Floods in Lewiston this week, Apple jelly

Wednesday the 26th of June the valley had a hum dinger of a storm and in minutes it put down several inches of rain. Daughters friend took this picture.

 

Dh was down town and had to get out of his car and walk in 8-10 inches of rain water.

I made Apple Jelly today before it got hot.  If I do more it won't be until this evening when it cools off again so I don't heat up the house any more today.

Dh has been weeding the garden and watering the tomatoes today.

 

Lots of Rain This Week

It has be a great week for rain with the cool front that came in but now were used to day time temperatures in the 50's and 60's and by Saturday we will be back in the 80's and dry.  So that is going to feel pretty hot to us.

I canned granny smith apples yesterday and still have a row in the box left to do.  I will make more jam with them.

I managed to get my book finished Seeing the Fire and up on Lulu as a paperback and an E book.  I put as low as price on them as I am allowed because I know money is getting tight for lots of folks.

E book,  Link to E book

Paperback, Link to paperback

Pat and Martin Bloomfield have always felt like they were just ordinary folks.  They have done their best to be good people, raise their family and make due as best they can in an ever restricting environment.

            The Second Great Depression is upon them; they have worked hard to put food on the table and help their neighbors.  It isn’t just the financial problems but also the rules and regulations against medical help or medicines for the common man.

 Slowly they have lost all communication with the outside world.  No way to email, call or even write their children or anyone else.

            They both wake one morning having had strange dreams and hearing a quiet voice telling them they are to prepare to be a refuge.  Help beyond the veil is telling them; get ready.

Everyone out there have a good week.

Jams

Hubby is out mowing, first we had to take the blades off and sharpen them from all the hard things that get hit out there (rocks).

Yesterday the temperature got to 58 degrees and we received some rain so we didn't have to worry about watering the garden today.  I had already hand watered the raised herb beds and then it rained lol, today we're 60 deg.  Each day is supposed to be warmer Sunday is supposed to be 79 and then back to the 60's for the rest of the week or cooler.

I also managed to get 2 batches of apple jams made, I ran out of pint jars :(.  Apple Marmalade and Apple Banana Bread Jam.

Apple Banana Bread Jam
3 cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced and cut into 1 inch to 1/2 pieces
1 cup water
3 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 package or 4 tablespoons pectin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Put the apple pieces in a large pot with the water and cook covered for 10 minutes stirring once in a while to help not stick to pot.  Then add the banana and boil for 5 more minutes stirring to not stick.  Uncover and add the pectin bring to boiling and biol 2 minutes.  Add spices, lemon juice and sugar.  Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes stirring to not stick.  Pour into clean jars, put on lids and rings and process in water bath or steam caner 20 minutes for pints.

On Ward

Late getting this one, had so much to do at the beginning of the week, a ton of laundry, cooking up rhubarb we cut in the garden over the weekend and so on.

I just cooked the rhubarb and some left over strawberries into a sauce that I will can up today. 1 Gallon worth.  So nice to be getting it.

We finally got everything into the garden last week while Dave was off from his day job lol.  Potatoes, carrots, beets and corn are popping out of the ground.  We built an inclosure for the tomatoes to not run the rick of losing them again. It can be opened from the sides like roman shades.

Last Saturday morning we ran the soaker hoses down all the rows and then had to run off to grand daughter Sierra's High School Graduation.

Now it will be another two years before 2 more of the grand kids graduate from High School.

We got mom and Chucks house all painted took 10 hours last Friday and there may be some touch up to do yet.  They are putting on two new windows also that hubby is going to help with hopefully to ease the burden on them.

Something new I learned called Nalbinding. I love learning new things. It is very very old and came before knitting and doesn't unravel like knitting or crocheting.  You're basically knotting with a needle.  You use short lengths of yarn and you can use store bought and tie the ends together but real wool is best for joining the ends as the can be easily spliced together.  Youtube has lots of video's.


I had to make a needle because a darning needle just didn't do the right job but can be used to learn.  I went out and took one of our extra hard wood shims to make it with. 
This a new stitch I am trying to get the hang of.

 

 The hat is made with whats called the Oslo stitch.  It was made with a large darning needle. Whats odd is the wooden needle makes a closes neater stitch.