https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:39:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.6 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/24/we-had-our-second-frost-so-its-that-time/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/24/we-had-our-second-frost-so-its-that-time/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:39:47 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11819 After that second frost yesterday morning, we’ve been crazy busy, pulling things in that should be in, ahead of the rains that are forecast. Will loaded up the truck with a heaping pile of Hopi Pale Grey squash while I did the final tilling of the section of the Wolf Garden that had two failed […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/24/we-had-our-second-frost-so-its-that-time/feed/ 3 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/21/im-doubling-up-on-canning/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/21/im-doubling-up-on-canning/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2026 20:32:08 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11812 As we now have so much harvested, and a lot more to go, I have had to double up on my canning. Yesterday I finished up the two crates of sweet corn and then canned up a big package of boneless, skinless chicken breast I’d gotten on sale as a close-dated item. I use these […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/21/im-doubling-up-on-canning/feed/ 16 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/17/harvest-is-in-full-swing-now-3/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/17/harvest-is-in-full-swing-now-3/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:56:25 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11806 Well, the front porch and entryway are loaded with buckets of dry beans, dry corn, and other various produce, from tomatoes to watermelons. For what we thought was our very worst gardening year ever, I’m totally amazed and very thankful for this extremely bountiful harvest! We had a light frost the night before last, but […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/17/harvest-is-in-full-swing-now-3/feed/ 30 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/14/we-had-the-heaviest-rain-ive-ever-seen/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/14/we-had-the-heaviest-rain-ive-ever-seen/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:40:36 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11799 On Friday it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. We expected that. But when it came, it was like a typhoon. Will said the only harder rain he’d ever seen was in an actual typhoon, when he was in the Marines, in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. I mean it poured so hard it […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/14/we-had-the-heaviest-rain-ive-ever-seen/feed/ 24 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/10/what-a-dilemma-can-more-apples-plums-tomatoes-or-corn/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/10/what-a-dilemma-can-more-apples-plums-tomatoes-or-corn/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:07:27 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11792 I worried this over nearly all night, finally deciding I needed to do some tomatoes as our salsa was getting down there and we like it on nearly everything. We use it instead of catsup and Will likes to have some on his eggs in the morning. I went out to the Wolf Garden this […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/10/what-a-dilemma-can-more-apples-plums-tomatoes-or-corn/feed/ 15 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/08/crazy-busy-time-has-begun/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/08/crazy-busy-time-has-begun/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:10:11 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11786 Where we thought we were busy before, it was nothing like right now. Holy cow, it seems like everything is coming in at once! The tomatoes are ripening like gang busters, the apple trees are loaded to the point they’re dropping off on the ground, the plums are nuts, and the sweet corn is starting […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/08/crazy-busy-time-has-begun/feed/ 16 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/03/its-watermelon-time-on-our-homestead/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/03/its-watermelon-time-on-our-homestead/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:38:39 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11780 Yesterday, our friend, Dara, came out to help pick beans. I knew she was coming and I went out and picked a full crate of ripe tomatoes, hoping she could use them, as she’d told me her tomatoes are very slow this year. Will had also picked several more Sweet Granite muskmelons and told me […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/03/its-watermelon-time-on-our-homestead/feed/ 24 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/01/holy-cow-do-we-have-tomatoes/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/01/holy-cow-do-we-have-tomatoes/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:48:50 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11775 Will and I went out to the Wolf Garden yesterday evening to check the watermelons. We picked more of those, and yes, more Sweet Granite muskmelons, and some tomatoes to seed out. As we checked things, Will picked 12 more muskmelons that were very ripe. Then we found a nice big Leelanau Sweetglo watermelon that […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/09/01/holy-cow-do-we-have-tomatoes/feed/ 19 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/27/were-having-a-beautiful-late-summer/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/27/were-having-a-beautiful-late-summer/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:31:25 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11768 Fortunately, we’ve been having some periodic, gentle rains that have actually been measurable, as opposed to those rare .017 of an inch, formerly this summer. And the temperatures have been nice too — in the 70’s during the day and low 50’s at night. The gardens have sure responded well. Will said in two weeks […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/27/were-having-a-beautiful-late-summer/feed/ 24 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/24/boy-is-the-harvest-ever-coming-in/ https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/24/boy-is-the-harvest-ever-coming-in/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:58:33 +0000 https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/?p=11762 Yesterday, I spent the day mowing big weeds (yep, we sure have those) with the riding lawnmower, in between plots and down paths, not to mention those growing in areas we’re leaving fallow due to earlier drought and then rain, then more drought, killing corn and plants in other plots. Whew! I’m talking about two […]]]> https://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/JackieClay/2026/08/24/boy-is-the-harvest-ever-coming-in/feed/ 21