   The voices in my head say, "the water is all ready boiling, you might as well keep going"......and I think about not wanting to waste electricity.      Yesterday was day 9 on a batch of 8 day sweet ginger pickles so I figured that I had better get a move on!     21 Pints later, when you don't start till after 10p.m. can really eat into your sleep.

Sweet pickles.... the jars haven't been washed yet....so they still has my hard water deposits on them..

Dill pickles

I am notorious for thinking that things won't take me as long as they do and not adequately reserving enough time to get it all done, which sometimes makes me run late....so at least at night the only thing effected by my lateness is my sleep.