We were snowed on. Dry spell Broken.

Yesssss, we are now wet. We even had some snow.

But wet at this time of year makes mud as it doesn't stay frozen. The dogs become wet muddy messes. Lily loves to wallow in her two holes she has made in the back yard.

We have also been burning the slash piles, as we are allowed to at this time of year and things being so wet.

Not to much else going on up here. Oh the potatoes are all out of the ground and stored away for the winter, We ended up with 300 plus pounds. With plenty to eat and save for seed potatoes next spring.

Here are Lilli and Bear while still clean :).

We are getting in gear to think about the Holiday's, Thanksgiving will be at a son and daughter in laws house J and J, down in Lewiston. We are bringing the last Turkey we raised that is 48 pounds. Don't know what else yet. But that one is a for sure.

All take care and stay warm and dry.

:) Winter hits next week

As per our weather report we have a chance of snow on Tuesday and lows in the 20's. We have had a great Indian summer and fall, except for the lack of rain. We did get quite a bit last night and today in our area. That should put an end to the fires even in the Umatilla National Forest Wilderness area.

We have the fence and all but the two small gates up. One that leads up to the well house and the other one that leads to the upper woods above the chicken coop area.

This will be where the gate to the well house will go.

 This below is the lower gate that goes out to the bigger pond and lower field, just a cattle wire but it works well for a gate.

Yeah I know my blogs been all about gates for quite a while now. But the this is it until next year. Hope we can finish up along Coyote Flat road next year, that will be the last for the time being. Mainly fence fixing after that. The winter, elk and deer to a number on it all.

I took a picture of the moon setting the other morning above the barn.

Recipe: Here is a good one for fall I found.

Caramel Apple Jam Recipe

Robert Atwood, West Wareham, Massachusetts

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Process: 10 min.

MAKES: 56 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups diced peeled apples (1/8-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups packed brown sugar

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, combine the apples, water, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are tender. Stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute.
2. Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into seven hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
3. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Yield: 7 half-pints.

Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

Fence Is Up & Plum Butter

That's the fencing around the house and the main parts that we need it to keep the dogs from going walkabout. We put field fencing up at the main gate in the high areas so they can't go under it. Give Lilli four inches and she will flop on her side and crawl sideways under it. I could hardly believe it when I saw her do that.
A gate still needs put in thats is a ready made one, and another that needs built' but we have fence in the area for now. The rest of the fence on our east side along the long side Coyote Flat Road will have to wait for next year.

A cool front came in last night and so last night and today we got a little bit of rain. Not much but a little is better than nothing these days.

The dogs came in tonight stinking to high heaven, somewhere on the property they have to roam, they found something dead and rotting. GAK.

Another season of volleyball and football is over with for two of the grandgirls and Homecoming for the teens this past weekend.

Our daughter who moved back here from VA. found a place and has moved out, sure hope it works out to be a good place :).

I made plum butter this past Saturday and will have pumpkin to can up, and maybe some potatoes, but that should be it for this year as far as canning goes. This was taken before it was cooked down to half what I have here. This was a triple batch.

Plum Butter

Large Crock Pot

12 cups of pureed plums with skins

6 cups sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves, if you don't like as much in cloves just add 1/2 teaspoon.

1/4 cup lemon juice

Cook on alternating low and high, stirring once in awhile, more so when on high. At least 24 hours or until 1/2 gone or as thick as you want it when cooled.

Put in clean pint or half pint jars and process in a steam or water bath canner. 30 min. for pints and 20 min. for half pints.

More Fence & Paleo Mayonnaise & No milk Ice Cream

Right now the fencing never seems to end. Our neighbor who Dave has been helping with his comes over to help us when he is able. I get to be the Supervisor instead of the helper/Go-fer. I still run for things now and then but not as much. :)

We concreted in 13 wooden posts to put the field fencing on the back side of the house down from the garden area up to the coop. There will be a 12 foot gate down by the garden going into the lower field. One in the middle on the long right side of the house not far from the clothes line so we can easily go up to the well house, and a new one up by the chicken yard.

Lilli and Bear are getting along just fine. They have to be with us or in the fenced locked garden area, so they don't go on walkabouts. Like 2 and 1/2 miles from home.

Still trying to do more Paleo.

