Saturday, August 17, 2013

oh man - not even 5pm and i neeeed my bed!!!

check out this wicked cool bug that was on our window this morning - pretty awesome eh?


ugh. we're bushwhacked. like seriously bushwhacked! we were up early this morning to attend our community centre's "hungry man's breakfast". we served and cleared and re-set tables. then busted everything down when it was over. it was a beautiful, hot, august day and that kitchen was boiling! but we served about 80 servings, then sat with our friends to enjoy our breakfast. it was a great morning and we love seeing all of our friends plus people that we only see a few times a year. then it was home to water the gardens and the tadpoles in the pond and then off to our friend P's birthday. that was in our sister community of fourchu. wow! what a turn-out at that event. there were people, family members from all over canada and the states. i ate 15 egg salad sandwiches (they all had the crusts cut off - teehee!) and about 10 ham sandwiches (no crusts on them either - teehee!). jambaloney filled up on all kinds of sweets - half of the table was full of sweets!

the hall was so full that a lot of people just stayed outside! it was such a beautiful day and the harbour in fourchu is probably one of the top 10 most beautiful places on the planet. we had a really good time and got to catch up with all of our fourchu friends!

tonight was supposed to be our community centre dance - but it was cancelled as the county decided last week to fix our one bridge that lets us in and out of our community. the dance was cancelled because we didn't know how fast the bridge would be fixed. true to cape breton form - my goodness we have excellent services here! - they fixed the bridge in 2 days!!! like entirely replaced it!!! and graded our dirt road again AND put down gravel in our worst potholes. i sure do hope someone from the Richmond County public works and services reads this blog - they do such an awesome job and with such little money!!! we will call the county on monday and let them know what a good job they are doing. we do that every time they grade our road or fix something around here. and we call at least once during the winter to let them know what a good job they do of plowing. it's crazy, but we get better service here than we ever got back in the city!!! i kind of expect it because i grew up here but jambaloney is always blown away. it's a nice feeling, for sure!

anyway - here's a yummy trout, green bean and kimchi breakfast - oh yummeh!

my friend SciFiChick, who has been canning tomatoes for a month, as well as putting up a whole pile of other veg, and who never wants to see another tomatoe again - she'll get a real kick out of the pic below. my expert homesteading friends, mmpaints and Phelan, they will kill themselves laughing. my good buddy, Pioneer Preppy, will want to pat me on the head and say "good job, little dumb kymber". i don't care tho. i am pretty proud of myself.

check out today's harvest:


can you say - SCORE! oh ya baby!

here's yesterday's supper - some shish-kebabs, jambaloney's famous rice (his trick - add almond oil!), fresh local plums and kimchi - deelish!


here's some beautiful clouds from earlier this morning. i think we have the healthiest clouds in the world! i love them!


okay - now it's 10 after 5. i still have to stay up for another 3 and a half hours. our dance was cancelled but our friend next door invited us to go and hang out on the porch, play music, dance, have some "refreshments". this was a last minute thing because they knew how disappointed i was that the dance had been cancelled. it was very sweet of them to throw this impromptu party. but again, it's been a long day and we are bushwhacked. yep, we're babies and don't mind admitting it! so jambaloney is out raking up all of the grass he weed-whacked yesterday to add to our potatoe tires, i am putting up a post and then hitting up everyone's blogs. please, everyone, put up a new post. i need to kill 3 and a half hours!!!!

41 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Oh I see it now for some reason I only saw the Photos.

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    2. Rob - i've had that happen to me before where i click on someone's post - there's only pics - and then go back in a few and the whole post shows up. maybe i accidentally hit publish before i really meant to or something? i don't know. pretty crazy eh? bahahhaah!

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  2. The bug looks like some kind of pine borer maybe.
    You need a nap!

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    1. SBF - i finally broke down and admitted that i needed a nap. so went and lay down for 15 mins, but then i was afraid we would sleep the whole night, so we set the clock...but after about another 15 mins i just decided to get up - bahahahaha! i think you might be right about the bug!

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  3. Holy crap, that bug is the size of those chairs....oh, wait.....nevermind...it's on the window...my bad.

    Get some sleep, sounds like you deserve it. Nothing like going to bed with a full tummy, ha!

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    1. 1st Man - either that bug is reaaaaallllly huge or those chairs are realllllly tiny - bahahahahah! i sorta' tried to nap, didn't much work and then we went to our friends' house and had an awesome, fun-filled time! there was much screeching and laughing that you probably heard down in texas, there was much solidifying friendships and i think we scared our friend's boys and one of their girlfriends! but a great time was had by all!

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  4. I love it when I have to stay up & count the minutes to bed.

