Okay so here I am in beautiful Montana except that there has been no rain and everything is drying up so you would think that it would be impossible to gather chokecherries as dry as it is. But no, the bushes are loaded and they are a lovely dark purple so I decided to gather some and make some jelly. I've never tried that before but I found a recipe and it's easy enough so I have my first batch of jelly cooling and the berries for a 2nd batch are simmering on the stove.
Yeah fun - great way to spend a Friday afternoon huh? But the highlight of the weekend is actually going to start at 4:15 because that's when John gets home and guess what we get to do then? You'd think we'd get to go out and enjoy the hills, ride the horses, go for a drive or something but no... we get to unload 4.28 tons of grass hay - 89 bails about 96 lbs per bail into the barn. Then tomorrow morning, we get to go into Red Lodge, get another 4 tons and get that into the barn too. So there goes another weekend. :-(
The pasture is so dry that, unlike last year when we were able to leave them on the pasture until mid-October and just kind of forget about them, we have been supplementing their feed since mid-July and within a couple of weeks, will have to start feeding them twice a day.
So, as I finished my first batch of jelly, I decided to give Alex's human a shout and see if she wants me to bring her any. I had taken her a few jars in 2004 but hadn't heard if she liked it or not. She answers the phone on the first ring and where is she - at home slaving away? at home sleeping after a night of working? doing laundry? Not - none of the above, she is at the beach near Seaside having a nice outing with the people from the day care center. She is actually getting to enjoy the gorgeous weather and doing what people are supposed to do on a weekend. Kick back and relax.
Lately they have been running a commercial about Montana on the tv. It shows people driving around with blinders on (all Montanan's of course) Showing just how we are - so busy with our daily lives that we aren't taking time to enjoy the beauty of this state - the reason we really moved up here. Somehow, I have to get my priorities straight - declutter my life of all this stuff that means absolutely nothing and find more time to escape to the outside world and enjoy life.
So here I go, back up to clean the kitchen and get ready to get outside and relax a bit before I turn into slave labor. Have a wonderful weekend.
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3 comments:
And as I spend my time kicking back and relaxing, my house looks worse and worse.. And my to do list grows and grows... Today I have to make up for it and spend the whole day cleaning.. And tomorrow I have to finish ripping up the bathroom (cause I know I won't get it done today)..
But, it was a very lovely day at the coast.. And sometime this week I need to go out fishing with my friend's foster kid. Fun enough, but she's even going to pay me for it.. That's the kind of job I need..
The hard part is finding that balance between work and play. And priorities are hard to figure out. I often wish I had a job that paid more, so I wouldn't be barely scraping by, worrying about unexpected bills... And I could get one, but then I wouldn't have time for my volunteering, and I wouldn't have so much extra time to do the things I want to do during the week..
Good luck in finding the balance that works right for you..
I'm curious about those choke berries. What do they look like? What do they taste like? Did your jam come out good?
It sounds like you will be having a grand time w/ Gra'ma in the next few weeks! I can't wait to hear all about it - I already know the itinerary and it sounds like good food and good times!
Yes, stop and smell the chokeberries. Its funny how we get so caught up in our to-do lists sometimes that we forget there is a whole beautiful world around us!
Good luck finding some balance!
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