Help with the harvest...picnics and beans

The last several days were just more of the same.  I am working on getting things organized for the upcoming trip to Alaska and Minnesota.  I am trying to tidy up the house by uncluttering some more as well as beginning to gather things that I would like to take on my trip and see if I can get them all into two suitcases within weight limits for the airlines.

Some days I do better than others, but each day I make progress and that is a good thing.

Today I had another picnic to attend.  One of my BFF's was having a picnic with some of her newer friends that she went on a cruise this spring/summer.  She had invited me to come, too and I had agreed.  When I asked her what I should bring, she asked me to make my baked beans.  So, for the 5th time this summer, I would be making the beans my mother had gotten so good at making.

The picnic was originally scheduled for Saturday, but the forecast had indicated there might be some storms.  So they had decided to move it to Sunday, but by the time they made that decision, the beans were already in cooking mode.  But it was not a big deal.  They just sat and blended in the basement fridge to be heated through today while I was at church.  I have to say, of all of the beans I have made this summer, these turned out the best.  I has soaked a pound and a half of the Navy Beans.  I used the medium roasting pan and about 15 hours of total cooking time.  The people today made quite a dent in them, but I will have some to either eat the rest of the week or freeze.  Honestly, I love these beans, but I am about done eating them for the time being.

Before I headed to Debby's house today, I had put Winston and Miles out for their final pee before I left.  I usually try to give them a good 15 minutes to wander around the yard.  So, I went out and called for them to come in.  Most of the time, Winston comes romping around the left corner of the deck roof from the lilac bush that he has claimed as his den.  He loves to go over there, crawl under the bush and dig some holes where he lies in the cool earth in the summer.  His blue lead was going in that direction, but he was not bounding around the corner.  I moved to where I could see him and he appeared to be playing with a ball... except there are no toys outside.

Last night, when they went out for their final pee, I had found Winston in the corner of the garden with one of my tomato plants.  I yelled at him and he came out of the plant, covered in tomato leaves and smelling like a freshly smooshed tomato leaf... stinky!!

So I am guessing that today he went over there and had retrieved a not quite ripe tomato and had taken it to his lilac den and had been playing around at burying it.  His actions are to bury an item, then dig it up and bury it in a different place and then dig it up again.  I yelled at him and then went over to the corner and pulled on his lead and he came very easily but with the tomato firmly held in his teeth.  I know better than to grab at something that he sees as food, so we just trotted into the back door where he dropped the juicy orb and allowed me to pick it up.

Nothing like a dog who has an affinity for tomatoes and wants to help harvest tomatoes for you!  He does keep my life interesting.

Pictures of the poor tomato that he harvested, please note the mud on the bottom!!