Linn, I should have done more work in the yard (I mixed up some of the foliar feeding mix and sprayed early), but I canned today. I envy you all of those big conifers and the garden furniture to set out under them. I've been working on growing some heat-tolerant pines here, and I'm thinking it's almost time to find a concrete bench for under the vitex in the front yard. I'll do a little weeding out front this evening and I have some mulch I want to spread so I don't have to look at the bag any more. I have to mow in the front again tomorrow, because I don't feel like pulling out the mower tonight.

I do the canning in small batches - 5 or 6 jars at a time, and today there are a dozen pints of diced tomatoes and six jars of zucchini bread and butter pickles cooling on my kitchen counter. As I worked I had the computer/televison set up and streamed the two episodes of Inspector Lewis that played on PBS last week. I was going to tape them but somehow ended up taping the same thing I watched [doh!]. Good thing PBS streams for a few weeks after a program. I cleaned as I worked and came up with a kitchen looking even better than when I started. And it smells SOOOOOOO good in here! I could buy organic canned tomatoes and save a lot of time, I suppose, but I enjoy the garden and the process and this is a great gift to my future self.

SRS