After three days of thinking “tomorrow I’ll get to can carrots,” it’s finally happening. Yesterday I started out shelling various varieties of corn and getting them packaged up. Then, I noticed several varieties of beans, especially new beans, needed packing too. By evening, I had everything happily done. Maybe I could still can carrots? Then the phone rang.
Will had taken his new tractor (I didn’t tell you all he bought a big Kubota at our neighbor’s farm auction, did I?) over to the 20 acres he’d bought a couple of miles from our place, to clear out the willow brush that had begun to take over the whole area. It was dark when the phone rang. He needed me over there now. No explanation!
I tore around and headed out, wondering if he was hurt, had a heart attack or severe breakdown. I got there and there was the tractor, sitting part on and part off the road. No Will. Finally, he called me and said he was under the tractor and where the heck was I? I got out of the car, fearing the worst and there was a huge puddle of diesel and Will. The line had sprung a major leak and he was trying to hold his finger over the tank exit spout. He yelled at me to find a stick to plug it. Of course, there were no sticks anywhere around. Finally, he figured the line had come off the fitting and shoved it back on. He was soaked with fuel but much happier.
Today I’m canning carrots while he’s getting in more firewood. As we had a horrible growing year, our carrots sure show it. Many are twisted and forked, multiple “legs” and plenty of roots. Drought does that to them. But, using Mom’s old potato peeler, I’m able to get them washed, peeled, and cut up. They’re ugly but, in the jar, they look pretty nice. Just lots of extra work involved. I want to can up as many as I can today and do more tomorrow. God willing!
— Jackie
