Well it's been an interesting summer here in NY. Muggy, buggy & lots of rain!
We've managed one creek trip so far and hope to do a few more before we have to leave. It's so pretty....hope to post a picture soon.
Our first big garden has been overtaken by crab grass and we have given up trying to weed it! We have been overrun with tomatoes (what would you expect with 40 plants plus seedlings that ALL came up)! So we are now drying them and Phil is making some of them nuclear hot. He just can't get enough. We're still getting green beans, some squash & cucumbers and corn. Not bad for our first veggie garden.
I made 2 gallons of 2 kinds of refrigerator pickles for Phil. He's become a pickle freak! He likes the dill kind best so far. Hopefully he likes one of the batches otherwise someone will get a present!
The sunflowers managed to survive the rodents and the weeds. I think I'll just stick to them since none of the other flower seeds came up. The weeds are too thick and fast growing.
I've been picking black berries and elderberries. The black berries take forever to pick --- getting through the high weeds in the field and untangling myself from all the thorns! So long time picking, easy to process.
The elderberries are really easy to pick (just clip and bring the branch home) but take forever to get them off the stems and then look for all the stems that you didn't get undone. Wheeeeeewwwww! Add to the fun of picking berries are bugs. I have to coat down in bug repellent because of mosquitoes! Even when I'm covered in long pants, long sleeved shirt my hands get bit up if I don't. But it's all worth it when we make jam. We already have one batch of black berries, black caps and elderberries. Yum yum!
We hope everyone has been having a great summer! We are definitely enjoying our shore time!
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We went to one of our local farmer's shindigs recently. My sister-in-law Suzie works at quite a large farm in the Town of Stark. They milk over 800 cows. That may not seem like a lot but when most farmers are milking maybe 50......what do you think now? They invite all the neighbors, family, friends, workers to this barbeque and everyone brings something but they supply the BBQ meat (beef, pork and turkey this year) and the beer! God bless farmers!
We can now add another oddity to our "have eaten it" list. We had oysters at the BBQ......yep deep fried oysters. Still thinking seafood.....uh uh.....try Rocky Mountain Oysters! Yep we had deep friend and breaded bull nuts. Not bad really. We had quite a few of them. Just add it to our "we'd eat it again" list just like the goat tacos!
Here's another funny thing we had at this party. I've hardly ever seen sea planes here in rural NY but guess what.....we got buzzed at the party a few times by a sea plane. I guess it was a neighbor checking out the party before he came down. Got a love the locals!
Well it may be rural NY and small town is putting it lightly, but we still have parades! We went to our first Newport parade and field days (held every year). They had quite a turnout with 14 fire companies from around the area. Also in the parade were antique tractors, clown cars, local vets (military not animal but why not the other vets?) organizations, 4H, horses garbage collectors, town plows, local community floats, politicians trying to get your vote for the local judge position and of course redneck souped up, pickup trucks! I'm surprised the local milk trucks weren't in it too!
The parade lasted for over an hour - quite an accomplishment. Though there was only one band - a shriners band from Utica area. We definitely need to get more music stuff in next year. I think I have an idea---- maybe we'll enter a float next year! I'm thinking of borrowing a neighbors pink, yes barbie pink, hay wagon and get all the women farmers in the wagon with some yeah baby I'm a girl music. How's that sound? It would definitely make you remember our job sign huh?
This picture is our current Herkimer County Dairy Princess and her court. We met her at the Fairfield field days --- I had to introduce Phil since he's never met a princess! And of course, I had to reminisce just a little to see how much things have changed since I was in the court (just a Maid not a princess and that position has been PC'd to Ambassador - can you believe it?)
We went to field days after with my nieces & a fiance and had fair food and beer! They left early and Phil and I danced the night away and closed out the band at 11. Just about boater's midnight around here too!
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Hey - guess what my word verification is?
ssht
Now what does that remind you of?
Hi everyone! Well it is July 1st and that should mean we are in full blown summer mode BUT this is NY and the past 2 nights have been in the 40s and the days only in the 60s. It's definitely our "winter" time right now.
We have had the strangest weather this summer. There was a 5.0 earthquake up in Canada and I felt it here (people thought I was crazy......I said just you watch the news). Then just two days ago an actual tornado touched down in Herkimer. Earthquakes and tornadoes......are we really in NY?
