On Thursday I was up at 4:30AM because I had to set up for pickles and freezing peas, wash windows, and harvest. My intern #2 was coming for 7AM.
So I got the kitchen cleaned up, and then started emptying the bathroom window of all the crystals and knickknacks. I got the inside washed so when my brother did his side, I’d be done.
Next I got the kitchen set up for the pickling, etc. I washed the crystals and left them to dry. Then I put all the stuff my brother would need on the front porch.
This photo doesn’t begin to show how filthy the white trim on the front porch was. Normally when I wash the front door when doing windows in April, I wash the trim. But that hadn’t happened yet this year.
I was sick of how dirty it was so once I was ready and had 20 minutes, I spent it washing some of the trim.
When my intern #2 arrived we headed out to harvest stuff. She was doing the scapes and I started on the sugar pod peas. She came over to the Small garden where I was all too soon. There didn’t seem to be all the scapes I thought there would be.
She picked all the green peas that were ready (above) and then helped me with the sugar pod peas. My brother came out just before 8AM wanting to do the window so I went inside to do that.
She finished off the sugar pod peas and I set about washing and putting all the crystals and stuff back in the bathroom window. I needed the counter space they were taking up. Soon that job was finished.
She had processed all the scapes, but there just weren’t many, so I went out to see why. It turns out all the short scapes I’d left to get longer had up and died where they were. Very few had grown any. I’m not sure what the problem with the scapes is this year. I’ve never had it before. I’m hoping it won’t affect the bulbs…
So when we got inside we got the canning kettle going and went and sat and processed the sugar pod peas. There was a good amount of the black spot again, but not as bad as it had been on Sunday, as there’d been no rain.
Once the jars had sterilized for the scape pickles, I let her learn to get them out of the pot, fill them, and put them back in. While they processed, we finished the sugar pod peas. I thought I’d gotten a photo of the big bowl full but I guess not…
She was able to see the process of water bath canning to the end before she had to go. This is all we got. I cleaned up the mess from that and decided to go finish cleaning the front porch trim before it got any hotter.
It’s so much nicer now.
Once that was done, I set up for doing the peas and finally finished them and the clean up around 1:30PM. I had some lunch and went to bed until 4PM.
After my brother had finished the window, he had brought another wood bag up to be emptied as my son said he’d do it. Well, not on Thursday, obviously…
But my brother hadn’t tied down the tarp when he finished, so my last job was to go out and do that. There are 3 bags left to do.
On Friday my intern #2 will be here at 6AM and we plan to tackle the 7th Fence garden. That’s supposed to be an iris bed, but is completely full of raspberries. We’ll get those cut down, and commence digging out the roots.
Years ago I had to renovate the 14’ Fence garden beds and it took 8 – 12 hours to do one by myself, if I was serious about removing roots. So I expect we’ll get a small area worked on once the brambles are gone. It’s to be a beautiful cool day.
On Saturday my general helper may come. I’d planned to put the hoophouse up and plant the ginger, but it’s to be another beautiful day, so I think I’ll work on the 7th Fence garden some more.