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    1. oh DFW - you and me both. i hung on tho, and we ended up having a fabulous time. we didn't get home until 3am. and it was straight to bed - bahahahah!

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  5. Nice...I'd kill for some fresh homemade kimchi.

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    1. git yer butt up here and i'll make ya some!

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  6. almond oil. hmmmm.

    Sounds like a wonderful day, even if you end up tired.

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    1. Brigid - he uses a rice maker and we stock 3 kinds of rice - jasmine, calrose and basmati. he doesn't add the oil to the calrose (sticky rice), but he does add about half a tablespoon of almond oil in 2 cups of basmati or jasmine. he adds it right when he puts the rice in the maker and then stirs it twice while it is cooking. it really adds a smooth, nutty flavour to the rice.

      it was an awesome day - a long day - but a really awesome day! we were a little hurting when we got up this morning, but have just been down to the river for a few dips and nothing jolts a hangover like freezing cold water - bahahahah!

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  7. I've only had one little tomato ripen up in my two-plant plot so far and something ate the bottom off of it. I'm thinking my resident cottontail rabbit, unless I have a groundhog that I don't know about.

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    1. Mr. Smythe - oh dang nabbit! we have rabbits and hares here, mostly snowshoe hares that come and eat the clover in our yard. we have chicken wire up around all of our beds so we never have hare/rabbit damage to our gardens. and they seem to prefer the clover anyway.

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  8. Replies
    1. mm - all i could think of when i wanted to show my harvest was how loud you would be laughing when you saw it - bahahahahah! thanks buddy!

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  9. Sweet Kymber,

    I waited for Jambo Gump to run up to Sci's place..........
    Now I know why he didn't make it! He filled up on all the goodies today!

    Teasing!!!!

    You two go have some fun.

    Your Friend,
    Sandy

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    1. sweet Sandy - i can't wait to hear about 2 of my favourite gals meeting up - can't wait! as for jambo gump - ya he was a little distracted by the sweets table - bahahahah! oh Sandy - it was so worth going out to our friends' house last night - we had such a good time. you probably heard all of the screeching way down in OK. we were bad. i'll leave it at that - bahahhaahhah!

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  10. Those carrots look exactly like Mrs. PP's carrots. I mean exactly. She is so proud of her carrots

    It's cute :)

    Now was that a suitable e-pat on the head?

    So what did you do with those wonderful looking tomatoes and carrots? And BTW that trout looks as good as usual.

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    1. buddy, i was hoping for a nice e-pat and you came through! thanks buddy! when we are only harvesting a few things each day - we just eat it raw. so we ate those little tomatoes and carrots down at the river - it was a mighty fine snack. ya, the trout here are so healthy and relatively left alone - jam's the only one ever out on our river so they are pretty easy to catch. you gotta come visit one day so he can take you out!

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  11. Sounds like your life is full of good things. I find as I get older I sleep less and less. Sigh.

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    1. Joey - we have a great community full of really good people - and they treat us like gold. we've never experienced anything like this - such good friendships. as for sleeping, i find as i get older i need much, much more of it - bahahahahah!

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  12. Perhaps, my friend, with the bridge now fixed, the dance can be rescheduled. Hope you and Jam catch song good zzzzzzzzzzs soon.

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    1. sweet Jane - the dance wasn't rescheduled but just as good was our friends throwing an impromptu patio party because i was so disappointed - that was sweet. and we had such a good time - we played music and chatted. us 4 women were huddled in the middle of the patio laughing and screeching together and no one could get by us. the men had to walk all the way around the house to get in to the house. we were huddled like that for about 3 or 4 hours just yakking and laughing. no one noticed that the men were trying to get by us, and none of us realized how long we had been huddled there blocking off access. oh it was such fun! went straight to bed when we got home at 3am!!!! bahahahahahah!

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    2. I am glad you had a good time. Hugs to you both.

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  13. Looks like a long horned pine beetle. Retched things.

    I may be able to match your carrots, but I am totally impressed with your tomatoes. Not a red one yet in my garden. :(

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    1. oh Wendy - you are in a sad state of affairs if you can match my poor-*ssed carrots - bahahahahahah! that's about 6 tomatoes that have coloured so far - all of my other plants have tomatoes but none are colouring yet - still a ways off yet.

      i've never seen this bug before and we need to look it up to find out what it is for sure. i sure do hope it's not the retched thing you mentioned!

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  14. Looking at the picture from a small cell phone screen it looked like a piece of yard equipment until i zoomed in. This is alsoy second attempt at posting a comment. I had one all typed out and hit a dead zone on the interstate and lost internet connection.. Blasted! Grrrrrrr

    Impromptu parties are the best..some of my most wildest and memorable times were at an impromptu party. Glad u had fun and hopefully got some rest gurlie.....

