Clothes Pin Bag

I went with a friend to Blackfoot yesterday to pick up some flour.  While there, we did a little shopping.  One of our stops was at their local D.I. where I picked up a nice, little girls denim jacket.

Yes, to begin with, this jacket had sleeves in it but I cut them out because I had something in mind for this jacket other than a jacket.  And yes, my frugal friend was un-easy with the fact I was going to cut up this little jacket for my personal use………….but, cut it, I did.  Can you see what my vision of the little jacket is?

Now it is all sewn around the arms and bottom…….look at what a useful item it turned into.  A clothes line bag to hold all my clothes pins.  I’ve recently hung an ice cream bucket from my waist to hold the clothes pins.  Awkward!  About a month ago, my dryer broke, forcing me to hang my clothes outside…..which I can’t figure out why I didn’t do this years ago (well, I did do it years ago when I lived in a different house).  The clothes dry really fast without using any electricity. 

I’d forgotten how nice it was to hang my clothes outside in the fresh air…….well, on some days we have fresh air.  With all the fires in our state we have quite a bit of smoke in the air most days.  But today is a great day for hanging clothes without any smoke.

I made a clothes line of sorts by running  three lines from our gate to a fence post.  The only problem is I don’t get the lines tight enough and they sag quite a bit…..and the moving gate doesn’t help much.

I got my idea for this clothes pin bag from this site.  And to my frugal friend, who I know follows my blog…….all I need to do, if ever needed, is pull a few stitches out and my little clothes line bag will once again be a nice denim jacket………minus the sleeves…..ah, a denim vest!

UPDATE.......My bag was just a tad bit big so I took it in on the sides and a few inches off the bottom to make it smaller.  I like it much better this way.  Easier to get to the clothes pins.  And, I did not cut any of the material!

 

Fall Beginnings In Mackay

There is still a lot of green around the valley but as I headed towards the Mine Hill this afternoon, I saw hints here and there that Fall was definitely in the making.  Here is a bunch of pretty greenery, mixed with reds, clinging to an old wooden fence as I headed towards the Mine Hill.

When I got to the Mine Hill Bridge, which is one of my favorite places to take pictures, there was more evidence that Summer is coming to an end.  Still a bit more time before all evidence of Summer is gone but for now, the mixture of green with fall colors is beautiful.

As I headed for home and not far from the bridge, I noticed some wild daisy’s growing along the side of the road, with hardly a trace of Fall peeking through.  But, I know it’s coming and I can’t wait.  Fall is my most favorite time of the year.

CANNING CORN...PING, PING, PING!

My daughter, Amber, and her husband, Corey, came up this weekend.  It was another canning day for us.  They brought up some pint bottles and we went to work on bottling corn.  When all was said and done, we ended up with 36 pints.  My daughter hasn't ever canned before so it was a new experience for her.  I think it was exciting for her to hear the lids on the bottles popping when they were sealing.  Ping, ping, ping....what a sound of accomplishment.

Bottled Peaches

Two bushels, 48 quart jars, and 13 hours, gives me 48 quarts of bottled peaches - Yeah!  I got a late start so I didn't get finished until after midnight but oh, in my minds eye, I can see it now....peaches and toast.  There's nothing better for a quick breakfast or a snack, than hot buttered toast with a bowl of peaches.  DELISH!

 

 

 

Here's how my day started out.......I purchased 4 boxes of peaches, which is equal to 2 bushels.  I got them last weekend but they were too green so I had to wait a week for them to get ripe enough to bottle.

Then into the sink they went for a good washing to get all the dirt and peach fuzz off.  Some had a few bruises here and there but nothing a good old paring knife couldn't take care of.

This is my processing set up......I put my big pot of boiling water on the back left burner.  When the peaches are all washed, I dunk them in the boiling water for approximately 60 seconds, put them in my sink full of cold water and the skins slip right off.  Sure beats peeling them all by hand with a knife.  Then I have the lids...top right, sugar syrup...bottom left, and finally my steamer on the lower right.  Modern conveniences....WoNdErFuL!

This is my first batch out of the steamer, 7 quarts in all.  Looks like golden sunlight, bottled.  Can you see my red tomatoes in the background.  I have them sitting on a cookie sheet.  They sure taste a lot better than tomatoes I buy in the store during the off season.  Let's hear it for gardens.

Ouch.....speaking of gardens, my husband just came in the house and said that the deer got into our garden last night and ruined a lot of produce, including our new apple trees we just planted this spring. Sad!.................Just ran out and took a few pictures of the garden.  About the only thing they didn't bother was the corn and spinach.  The sad part is the apple trees but the bright side is that it is the middle of September and I'm sure the garden wouldn't last much longer anyways.

 

 

UPDATE:  After the deer feasted on our garden, we did salvage enough cauliflower to get 13 pints.