The weeds sure haven't minded all the wet and cold we've been getting. It took us 4 hours to weed the garden yesterday! It looks like a garden again! And we discovered we have yellow crook neck squash and zucchini started already! We did have some lettuce but the varmits got to it quicker than we did. And we have lots of tomatoes started already. We're competing with our neighbor who keeps telling us our garden is weedy and our plants are small.......I sure want to be the first one to hand out a ripe tomato straight to his door!
The black caps have been delicious so far, just a handful at a time. I'm sure if I saved all of them instead of eating them every day, I'd have enough to make jam with. But what's the fun in that?
I've been helping keep my dad busy trying to sell his junk. He could open a used store -- furniture, books, etc -- stuff that tenants leave for him to clean out. Thank god for craigslist! Gives him something to do and it gets the junk out!
We are still trying to pick up work. Only had one floor job so far and are keeping our fingers crossed that it will turn into more. I'm applying here, there and everywhere local to pick up work. You sure can't tell the economy is doing well here in NY. At least real estate is moving, a sort of good sign.
Sorry I don't have a new picture for you guys to see. I didn't expect to be updating the blog today but managed to get Phil to drop me off at the library for a few hours to get some stuff done.
Looks like tomorrow it's back to my farmer roots! We'll be helping a farmer get hay in tomorrow afternoon with my sister and her boyfriend. I can't wait to show Phil how PLEASANT hay chafe is!
We hope everyone has a wonderful Independence Day!
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Well, home (land home...ha ha) at last! We spent a night at my brother's and then a night at my dad's and then we went to our place. Brrrrrrrr! We had 30 degree nights with only a 50s electric heater for comfort. Just a bit different than Mexico, we hardly noticed.
In the span of 3 weeks, we went from freezing & snow (yes it snowed after we got here) and then 90 degree days and rain! Wheweeee! Phil keeps saying but it's May! I say "welcome to NY"!
We are busy cleaning up the cabin, clearing out plants, planting gardens and fruit trees, trying to get work, hmmmm what else? Oh yea keeping varmits away from our garden and visiting with our neighbor and family! Wheeewwwwwww!
Now it's June and the garden is coming up and Phil almost has the kitchen cabinets done as well as the other projects we need to get done on the buildings. Good thing we're here for a few more months!
Will update when I can! Amazing that I can't find wireless internet out here in the boonies!
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regards
Mark Cal 48 Wainui
We did get out of Mexico at the end of April! We went by bus from Guaymas to downtown LA with several stops along the way, including to checkpoints. Just a note to anyone interested ---- don't try to take pictures at the federales drug checkpoint. That is just no bueno! (Glad I still have my camera).
We spent a week in California visiting with old neighbors, friends and family. We flew to NY on 5/5 (of course no margaritas on cinqo de mayo no bueno!) What a crazy week that was. Burbank, Ojai, Ventura West Marina, Anchors Way Marina, then back to Burbank! Thanks to all our friends and family who put us up and fed us for a night or two (or more)!
We just won't be able to keep up with the blog like we did in Mexico, so my apologies to all!
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Hi everyone! The blog is finally caught up since Mazatlan. Hope you have enjoyed our adventures.
We are working hard on the boat and have decided to head home Sunday to California by bus (unless someone says hey I'll take ya!) We'll be there a week and then we have to head home to NY and make some money so we can do this again next year!
We have had so much fun and can't wait to show everyone all the pics and video footage.
Our view from storage is pretty....still have ocean view and some mountains to boot! It's been windy every afternoon but it seems it's getting colder. Jim had to layer up tonight and keeps saying he's cold. Wait til I tell him it's only in the 50/60 range in NY. HA!
We are lucky to have a water man come here with 5s and he even carries them up to the top of your boat. Now that's service! Jim discovered the tortilla man our 1st day here.....it's a truck with a speaker and plays the tortilla song (like an ice cream truck). And then, Jim's favorite delivery is the beer man. A local who makes beer comes by and sells his home made stuff. Jim likes it. Who wouldn't like beer delivered to your door? We went to the local farmer market yesterday and came home with some really good veggies and fruits. We got a 10lb watermelon for 10 pesos!Just some of the things we're going to miss!
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