Friday, March 13, 2009

Black Gold

Just got back from getting a load of composted horse manure. Great stuff and potent medicine for the garden. This stuff is still smoking and composting. The new expanded metal floor my daughter put in the wagon worked great (Thanks minimonk!) The nice girl at the stable even helped me load and it cost me nothing but a little shoveling. I love free shit :-)... I was really surprised when I pulled up and she came out to greet me with a lovely English accent. She has lived here for about 16 years but originally came from Manchester. I guess I owe her a few tomatoes and melons for the assistance, plus I will be back for more horse poop before too long.

Really turned a bit cooler here. Only 52 at three in the afternoon which is 20 degrees cooler than just two days ago. There is still no forecast for frosty temperatures on the horizon which is good.

The cool weather prompted a nice pot of pinto beans the aroma of which is now drifting through the house. I inherited my grandmother's earthenware bean pot and I am not sure if she inherited or not. It is perfect for a pound of beans, an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, a dash of red pepper flakes and a bay leaf. Fill it with the above and water to the top and into a 300 degree over for 3 or 4 hours and you are ready to eat. Buttermilk cornbread required, of course.

Supposed to start raining soon and rain all weekend which will pretty much put a halt to garden work. We need the rain and everything is done that needs doing this time of year. I may put some more lettuce and chard in the dirt this afternoon but it is not critical...just an excuse to dig.

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