Friday, October 12, 2007

Tomato Harvest - Eastern Oregon Style!


The Big Harvest.. Green Tomatoes..



Take a 2nd look! Notice anything 'funny'?

So, last Sunday, during 'break time' from SOF, the kids and I went out in the yard to clean up the garden and harvest as many tomatoes as we could.. Keep in mind, we've had about 5 frost days, so I could only get the ones that were not damaged.... This is so typical of Eastern Oregon! Just as soon as the tomatoes start to turn red, we get a frost... usually the first weekend of September... Our growing season is very short!

Oh.. notice anything 'funny' hanging over the window valences? Hmm??? That would be my sheets and pillow cases. No, not trying to conserve resources..or share my 'bedroom linens'. MY STINKING DRYER DIED! Why on earth it has to die during cold weather is beyond me...hello... How about summer, when it's warm and a nice breeze blows through? Eh? Well, that's not entirely true.. Since we live on a ranch, flies sit on the clothes and leave fly presents.. I actually tried doing the laundry line thing before, heard sunshine is a great whitener, and your clothes smell so much better when line dried... Murphy's Law again... The dryer is just over a year old... typical appliances of the 21st century! Or, is it 22nd?

So, it is now Friday... 6 days later... Dryer is still broken. I did have a service dude come out on Tuesday... Need a new heating element. I bought the dryer from Sears. A funky little store in Baker City.. Which is being sold - the store, that is. The Sears service dudes would not get here until today, even though I called on Monday...and, they can only be reached through a painfully horrid voice activated 1-800 number.. ACK! The Sears service dudes have to come from Walla Walla in Washington (3 hrs away!)... I live in Oregon. For crying out loud! Mr. Independent service guy has been here before... for other stuff... Parts are ordered.. most likely on the slow boat...and arriving Monday or Tuesday of next week, if I am lucky...

So, I have two lines strung across the living room, the woodstove is going, and little people laundry is drying... I'm just doing the kid's clothes for now. Did you know, that clothes that dry on a line are very wrinkly and stiff? Poor soccer shirts! I'm Holding Out. I am not into wrinkly or stiff clothes...... I'll bet that is how fabric softener got invented! For the clothesline people! Who knew?

The kids love the laundry line setup... They run through it... toss a ball over it... the joys of youth! They are so darn cute.. Wish I was getting a kick out of it as well.... It could always be worse.. The washer would be on the fritz as well, and I could be hand washing clothes, like a real woman of the wild west! ... Nah, I actually do have my limits! ... I'd be purchasing some new appliances and calling it good!

6 comments:

Tami B. said...

My mouth is watering just looking at all those green tomatos. I love fried green tomatos...grandma used to make them. yummy. Sorry about your dryer.

Anonymous said...

I must say, between the tomato harvest and the indoor laundry line, you live a well-rounded life.

Country life. I love the city. Aunt Alice.

*karendianne. said...

Why am I laughing? Because this is damn funny that's why!!! Life is so much fun when its shared. I enjoyed reading how the kids were enjoying this fun, too.

I forgot about the wood stove! We used to dry clothes on that wooden drying rack in front of the wood stove when I was a kid.

What was that about? I have not a clue! But its funny how you bring that memory back. Trippy. I digress.

Great, fun filled post. Again, life is so much fun when its shared. And umm, just so you know, things are still growing here in Florida. Wanna swap a couple days 'cause I could use the chill!!!

Dawn said...

ACK ACK ACK...what a way to start your day.... I would let you use mine if you want to fly out here with your dirty laundry lol

Michelle said...

Oh my goodness, don't even get me started on Sears! They are supposed to be here on Wednesday...I won't hold my breath. They have been nothing but trouble for me over the past several weeks.

Kerilou said...

Oh, Andi! I so feel your pain! I have been in several situations exactly like this!! You don't know how much you love your laundry machines until you have to truck garbage bags of clothes to your mom's or your neighbors!! I have clothes hangers on my ceiling all winter for drying clothes...they dry so fast over our wood stove!! My mom has brought in her tomatoes, too!

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