Peaches, Cherries, fires still burns and my Ladies are home again, yay.

I canned peaches in the morning yesterday, I have three more boxes to go but they were not quite as ripe as the fourth box yesterday.  I had never stacked jars before, in all the years I have canned, probably because I have almost always canned quarts.  I have began to use more pints in the last couple years but had never canned 1/2 pints or 1/4 pints, ever.   Well yesterday was a day of firsts, I canned 45  1/2 pints of peaches.  I have decided with all of Booboo's problems, with food, and the fact that since she has been home this summer and not been in pain once since drinking kefir and only eating sourdough breads and our simple diet, they will not be eating any more school lunches.  I know the ladies at the school do the best they can but for Booboo the foods are to much of an unknown so home packed lunches from now on.  I canned 45 1/2 pints of peaches as a beginning of my lunch program foods.  I did it in two batches, the antique pressure canner (used as a water bath) held 20,  the water bath canner held the rest, all 25, and wasn't full but that is all I had made up.  I was kind of apprehensive, I had never stacked before and was hoping the work was for naught and I would have to do them again, hate to reprocess anything but especially things that don't cook over well.  All sealed and I was tickled pink, here is a photo of the 20 I did in the antique pressure canner.

It was cool, my Niecy, saw my photo and status on FB yesterday and wants me to teach her to can, that would be so wonderful.  I love love love passing down the arts that I learned from the previous generation, one of the most cherished things we can pass along.  Can't wait to get together with her, it will be a little while as she is ready to give birth any moment to her third child, a little boy.  Hugs go out to her, prayers for her safe delivery and for her family.

 

 The fires still burn and our little town is possibly even more in it's path.  I have heard that they have gotten it 15% contained, and that we are hoping for rain today.  That would truly be a blessing to our little town.  A large number of our friends our currently under mandatory evacuation.  There is a shelter set up at the elementary school for the evacuees.  The firefighters are a true blessing for all that they do.  Twin was hoping to get to be sent to our fire but is currently on another fire some where else in the state, it would have been nice to see her.

 

Poppie picked about a 1/4 of the cherries off of our pie cherry trees.  I was about 3 gallons, I pitted them right away, it is one of my least favorite canning process jobs.  I tell the Ladies all the time to do the things they like least the first so you get it out of the way.  I ended up with almost five quarts of pitted cherries (after they mashed done without their pits) so will need another gallon to be able to can pie cherries this morning.  I have the rest of the peaches to get canned as well. We are hoping to get to go camping Friday night, if only for a one night.  We love to camp and due to the animals in the last few years have not managed to get to go.  We actually usually only camp where we can come home and check on them if needs be.  I am of the mind that I live in one of the most beautiful states and in the middle of it's beautiful mountains so why would I travel hundreds of miles to go camping when 5 to 20 miles from my house gets me into a beautiful camping spots and all I could ask for in a get away. 

 

My Ladies came home from the Grandpy's last night they had had a wonderful time with their grand parents.  It is nice for them to have some alone time, without other kids, and just get to have one on one time with their grandparents.  Yogie took her little dog, Buster, and grandma had gotten so attached she wanted it to stay but Yogie wouldn't part with her little friend.  Buster is well and truly in her heart and has healed the hole Tillies passing caused. 

 

I pray for my little towns safety, I pray for all the people that are away from their homes, I pray for the ones who did not evacuate when the mandatory evacuation was issued.  I pray that the Lord talks to your heart and you walk into his loving gift of salvation.  I most of all I pray, and just give God  praises for all his gifts, whether we understand them or not, for even fire is a gift we just don't know why he gave us this gift... tomorrow.