Well, we’ve been really busy with getting in firewood and canning. No rest today. Will has firewood to stack in the woodshed and I’ve been busy canning. Who said canning only happens during the summer and fall? I just put up 25 quarts of chili and yesterday, 16 half-pints of diced turkey. And I have the carcass simmering in a pot of broth, which I’ll can today. I will also can another batch of Cowboy Candy so I can have extra syrup for Gaucho and Vaquero Relish and Cowgirl Candy (sweet peppers in Cowboy Candy syrup). I have two thirds of a five-gallon bucket of sweet peppers and another of Sugar Rush Peach! That’ll make a lot of goodies!

These turkey dices equal 16 meals, using the meat as a recipe ingredient like turkey pot pie.

Granddaughter, Ava, is making great progress with her riding lessons. She wants to ride her Aunt Randie’s Friesian, Abe, who has been living at their farm and is now getting brush-up training at her instructor’s farm. He’s a beautiful, tall, black gelding and I can’t wait to see them together!

Ava is making great progress with her riding lessons.
This is Abe. He’s trained but needs a little refresher before Ava will ride him.

The forecast says we are to get snow tonight. Fortunately, it is supposed to melt tomorrow. I hope the kiddies all have a fun and safe Halloween. Unfortunately, we don’t get trick or treaters way back here in the woods. — Jackie

19 COMMENTS

    • Cowboy Candy is sliced jalapeno peppers in a very sweet syrup of vinegar, sugar and spices. I use it on cream cheese on crackers for holiday snacks and also chop it and include in stir-fries, meatloaf and dozens more recipes. Very good! If you’ll check some of the recent, older blogs, you’ll find the recipe.

  4. All your canning is wonderful! And yes it’s a lot of work 😁.. it’ll make this winter so nice to be able to access all that delicious food 😊 great job! 👍

  5. Beautiful horse! Last night, we got 3 inches of rain. Prior to this, the ground was parched. For the first time in years, I cleaned up the garden and even tilled it all up. There are two short rows of carrots to dig (I’m saving them). It’s nice to have a rainy day to clean up equipment and sheds (this will take time). It looks like you are well stocked up. The natural gas company came and had to cut down a row of my 30-year-old spruce I planted (they were close to the 25-foot right of way)-I hated to see them go. Years ago I was riding a horse and it got stung by a bee. Boy, did I go for a ride and fortunately wasn’t hurt. I’m glad to see she is wearing a helmet while riding.

    • So sad to hear your trees had to go. That’s awful. We still have a short part of a row left of potatoes to dig, then we’re done, probably till spring. The ground will soon freeze and that will end the possibility of removing tomato cages and T posts. We’re still at firewood but today the high was 34 and tonight, 20 degrees F. Brrrrr.

  6. You are so blessed to have a horse crazy granddaughter! I was a horse crazy kid, my daughter was horse crazy, but my 4 grandsons do not have any interested in the horses. Enjoy the horse time with your granddaughter! She looks great and the horses are beautiful.

    • I’m so glad Ava is horse crazy. I was too. Mom said it was a faze. Gee, I still have horses!! Two daughters were horse lovers and son, Bill, showed for years, both a pony and horse. Besides Ava, I have another adult granddaughter who is a horse lover and so are her kids (for the most part). I guess it’s in the genes. Or Jeans.

  8. Ava is looking good and in confident control of her horse. Beautiful. Abe is gorgeous. When I lived in SW Colorado, many years we got our first snow on Halloween (often just a dusting or so). I haven’t had a trick or treater in 25 years at my place (1/2 mile long driveway). Be that as it is!

    • Yep, we keep hoping we’ll get one but our mile and a half long driveway seems to discourage that. We got a little snow last night but further south, they got two to four inches. Eek, our Halloween snow, right on time.

  9. A mom in our neighborhood informs me of the number of trick or treaters. We’re on track for a record number! We make it fun for the kids (more than just candy), we both remember the fun we had at Halloween when we were kids. Originally I thought the better half over bought on candy – not so much now.
    We got a brief shower today and it is supposed to rain starting around 10 pm tonight. Should move out by mid-morning. One year we did have snow on Halloween but that didn’t deter our few trick or treaters.
    Cutting of the oak tree continues – about 14 feet of it left. Which will likely wait until late next week. Better half delivers/picks up election supplies. We both work election day. I fall back much better than better half (opposite when it comes to springing forward). Best case is we’ll be home 8 pm Tuesday (14.5 hour day is a “win”) but dinner for that night is already cooked so just reheat that night. We’ll both be tired, better half works the next day. I took the day after Election Day off – I’ll likely deal with dinner. But I’ll be working a lot the next four days after at my W-2 job. Plus if things are looking bad, last minute shore up of supplies then hunker down.
    Ava seems to have gotten a heavy does of horse genes from Grandma. Let us know how she and Abe do (providing she gets opportunity before Mother Nature decides she’s in charge).

    • Fortunately, Ava’s instructor has an indoor arena! It gets cold but they don’t have to wade around in snow.
      We got a little snow last night. Just a dusting to remind us that winter is right around the corner. We split more wood, and I canned all afternoon. Much warmer inside than out, with a high of 34 degrees F!

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