On Tuesday morning it was raining and had been most of the night. We went from the left photo to the right one.
It was raining when I pulled the shades up at 7AM. By the time my helper arrived at 9:30AM the sun had started to come out and the temperatures had risen into the upper 40’s. It was just like springtime outside.
Remember yesterday when the poor kale looked like this? It was so cold outside. But by 10AM on Tuesday it looked like this, above.
When my helper friend arrived, we got supper of pork cooked with chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, pears, and cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt and pepper into the crockpot then headed outside.
I’d been trying for a 48 hour window to get the peach trees sprayed for curly leaf. It has to be done in late autumn/early winter when the trees are dormant. We hadn’t been able to do it in November. But the rain stopped by 8AM and would not start again until late on Wednesday night, and the temperatures were warm enough so the sprayer would work.
So he mixed up the copper solution in the sprayer and I got the ladder out for the big peach tree. We started by taking the cage off the little peach tree in the Little Trees II row. He sprayed it and sprayed it and sprayed it. We were supposed to use 3 gallons, ¾ of the sprayer tank. But by about 1½ gallons we thought he’d coated every surface at least twice.
So he headed over to the Contender peach in the Little Trees row while I put the cage back on the little peach. The good part was that all the branches that had poked through the cage sides were now back inside where the deer couldn’t get them.
He did the branches at the top from the ladder first, and then all the branches he could reach from the ground. There was still a good amount of solution left, so he went up the ladder again and did the top again. Another good spraying of what he could reach from the ground and we decided to run the tank out on the little peach inside its cage. It had taken about an hour to do both trees.
I had picked some of the kale to put in the crockpot. I stripped the green off the stems and filled the little crockpot. The extra I put in the fridge to mix in salads.
I went in to sit down to rest and glanced out the window and the Senior van was in the driveway! I’d forgotten PT! No time to change, so I went in my peach spraying clothes. I think the PT is helping and so I was given 5 more sessions, once a week into January.
Larry has taken to sleeping a lot on the estate papers. This is very helpful.
When I went to turn on the candles, I saw a deep colored sunset with orange, purple, and pink to the southwest.
The pork was very good. I had added some dried cranberries to it also. I’m hoping my helper can get more of the boneless pork for the freezer on Thursday.
On Wednesday I have exercise class and I will be going early for the morning chat session they have once a month. I guess it will be more laundry stripping and estate work when I get home.
It is not good to have rain all night at this time, your crops are being damaged due to nature. You were very busy, good food gives you some joy.
The sunset is very beautiful
It’s colorful as well
#hive #posh
You did it, the peach trees just in time. It's wonderful when the weather plays ball with you. Glad to hear the PT is helping you and you got more sessions. Larry looks comfy-cozy on all the papers. He's such a great helper.
Kale is a leaf right?
And what’s its benefit?
It’s a brassica like broccoli or cabbage, with much the same benefits. And yes, it’s the leaves that are used.
Wow it totally changed like day and night from a day to the next one!
Yup, that’s New England for you.
Wow that pork looks amazing!!!!!
It was really very good, especially as I let my helper friend season it. He's such a good cook!