Mayonnaise Paleo Style
One half avocado
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup avocado oil
Dash of pepper
One large egg
One and a half tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard or to taste more if necessary
Place the one half avocado, lemon juice, egg and mustard in your food processor and blend this well. Very slowly add your oils while machine is still on. Season with the pepper. Put in a container you can seal tight and place in fridge.

Small batch No Milk Fruit Ice Cream
One half pineapple chunks or pieces, freeze
8 ounces of coconut milk
Two cups of sliced bananas, freeze
4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice
Dash of salt can be regular, kosher or sea salt
YOu can add strawberries instead of lime or lemon juice if you prefer, experiment.
Thaw the banana and pineapple for 5 to 7 minutes.
Put banana, pineapple and coconut milk in food processor, blend smooth. Add juice and salt and blend some more. Line a bread pan or a 8x11 pan with plastic wrap. Freeze to soft serve stage 30 to 45 minutes is normal. Depends on your freezer.

Our New Dog A Great Pyrenees & Neat Can Storage

We have a new dog and we really hope she works out. Her name is Lily. Her owner died around 3 months ago and has had someone dropping by the house to feed her twice a day.
We put her out this morning (they spent the night in the enclosed front porch) with grandsons dog Bear in an area that is field fenced and they somehow got out this morning. They went for a walkabout and we had to go find them. Bear will follow her anywhere and he was all tuckered out and climbed into the truck gladly.
We started her off on scrambled eggs as she wasn't eating and today I mixed a scrambled egg with her dog food and she ate it :).

It has been cold the last couple of nights, night before last it was 30 degrees F. when we got up this morning it was 32 degrees.
The days have been nice but we sure could use some more rain as it is getting pretty dried out again.

Food Storage:
Daughter shared this with me. It is a great idea for keeping cans in a neat space.

This is a wooden pallet.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205671403923442&set=gm.10154221383898065&type=3&pnref=story

Potatoes and Rain

We received some rain this morning in our area, was wonderful to see. We have dug up about 75 lbs of potatoes but still have 5 more 50 foot rows to go. We grew Red Patomics, Goldens and Blues.

That was going to be today's chore but we gladly are taking the rain instead :).

Our daughter C is here safe after driving pretty much straight through from Northern Virginia earlier this week and has already been job hunting and got a job. She is living here for the time being.

We are also babysitting a grandsons dog and Bear who has lived here before is doing just fine.

We have another couple of loads of wood in the woodshed from trees on our property and it doesn't look good for getting back in the forest to cut wood. They are saying if the area doesn't get a good amount of rain to put the fires out that the fires in Umatilla National forest would burn well into October.

The south fence is finished except for putting the ties on a few t-posts and then it is on to another side.

We are just trying to get as much finished as possible while the weather is still good and before the snow flies.

Frost On The Pumpkins

Yep, it frosted here already. Friday the 4th of September. We had 30 degrees. This coming week we are supposed to get out of the 40's and 50's and be back to the 70's in the day time.

Cleaning the chimney at 40 degrees outside.

The fire is out on the east and south east. But still raging on the north and west :(. We have been without smoke for three days now and it is wonderful to breathe clean air again. We have also been blessed with a couple of nights and a morning with rain. But unlike parts of Montana we did not get snow at our elevation.

We just finished yesterday getting all our camping gear put back away and only a few kitchen items to unpack yet. We feel very blessed to be able to unpack.

On another note we finally got to buy a wood splitter instead of having to rent or borrow one. Which always meant a day of marathon wood splitting to get it all done and the splitter back. It is getting harder for us to be able to do that anymore. The splitter isn't a big one but works well and it was on sale. Took us a long time to be able to get one of our own. We spent a part of yesterday afternoon splitting wood. It is already stacked in our wood shed.

Cleaning and etc.

I found a site with some great ideas on uses of peroxide.
http://flusterbuster.com/2013/06/peroxide-42-uses-for-hydrogen-peroxide.html

Some are great ideas.