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    1. hey Gurlie - you would fit right in with the women here - oh man, when we are in the right mood, we just let it rip!!! it was such a good night last night - we finally climbed up the driveway at about 3am and then face-planted in bed. slept right through til 9:30am if you can believe it. what a great sleep!

      sorry you lost your connection - i hate it when i type up a big-*ssed long comment and lose it - arghghghgh!

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  15. Oh LOOK!!!! kymber sized tomatoes!!! hehehehehe

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    1. bahahahahahahahah! oh bahahahahahahah! ya, i guess they are kymber-sized! thanks buddy!

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  16. kymber: About the only I have growing in a new cucumber call a lemon cucumber. I love fresh cukes but it's kind of limited on what you can do with it.
    SW Idaho is moving back to it's old weather cycle of hot, dry summers and cold dry winters. But some good news, I learned you can get 2 harvests with that cycle. Mom came over and weeded my beds and my little squash bushes are starting to produce!

    So excited my stove will be installed at the end of this month or the first week of Sept. The guys doing the work will give me a miss measured hearth pad that would cost about $400.00 because the cheap fake brick looking pad was discontinued. You and jam might ask around at wood stove shops if they have any hearth pads that were leftover or the wrong size, might save you some money.

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    1. jamie - your cucumber sounds wicked-awesome - are you gonna save some seeds from it? if so, i will gladly trade for some! oh that is awesome that you can get 2 harvests - we get a summer and then a fall harvest here - but you can't grow the same things!

      i saw a new post from you on our blogroll and i will go check it out! that is awesome about the stove and the hearth pad and thanks for the tip! congrats to you - you busy, busy girl! (i don't know where you get all of your energy - you are like the energizer bunny! bahahahah!)

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    2. Now that Mom got in and cleared the weeds I can see my plants again. Lots of flowers on the bush squash and I do have lovely little patty pan White squash I'll save for seeds once she goes ripe for harvest. My aunt is like the garden godess and even her tomatoes were a bust this year. My Mom's little garden and potted herbs and plants are doing well overall.
      My raised beds were a bust this year. Though the little lemon Heirloom cukes did well. I love fresh cukes but I'm not a pickle person. I will save the any squash seeds from my little bushes. The heat has been wicked this year and Mom is looking to go back to more heat tolerant plants next year.

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  17. I'm always amazed at how social you two are. That must be a pretty nice bunch of people up there because you are always doing get togethers of some kind.

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    1. Harry - we really aren't all that social. we participate in our 2 communities events but they have bingo in fourchu every second sunday - we went a few times but oh man - those people are crazy for their bingo. then they have regular card games every week - plus darts!!! we don't go to any of that - it's just too much for us and we are fairly low-key, private and love being alone up here on our little hill. people here are all "do-drop-inners" - people drop in on each other all of the time. when we visit our best friends c and b - you can easily count 40 people dropping in on a 4hr visit - it near does my head in - bahahah! we have been here almost 3 yrs and we don't like people dropping in. and everyone here has been very respectful of that. some of them think it's weird but they respect our privacy. we couldn't ask for better people, neighbours and community!

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  18. good for you for being able to stay up till 3 am and not be crushed the next day! That is the difference ten or so years make I guess!!! Boy, I have to send a picture of my bounty from yesterday. this year has been the most amazing garden year for me, and its good, as this is the year I decided to get serious about helping offset food costs for my family, as well as exercising skills I may need to rely on down the road.
    Happy Days! L

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    1. lisa - i was riding on the high of hanging out with some of my best woman friends!!! we slept in the next day - but a quick trip to the river and a dip in freezing cold water woke us up for sure! you have got to send me some pics of your bounty and i will try not to be too jealous - bahahahah! i am so glad that your garden is doing so well for you! and yes - you can offset winter food costs like you wouldn't believe if you freeze, can and dehydrate that bounty! now send me some pics of that beautiful garden so that i can sigh and drool - bahahah!

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  19. Love your harvest picture, Kymber! :-) My potatoes in a barrel...potato fail. They are full of ants; flying ants and other ones. I mean FULL. No wonder nothing grew. I used big plastic bins from Walmart, the kind with the rope handles. Andrew drilled drainage holes on the bottom before we planted. Do you think it was the plastic?

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    1. Sue - that was a pretty sad harvest eh? but something is better than nothing!!! oh crap - sorry about the potatoe fail? i think i know what bins you mean and ya - it might have something to do with the plastic. tell that RenoMan to get you some tires girl!!! bahahahahah! i mean it! email coming!

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