The Spider Truce Comes To An Abrupt End

These are some of my tomatoes.  I really blew it on my romas this year but the slicers have done nicely and I've had a steady supply of really wonderful tomatoes from the monastery garden.  My friend Lisa E. made a tomato sauce recipe from a preserving book of hers and recommended I try it.  You simply roast your tomatoes for a while with some garlic and herbs and then blend it up in the food processor with the skin and all.  I tried it out and I have got to say that it was incredibly good!

Today I canned 9 quarts of peaches.  I have one more box of peaches but I'm afraid I won't have time to can more before they go bad so I may have to simply freeze them.  I am relieved to have at least done one canning project.  I do love doing it.  It makes me feel calmer and satisfied.  I don't think I'll ever get over the magic that results from jars, hot water, and produce.  Somehow I don't feel right if I haven't put any newly filled warm jars in my pantry.

I have located an elderberry bush/tree down the street from me which is planted on the side of a private drive on the edge of a creek bed (which is dry).  I knocked on the door of the nearest house and asked if that was their elderberry.  The woman who answered seemed almost frightened that she opened her door to a madwoman raving about bushes she had never noticed and I felt so sad that I should have caused her such bewilderment.  The upshot,  however, is that not only did she know nothing about the tree in question, she also didn't know who owned that little strip of property.  Which I think is singularly silly.  That's not a renter's neighborhood and I don't know any home owners who aren't aware of who owns what adjacent to their own lot.  So my plan is to go back there tomorrow the minute I get done with work and snip myself several ripe bunches of pretty pale-bloomed berries.  My friend Lisa B. gave me some elderberries yesterday and although I didn't mind all the worms (you can wash those away) most of the berries were already off of their stems and there were tons of brown wrinkled (rotting) berries and I don't know if you've seen elderberries?  They are very small...so I just didn't see it being worthwhile to spend all night picking the bad ones out.  (I'm sorry Lisa!)

My suspicion is that the elderberry is on city property.  But anyway, if someone gets mad that I'm snipping away I'll just say I didn't know who to ask (which is conveniently true) and since it's bordering the creek...no one will mind...surely?  I hate getting in trouble though.  I just can't resist.  I need to make elderberry syrup. 

In more disturbing news- the kitchen spider truce has come to an abrupt end as the giant arachnid has fled the agreed on province of all house spiders: the kitchen or outside.  She had some wicked long striped legs and although I really appreciate a striped anything, I can feel those hairy legs (though not hairier than mine) climbing up my bed like an intrepid hiker on the ragged steep sides of the Himalayas.  And if that old girl should happen to surprise me in any way?  I will smoosh her.  I tried this whole peaceful living with arachnid gig and while I could see her it was all flowers and singing hillsides...oh beautiful nature- so incredible!- so wild!- so zany!

That is absolutely the last time I let a spider camp out in my house.  In all fairness, had I tried to ID her before tonight I would have known that orb weavers do not generally live in houses anyway and she might have thanked me more if I had gently extradited her to the outdoor territory.  She would have been happier.  She's big.  Did I mention the hairy legs?  So I might not sleep that well tonight.  Especially because I have just spent a half an hour looking up spiders of the Pacific Northwest and creeped myself out big time.  My skin is literally itchy right now with imagined arachnids climbing my skin.

I am not pleased to know about a local spider that I was previously blissfully unaware of: Meet The Mouse Spider

Now we can share the creepitude.  I love opportunities to share. 

It's time for me to go lie down and read for a bit before bed.  I feel like I'm getting back to myself with manic numbers of new posts.  I feel better writing here every day.  I will have to refocus on the book soon and may return to only posting a couple of times a week, but if I do, it will not be for long. 

I hope you all have a spider-free sleep!