3% Hydrogen Peroxide Uses:

Beauty

• Acne – to help clear up skin, dab pimples with peroxide using a cotton ball.
• Finger Nails – to whiten, soak a cotton ball with peroxide and rub it on your nails.
• Hair – to gradually give your hair highlights, mix equal parts peroxide and water and spray on wet hair. Comb the solution through your hair and dry.
• Mouthwash – instead of purchasing expensive mouthwashes, try using peroxide instead.
• Teeth – to whiten, hold one capful of peroxide in your mouth for 10 minutes daily.
• Toothpaste – to make your own, make a paste using peroxide and baking soda.
• Health care
• always consult a doctor before using hydrogen peroxide as a treatment
• Boils – to heal, pour ½ a bottle of peroxide in your bathwater.
• Canker Sores – to prevent, hold one capful of peroxide in your mouth for 10 minutes.
• Colds – to cure in 24 hours, put a few drops of peroxide in your ear, when the bubbling stops (5-10 minutes), drain onto a tissue. Repeat for the other ear. Colonic – to make your own, add 1 cup of peroxide to 5 gallons of warm water.
• Corns and Calluses – to soften, soak feet in a solution made of equal parts water and peroxide.
• Cuts – to keep from getting infected, clean the cut with peroxide.
• Detox Bath – to rejuvenate, add 2 quarts of peroxide to your bath water. Soak for at least a ½ hour.
• Ear Infections – to relieve, place 6-8 drops in the affected ear.
• Ear Wax – to remove, add a couple of drops of warm olive oil followed by a couple of drops of peroxide. Sit with head tilted for several minutes and then flush the ear with warm water.
• Enema – to make your own, add 1 tablespoon to 4 cups of water.
• Foot Fungus – to cure, spray a solution made of equal parts peroxide and water to your feet every night.
• Infections – to heal, soak the infected area in peroxide for 5-10 minutes several times a day.
• Sinus Infection – to relieve, add one tablespoon of peroxide to non-chlorinated water to be used as a nasal spray.
• Toothache – to relieve pain, hold one capful of peroxide in your mouth for 10 minutes.
• Yeast Infections – to control, add 2 capfuls of peroxide to your douche 1-2 time per week. 
• General Cleaning
• Bathroom – to disinfect, fill a spray bottle with equal parts peroxide and water.
• Counter tops – to kill germs, spray the counter tops with peroxide and wipe with a clean cloth.
• Grout – to whiten, make sure the grout is dry, then spray a generous amount of peroxide on the grout. Let it sit for 1-2 hours and scrub the area with an old toothbrush and some warm soapy water.
• Mirrors – for a no steak clean, spray mirrors with peroxide and wipe with a paper towel or newspaper.
• Mold – to control, clean the area with peroxide.
• Tile – to remove stains, make a thick paste using flour and peroxide. Apply the mixture to the stain, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. Rinse clean.
• Toothbrush – to kill germs, soak your toothbrush in peroxide.
• Kitchen
• Cutting Board – to kill germs, after rinsing off your cutting board, spray it with peroxide.
• Dishrags and sponges – to clean, soak them for 15-30 minutes in a solution using equal parts peroxide and warm water. Rinse.
• Fruits & Vegetables – to clean, spray them with peroxide (food grade) and let them stand for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.
• Fruits & Vegetables – for a non-toxic sanitizer, pour peroxide (food grade) into a dark colored spray bottle (light destroys peroxide) and fill another spray bottle with vinegar. Spray your fruits and vegetables with the peroxide and then repeat using the vinegar.
• Fruits & Vegetables – to neutralize chemicals and prolong freshness, add ¼ cup of peroxide (food grade) to a sink full of cold water. Soak vegetables for 20-30 minutes. Rinse, drain and let dry.
• Refrigerator – to disinfect, spray the interior with peroxide and wipe with a clean cloth.
• Salad – to prolong freshness, lightly spray with a solution of ½ cup water and 1 tablespoon of peroxide (food grade).
• Laundry
• Blood Stains – to remove, pour peroxide on the spot and let it sit for a few minutes. Then rub and rinse with cold water.
• Clothes – to whiten, add a cup of peroxide to your wash.
• Peroxide is more mild than bleach and will keep your clothes from wearing out as fast.
• Wine Stain – to remove, mix together equal parts peroxide and liquid detergent. Pour the mixture over the stain. With a clean cloth blot the stain and wash with warm water.
• Wring Around the Collar – to remove, spray the area with a mixture of 2 parts peroxide and 1 part liquid detergent. Let it sit for an hour before rinsing. *Works great on armpit stains too.
• Miscellaneous
• Mites – to kill, spray with area with peroxide.
• Plants – to improve their root system, water them with a mixture of 32 parts water and 1 part peroxide.
• Seeds – to sprout, soak seeds overnight in a mixture of 1 ounce peroxide and 2 cups water.