Here comes the rain again

I was so tired last night that I was in bed by eight, and then got up at three this morning. It was raining when I got up, and aside from a few little breaks, it has been raining all day. We've had almost an inch so far, and it's only 4:00. This is great for the water supply, but not great for people's tomatoes. I am supposed to be staying off my feet, but that's easier said than done, and today I went grazing in two different gardens. My friend Tracy has several Asian pear trees which are bursting at the seams right now.

I picked a whole bunch, and those that don't get scarfed down immediately will get canned or dehydrated. Asian pears have such a short season that you really have to pounce and enjoy them when they're around.

I've never tried canning them, but there's a first time for everything! The seckel pears are ready too, but I didn't pick any of those yet, because I'm trying to limit the amount of time I spend on my feet in the kitchen. There will be time for those.

Tracy has about 18 different varieties of grapes, while I have only three, and one of them has eaten her cedar tree.

Somebody ate most of our grapes again this year, so I didn't get to make any juice. I blame raccoons and Stellar's jays.

After leaving Tracy's, my friend Wanda was the next stop. She and her daughter planted a massive garden this year, and things have gotten out of hand.

She gave me the most beautiful bell peppers I've ever seen.

Also, some really big zucchini that I will slice and dehydrate.

There are about eighty pounds more of those out there, but I could only manage a couple. I have three dehydrators, and the squash I have will fill up all of them.

In other news, little Two Socks, one of the puppies from the winter's possibly ill-advised litter, has gone from spending his free time romping adorably around the yard to murder.

He has been trying to "herd" the young chickens, but they are no match for his energy level. We keep finding adolescent birds in various stages of utter sadness, so Two Socks is under house arrest unless he's on a leash. Herd dogs are notorious for this kind of behavior when they're young, because they have all the instincts but none of the restraint. It is a challenge, but he can't be a puppy forever. I am just about out of patience, so if anyone has any they're not using, feel free to send it my way.

With all the rain, the humidity level in the house has skyrocketed. It is currently 71 degrees in the house, and 73 percent humidity. We gave up and made a fire in the wood stove, just to dry out the atmosphere. This is our first fire of the year, and even though it's not cold out yet, the fire is comforting.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone! I'm going to go put my leg up!