Sunday, August 1, 2021

HIVE HONEY - SHARING - GOURDS - 25% BUTTER FAT - CAT TEST VIDEO - FRESH MELONS

Neighbor drops off honey fresh from the hive and extra eggs. He cannot eat all the eggs his few chickens produce and does not want to throw them away. 

The honey was from his beehive and a first time treat for my wife and me. Like gold. Noticeably smoother and sweet. Ran from the honey dipper like thin syrup. 

Soaked the biscuits below but not to the point of being lost as a thick top coating. 


Half a locally grown watermelon was shared the same day from a different neighbor. Key here, locally grown just up the road. With seeds but oh so sweet and tender. I love watermelon and they are coming on and abundant. 

Of course, I soaked a chunk of watermelon with honey. I would have soaked bacon too.

SHARING....

...in this crazy world might seem out of place. Actually the crazy world is out of place. No one talks about these simple human interactions today. Does not play to a narrative. Will not see this on the evening news. But you will here.

We poured half of the honey into a small jar and took it over to watermelon neighbor. This amount of honey will go a distance. And it is the thing to do.

Mind you, not out of responsibility or as any kind of payment. Sharing gets its reward from the very appreciation given back as a simple thank you. Quite often followed by comment that the food shared will be on their table the same day. Or a follow up antidote the following day, "we ate half that loaf of bread after you left." An appreciated treat.

I think it a human nature to share food. The cooking of a main dish and taking half over to a neighbor or family member. A baked pie. Container of homemade soup. Half a baked chicken. 

Everyone appreciates not having to cook or a sweet treat on the kitchen counter. Besides it is an excellent opportunity to go visit.

It was a way of life growing up. And all of this still works here, 76 years later.

AND THIS JUST IN!

"you and your wife will have to come up and look at my gourds."

And we did just that. Gourds start growing and looking like gourds from the get go.


Growing gourds for the simple pleasure of watching them grow. Because she can. 

She gave me a few gourd seeds early on. But I had my hands full with other garden items. Did not know where I could find a spot either.

Neighbor told me that I needed to scratch the seeds. Rough the hard outer shell to help the seed germinate. 

I am promised one large gourd when she picks. I want to learn how to cure and make a bird house/feeder. 


Gourds climb!

From a couple seeds in the ground, up the fence and up the tree. Have to keep an eye on this.

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SIMPLE GRILLED CHOPS

Quick summer eats.


Thin cut, light seasoning, high heat grill; 4 minutes. Onion, olive oil, garlic salt, 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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25% BUTTERFAT

The butterfat of raw milk changes with the season. Depends on the quality of grazing grass and the seasons have control over that. My wife picked up the gallon above and the butterfat is much higher than it has been the past few months. We do not drink that much milk and this gallon will go for a full month. From coffee, cereal, home made biscuits and bread, having access to these kind of farm fresh local choices is a big plus for us. 

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A TEST VIDEO

This appears to have loaded. Now will it play? If it works, then other quickie videos are possible.

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LOCALLY GROWN

Not too far down the road, locally grown watermelon and cantaloupe await at a roadside stand. The honor system is in play. Seven dollars for warm, ripe melons and two dollars for cantaloupe. 

Several small batches, like the ones above, have been picked and set aside by the farmer. These do not make it out to the roadside stand. 

Farmers here have been friends and colleagues for eons. Our neighbor and I drove in (invited) to pick from several of these piles. Not given away or ever expected. We gladly payed. 

Folks in the know say tapping a water melon to see if it is ripe gives off a solid hollow sound. I tapped and for the first time ever felt the sound. Also the flatter one side is with visual evidence of resting longer in the field yields the perfect ripe water melon. 

An easy squeeze of the cantaloupe reveal its ripeness.



These were 15 pounds each of they were an ounce. 

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The last of the green peppers picked, cleaned, bagged and frozen. 

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WORLDLY STUFF

Youmeandtheafter blog was started years ago, in part, to discuss being prepared for uncertain times and futures. It was a way for me to put inner thoughts into word and to be visible . Share too. It helped me act on putting a few things away and to develop some self sufficient skill sets. This blog has also helped me stay tuned into what others are saying, thinking and doing/not doing. 

We are all now in "an after" from the normal of just a couple of years ago. Trying to compute that uncertain future was impossible.  I would have never thought of the goings on of these days. I have thought that much of this radical change would never happen. Too far from common sense/reality even in a worst of times scenario. 

Goes to show ya, huh?  

August 2021 is upon us. The heat in east Texas is here. The heat folks talk about. 

Appreciate the visit this week. 

 







 

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