Hi All,
How many of you know what a pickle rock is? I certainly didn't. But I soon found out, as the Monger's cucumbers started to prolifically product. June has this great sweet pickle recipe that hangs on her frig, which was Bucky's mother, Althea's and probably has been handed over the generations. Without a doubt THE best sweet pickles I have ever eaten. Anyway, Bucky sliced up the cukes and put them into a three gallon crock, and June added the water and the kosher salt. Then she asked Bucky to go down and get the pickle rock - "pickle rock?" I ask. "Yes, pickle rock." Bucky came up with a large rock probably five pounds or more, with one flat side, and the whole thing smooth as a baby's tush. He inverted a plate on the pickles and held down with the pickle rock. Everyday, the rock and plate would be removed, and the pickles stirred, rock and plate washed off, and then replaced. After so many days, the pickles were drained, and cold water put in them, with plate and rock, and stirred everyday. Then the water was poured off, and clear cold water with alum along with the rock and plate, sit for 24 hours. Not 25 or 23, but 24 hours. Then everything is taken out, and drained and then the cukes get a boiling water bath, for a day, and then the syrup is made, sugar and vinegar and water, and poured over the pickles. Every 24 hours for two days, the syrup is drained, heated up, poured over the pickles again. Then the syrup is drained and heated to boiling. The pickles get jarred and the hot syrup poured over them, and the jars are sealed. And are they good!!!! I was eating them out of the crock, before June jarred them.

Along with plenty of cukes, they are also getting large amounts of summer squash, so between June and I we have had squash in about ten different ways, and today, feeling really good, I went online and found a summer squash cake, which is now baking in the oven. I will let you know how it is.

Frank brought over a huge bag of cherry tomatoes which were literally like eating candy. We finished those off within 24 hours. I am going to beg and plead for more!
Here we are getting lots of yellow tomatoes, some red ones, lots of green peppers, and now the green beans are producing like rabbits. What we will do with all these beans I have no idea. I am eating my share! Along with all the other fresh veggies!

June and Bucky leave on their cruise on the 17th, and with all this produce to deal with June is getting a little overwhelmed, to say the least. They went out and picked up apples from a friend, and I think I peeled two bushels of them and made applesauce, which was quite simply the best applesauce I have ever eaten.

I go to the doctor on Tuesday, the 10th. I am feeling so much better, that I even can lay on my side when I sleep without hurting. I am finally getting some good sleep. I am hoping that he says that the fracture is healing. Then I want to talk to him about my travels, and the upcoming wedding. I am fully aware that I will need a knee replacement, but would like to put that off as long as possible. I would come back here for it.

This afternoon I am going over to Jennifer's house (June's daughter) for a cookout. Those were my marching orders from June!! That is the term we always used for mother when she was planning family reunions!

It is a beautiful day out, a little warm, but not too humid, which is great. I sit here on the porch looking out at the bird feeder and all the birds gathered around waiting their turn at the seed. The grackles keep trying to get into it, but can't. It is funny to watch them.

More to you later. Happy pickling!

Adieu, Adios, Mahalo,
Love, Sally