Tuesday, November 01, 2022

Apples and Adventure

Y'all it is DARK these days. The sun came up around 9:30 this morning. By that time, I'd already been out of the house for 90 minutes.  I was enjoying a bit of tea and play with CoRielle's boys. Cory and Arielle have staff meetings on Tuesday mornings, and then Cory takes Little Buddy to therapy and Arielle takes Benny and Danny to Story Hour at the Library.  Danny and Little Buddy are bursting with new phrases and cute antics. I guess that's the 2-year-old phase! I'm especially fond of "Walk away!" and "Got it?" 

When I got home, I started right away on APPLES!  We processed one case yesterday. We got through two more cases today.  Michael joined in the fun and when Stacia finished school, she joined us too. I was about to throw in the towel when Dad commented that my applesauce was much better than the stuff we've been buying at the store. LOL 

I chopped apples and got them boiling down while talking with Michael and Allie and processing adult transitions.


It's cold enough now that we are once again enjoying our walk-out cooler/freezer. The first year I melted a part on our saucer so now we take the time to cool apples before saucing them. 

Allie ran off to work. Michael and I continued playing with apples. We are getting mighty tired of apples. 

As Michael pushed apples through, the saucer, I cleaned and warmed jars and filled them with applesauce. 

 

I got one canner full boiling...and began working on the next. Stacia rotated hot apples outside to cool and cooler apples inside for Michael to sauce...and we talked adult transitions with Stacia. 

At some point I'll share more of the call God is placing on the girls' lives...at women's conference and then youth conference...and what the calls are doing in my heart....or maybe I'll have the girls share.  Anyway, lots of conversations going on around here since September. 

Eventually, all the apples had transformed to applesauce which was in jars. I had two canners running...and we processed 26 quarts today. We are 1/2 way through our stack of 6 cases and have 40 quarts. We're on track for our 80 quarts...but now I'm wondering if I should have gotten a bit more as Stacia would really love me to make some fruit leather...and we need the 80 quarts for oatmeal and GG's meds. LOL 

About the time the last two canners were simmering I got a text. CoRielle were heading out on an adventure, and we were invited to join them. In the end GG and Michael stayed home. Stacia and I headed up the road...past the shooting range, UPPPPPP the hill and then DOOOWWWN the hill(no guardrails) gravel roads, and potholes the size of a VW bug. Suddenly the road ended right at the river.... The river is in that in-between phase; almost winter, but still fall - half frozen. There was a gentleman standing in the midst of the ice taking photos of eagles and such. 

I would have been content to simply sit and take in the view, but we were at this location for a specific purpose. Cory knew a whole lotta sockeye salmon are spawning in this river. The water is swarming with salmon...and where there are salmon...there are also eagles. It was gorgeous. We knew the light would be bad for photos, but we were happy to experience it today anyway. In a bit the river will be frozen, and the salmon will sadly be dead. Their life cycle completed.  Can you make out the salmon? 




Brrrr! It was 22*. What IS that girl of ours thinking to be outside in shorts?????



Stacia and I discovered a new trail. Maybe we can hike it next year... or maybe not... it looks like bear country. 


Benny wanted to stop for hot chocolate, but I suspected there were other plans in the works. He told me, "Baachan you love having Arielle come over." 

Yes, Benny, I do. I told him I love having all of them come over. He observed I have a lot of kids. 

Michael had enjoyed a conversation with Earl, his brother in Colorado, while we were out. I made a quick dinner of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. We took the time to respond to some correspondence.

This is a satisfying sight.


We are calling it a day. Tomorrow will be another busy day.