Save a few ears for corn relish...

Peter and Papa Jim husking some corn for corn relish. Peter is getting pretty darn good at this task.

Let's cut up some peppers, onions and toss into the corn.

Now, let's simmer some more of that lovely vinegar so we can fill a few (0k, 18) jars.

Corn Day at the Farm, hosted by Jim & Kat

This is a tradition that Jim had growing up, only it was in the basement of the homestead in Colden. He remembers it being messy and crowded. So we put a new twist on the freezing corn process. Husking and boiling in the turkey cooker with a barrel around it to keep the wind down.

Do you think he likes corn? Well, in the middle of winter we ALL do.

EVERYONE gets into the fun. We started out with a tote of corn (appox. 60 dozen ears).

Jake, Jan and Grandma Pat are the first to start the cutting. There is regular cut and cream corn. The cream corn is AMAZING.

Mike needs a rest and is keeping Sarah going? LOL Can you read her mind? I hope not. :)

The next shift of help was Lori and Molly...thanks girls!

Hey, we can see the bottom of the tote!

Our "go to" guy and supervisor was Papa Pete and he went to Bill Russell. The corn is so sweet and tender, perfect for freezing.

Jim came up with this system that includes custom made (by him) cutting boards that fit into a 4 inch deep pan and all the knives are EXTRA sharp.

Jim's special lesson on cream corn. Each kernel is sliced and then gently he pushes the meat and juice out. Sweet and yummy stuff it is.

Next shift is Jenny & Greg. Greg is a BIG fan of the freezer corn and wanted to be sure to join in the fun. :)

I think we ended up with over 80 quarts of corn for the freezer. Yeah!

Clean up is a breeze and the day was a BIG SUCCESS! Thanks everyone, enjoy the corn this winter!!

Better Homes & Gardens in Colden...almost :)

The patio floor begins to come to life. After LOTS of planning, insulation, pipes and leveling...the blocks are being laid.

Each of these pavers weigh 64 pounds. Watch your back baby! I have the big job of keeping him hydrated, documenting the progress and cheerleader. "let's go jimmy, let's go!" :)

Placement of the feet is critical so you don't mess up the surface.

WOW! The floor is coming along and looks fabulous. :)

Here Jim is putting on the restraining edge with large pins. And of course, a little rain MUST fall.

Ok, so this smile says it all...

Taking a "rain" break...I found him on the front porch taking a well deserved nap.

Preparing for the next few rows of pavers. Keep that level handy at ALL times. So Jim had lifted over 7,000 pounds of pavers yesterday.

As I am typing this update he is outside and whistling, that is a good sign. I think I need to add that to one of my favorite sounds. Whenever you hear an engineer whistle in a happy tune while working, it is a WONDERFUL thing, trust me. ;)

We have our first vision of how the patio will function. We had coffee outside this morning and I am planning dinner out there too, if the weather holds out. Porterhouse steaks, roasted garlic potatoes, fresh beans from the garden, stuffed banana peppers and peach pie. Call for reservations! LOL

A weekend of FUN FUN FUN...

I was going through some patio project pictures and I found this one...BEFORE, holy cow. When it is all done I will do more of the BEFORE & AFTER.

Look at the smile on this guys face! Jim called me outside and had these chairs ready for us to "imagine" the patio ALMOST finished. :)

Some extra tapping to prepare for the pavers!

Here we go with the tamper getting the ground ready for the pavers to be laid. We need to be sure it is all level and next step is some sand...wooo hooo...!

More summer fun!

When the heat gets to be too much, make your own breeze. :) He is STILL smiling! I actually heard him whistling while he worked today.

Well Jim thought he wasn't keeping busy enough with the patio and as long as he had mulch and topsoil handy he would plant a few more trees.

This is our newest garden 20x25 and all set with gravel, fabric, top soil and compost already rototilled and ready for next year. Looks like I'll be doing more canning and freezing...Yum.

Another shed for storing wood that Jim will cut his fall.

Patio work still continues and it is time to mulch the new plants.

Ok, now the summer heat has arrived and poor Jim is not slowing down a bit!! Who thought the days should be spent at the beach? LOL

A view from the roof...

I came home from errands today and Jim told me that he went out on the roof to take a few pictures. This one is looking to the right of the patio. :)

This one is looking straight ahead, sort of. :)

This one is looking to the left. What do you think? Pretty nice so far and we are dreaming of sipping that glass of wine in the back yard. :) :)

Color, beautiful summer color!

Peter and Jim both are off to bed and sound asleep and the rain has decided to visit us again. I can hear my wind chimes off in the distance and the damp air surrounding me. If you have followed this blog before you will notice I need to add some color to keep my muse flowing. We had this melon this morning for breakfast, yummy!

One of my favorite summer places is the East Aurora Farmer's Market. I just love the unique vendors and the produce is the finest. I always bring home some flowers to make me smile.