August--So Busy!
I Really Do Love Summer
Have no doubt about it, I love summer. Sure, I could do without the 100°+ heat for days and days, but thank goodness for air conditioning. ♥
August is the time of year for rodeos and of course, since I write westerns, it's obvious that I love this sport and can't wait for our local rodeo. Here's the yearly cycle, we go to our hometown rodeo, then we wait 364 days to go to the next rodeo. LOL. Actually, we used to go all four nights including slack time (when, for a variety of reasons, the entrants can't compete during the actual rodeo). These days it's a trial just to get there for one show.
And of course the Owyhee County Fair is going on a the same time. This year, the power went out so most of the animals were back home by Saturday, the day we went, so that was a disappointment for us. We did get to see the rabbits and goats, though.
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| This well-loved goat belongs to a 4-H kid (pardon the pun). |
The tomatoes are about to run us out of house and home. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to process them all. I've already given a bunch of them away, but we still have a ton of tomatoes on the vines in various stages of ripening.
So far, my daughter (Hurricane Mercedes) and I have made chili mix, pizza sauce, Indian butter chicken mix, and dehydrated some, too. I'll be dehydrating more (and other veggies) because dried veggies are ideal for taking with us in the RV--lightweight, compact, and easy to stow. Home-dried veggies taste great in stews and soups. Thanks to Hero for giving us an awesome dehydrator!
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| Tomato powder |
My grapes aren't doing so well this year and I really hope they aren't dead, but it doesn't look promising. The extension agent told us we have a severe infestation of Virginia creeper leafhoppers. We sprayed yesterday (we prefer not to spray but had to concede to chemicals in this case) and most of the bugs are dead, but Mr R is going to spray again tonight just to make sure. Then we have a whole bunch of hefty work to do to remove the larvae incubation area and I don't even want to think about it right now.
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| Grapes of Wrath |
What have I been reading lately? Well, nothing for fun but Pioneer Theater in the Boise Basin: 1863-1899 is the latest research book for me. The author, Charles E. Lauterbach, Ph.D., writes a scholarly book jampacked with information, and in an entertaining style that keeps me engaged. Highly recommended! And now Honey Beaulieu is bound to take advantage of this information. ☺
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| NHS Class of '67 in front of the Idaho Hotel in Silver City, Idaho |
Speaking of Silver City, my next readers' event will be on July 15, 2023--not sure if it will be in Homedale again, or in Silver City. I'll keep you posted.
Until next month, Happy Reading!
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