Garden surprises

I haven't done anything to my garden for over a month except to go out to see if there are still ripe tomatoes coming on.  But there's more going on than that.  Yesterday I brought in the few beets that hadn't do too well.  I got a quart and a half of beet pickles for my trouble; they won't last long, because both of us love pickled beets.  (Notice the smallish tomatoes in the background.) 

 This morning I went out with a coat on because it was 42 degrees and found other treasures.  I brought in one turnip so big that it filled up a two-quart pan.  

Then I went and got a shovel to see if the carrots I planted in late August that had done very little growing until the recent rains.  

Usually the carrots in my garden are sickly and pale.  Not now!

Yesterday I was surprised to find some nice sweet peppers.

And yes, there are still tomatoes coming on and they are still delicious.    

Our temperatures are not normal at all this year.  Or maybe this is the new normal.  

A lovely week is ahead

 Here we are in November, and I'm still finding a ripe tomato or two in the garden every day.  Last week we even had fried green tomatoes.  There are more beets than we will eat, although I may bring some in and make beet pickles.  Even if I don't can them, they are good for a month in the refrigerator.  There are also turnips out there that never filled out large enough to eat until some autumn rains came in October, and then they were fine.  I didn't plant many, since I'm the only one who likes them. 

Through next Friday, the days' temperatures are supposed to be in the 60's and sunny.  I'll take that. 

I keep reading online that inflation is being curbed; then I go to the store and see prices still rising; who do they think they're kidding?  I watch for any kind of meat to be on sale at Price Chopper in Grain Valley, although lately, about the only meat that is the really affordable on their weekly sales is pork; however, they do feature 80/20 ground beef at $3.50 sometimes... or if I were to buy those 10-pound packages, they are sometimes $3.00 per pound.  I don't get those any more, though: the beef in those long ten-pound rolls are not as good, even if they are 80/20.  Cliff says that's because it's been ground several times.

I am hoping that this week or next there will be decent prices on turkey and ham, just to have in our freezer.  Our grandson is doing the meat for Thanksgiving, so I'll just do some sides and desserts; that makes it easy for me.

It takes me longer to do a blog entry now; I never know what word I'm going to forget.  So far in this entry I forgot the words turnip and inflation.  I finally remembered turnip on my own, but had to look up something on google to recall the word inflation. 

I'm still able to go on my walks in the pasture, which is one of my greatest pleasures, right up there with my morning coffee; if my knees hurt too much I either skip a day or take a shorter walk.

As for my "zoo", all the four-legged creatures are doing fine.  Each of the kittens is showing it's own different personality, but they are definitely bonded with one another.  Gabe tries to get in the middle of their playtimes; he wants to be part of the fun!

That's about all I have.  Let freedom reign!