Tuesday Twitterdeepitterpatter

It's a quiet, calming rain.  The air is warm.  Birds are softly singing, and an occasional car drives by. 

I'm enjoying the morning, knowing that our fields will are receiving a little moisture to replenish much-needed fall grass for the horses.

I won't have to water the remnants of this year's garden, specifically the latest planting of lettuce and chard.  Maybe this time, we can have some of the lettuce for our dinner salads.

Those naked tomatoes night after night, although wonderfully tasty, are getting a bit boring.  

I think the deer have left my chard plants alone this week to allow me, for once this summer,  a few leaves to throw into a salad---which will include  store-bought lettuce, some Walla Walla sweet onion and homegrown 'maters. 

Those brazen deer become less and less selective during the summer.  Now, they're eating the tops from my parsley.  Wouldn't even touch that for the first several weeks of nightly bountiful garden theft.

Tomatoes have been appearing in funny places far from their mother plants.  Even a pumpkin had been separated from its vine yesterday morning.  I gave it to Debbie for her deck.

Today I'll continue slicing the remainder of my Washington peaches and throw them into freezer bags.  Last night I made three jars of jelly from one of our thorny plum trees.  

Lovely tangy stuff, a beautiful rich red AND it tasted heavenly with melted margarine on that chunk of Mennonite rye bread.

Most of the gathering from the garden has ended, except for the tomatoes, and with no signs of frost in the near future, I'll compete with the deer in tomato land.  

One plant is filled with nicely-shaped, good-sized green fruits, and it appears to be safe from nibbling noggins. 

Besides those domestic tasks in the kitchen, I spent yesterday cleaning the horse cart and the harness, which Bill and I brought over from my sisters' ranch Sunday night.

It took two rounds of the car wash power spray to clean off those layers of dust and pigeon poop.  

I also learned that bicycle shops are not open here on Mondays, so I just aired up the tires on the cart myself, and, so far, the new air has decided to stay inside the tubes. 

The cart could use a little rustoleum so I may pick up a few cans of that today.  

As for the harness, it's involving at least a two-day job, with cleaning, scrubbing with saddle soap and then applying neatsfoot oil.  Looking a lot better already, though.

The harness job will be a good project if the rain keeps up today. 

I also rode Lefty again yesterday.  We met three or four cars on the road.  The big test will occur when a car comes from behind us.  I'm still holding off on that experience.

I was glad to see that the side-delivery gravel loader, the dump truck brigade and the school bus chose to go down South Center Valley Road AFTER I had taken my ride rather than during it. 

Both Lily and Lefty will be needing yet another shoeing within days, so I'm going to bite the bullet and put out the money.  

As I told Bill this morning, October is almost the best month of the year for riding, and to save money on shoeings would mean missing out on several fall days of enjoying our beautiful countryside aboard (or behind) a horse.

Life is good on this rainy September morning. No complaints and a plenty of satisfaction that goals are being met.  Food in the freezer for winter and young horses becoming seasoned for their riding careers.  

Both are important in my life.

Happy Tuesday.