Old found rosebush is blooming

My old found rosebushes are blooming, I got this rose bush from my mother, who had gotten it from her mother, we are not sure where it came from before that or even it's name, but this rose, well you know its about to burst open before it does because it smells soo good, then it opens and POW in your face, loaded with tons of blossoms with a bazillion petals, when I was a kid, my sister and brother and I used to grab off the nearly done roses and bomb each other with them, there would be petals everywhere! we smelled good though HA HA

they are fading and dropping, just like when we were kids and would torment each other with them

I found my photo from 2005 so you can see how bright they are when they first open, its not the best photo because my camera wasn't very good then and trying to blow it up didn't help

oh well, will just have to keep watch and get more good new photos of it up close

geesh, I opened up the bathroom window cuz it's such a prety day, and there lays Scooter, she is dead to the world, I had to get my camera, but she really is just having a very good sleep, scared me for sure though when I first seen her

 planter on front deck is starting to fill in

 my rocks are finally all done around the fish pond

 dirty birds, they love sitting on the hand railing and the pond, they get lots of drinks in there

strawberry patch in front by the railroad ties have really taken over, started with 12 plants, the rows behind them are all potatoes, then I have beans on the right fence

 white peony

 I do know all the names for these but at present don't remember them

 such pretty flowers and huge

 this clematis is stunning

hanging on my back door, nobody uses the front door here, everyone comes to the back kitchen door :)

Grass is a growin and strawberries are bloomin

Finally, the yard we seeded is growing, I can't wait to mow this beast!

 as much as I want to rake out the straw and start mowing, hubby says no :(

 its coming in FINALLY

 still a mess, but I am patient, well not really, but I sure am trying to be!

 LOVE this time of year, everything is greening up so pretty, things are starting to leaf out and even bloom

Scooter holdin down the fort, she loves layin in this are beside the back driveway and strawberry patch

 I should have had the "Preen" down, you can see I have little weeds trying to take over

 widdle green strawberries, gonna be an awesome year

 so pretty, the promise of something even better

the strawberry patch this year has tripled, we put in 12 plants to start with, the bed is now 5 feet by maybe 30 feet long?

Veggie garden & some canned salsa recipe

We have been hard at work fixing things up around this place and in the vegetable garden we put in as well as canning some of the goodies

I took a video for my CA friend, might as well share it here as well

just being goofy in the garden

these beefsteak tomatoes were huge, overhung the bread and were so delicious!

We also grow roma tomatoes for the sauces we make

homemade salsa, nothing like it, the kids eat it up like its going out of style

SALSA RECIPE

3 quarts peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes (15-20 lbs) we use Roma

3 cups chopped onions

6 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped (or banana pepper, what ever kind you like)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or use garlic chips found with spices, they give it a kick!)

2 six-ounce cans tomato paste - OR 2 Tablespoons CLEAR JEL this helps thicken it up

2 cups bottled lemon juice 

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)

2 tablespoons oregano leaves or chopped cilantro (optional)

Add all your tomatoes and seasonings into your stock pot, start simmering, I bring to

a quick hard simmer, almost boil then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes

Taste it as it cooks, adjust spices to what YOU like

Fill the jars with sauces and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, seat the lid and hand-tighten the ring around them.  

Boil the jars in the water bath canner for 15 minutes

Put them in the canner and keep them covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Keep the water boiling.

Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for pints 15 minutes

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight)  You can then remove the rings if you like, I do so they don't build up moisture and rust.

Makes about 9 pints.

 the tomato and pepper garden

 can't keep tall enough stakes in this tomato garden

 and you can hardly walk between the rows again 

 fried green tomatoes!!

 growing some german strawberry neighbor gave me to try

I even had to venture out into the flower beds with tomatoes this year because we ran out of room in the actual garden plot

 peppers, need lots for salsa

 area of strawberries, just put in this year, so over planted with peppers this year

more peppers