Ages 70+

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  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Here the most common apples are Honeycrisp, Empire, Cortland, Gingergold, 20 ounce, Macintosh,Northern Spy., Jonathan. We are lucky that there are farm stands and stores close by.if we had our own trees the deer would eat everything.
    I think New York State is second in apple production after Washington state.
    Wanted to exercise today but after errands and chores there wasn’t much time.
    Hope to get a bike ride in tomorrow.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Very nice apple varieties. Most are probably for zone 3 or 4 I think. We are zone 2 so have to be careful what variety we choose as are winters can be too harsh. Have gotten away with some zone 3 plants in the yard though if planted in a sheltered location. My new plum is zone 3 and wintered very well but I planted it in with my apple and pear trees.

    Finished with my pie making for now. Have nine tucked away in the freezer to enjoy later in the fall/winter. Not sure if I will do anything with my September Ruby apples. They are very small. Won't be ready until later in September so have time to think about it.

    Hubby is still swathing the wheat. Taking longer as some areas have been flattened quite a bit from wind. Has to go slower to pick it up. Might finish today.

    Coyote is staying out of my carrots. Went out and picked a few along with some cucumbers and dug up a hill of potatoes. Nice to have homegrown produce.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Used my cucumbers to make refrigerator pickles today. Organized my new basement craft area a bit. Should have exercised but didn’t have it in me after yesterday’s 22.5 miles bike ride.
    I live in zone 6. Amazed you can grow so much where you are!
  • dena789
    dena789 Posts: 165 Member
    Wondering if I could join in here? I just turned 72 and I’m working at dropping another 35 to 45 pounds. I used MFP a few years ago and managed to drop 84 pounds but I had picked some of those back up again. I started again seriously right after my sisters and I got together in February when I realized I was, once again, the heaviest of us. There was a time in my younger years when I didn’t have a weight problem, was always the thinnest and I’ve struggled to get it through my brain that that person/time is long gone. At my heaviest, I was 269#. I was able to get down to 185# and slowly, over the last 7 years I ballooned back up to 234#. So, I got myself back to tracking my food every day since February 24th. I’ve lost 22# thus far. It’s slow progress but I’m ok with that. At least it hasn’t been going up!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    dena789 Welcome to our little group. Well done on your weight loss....22# is amazing. My weight loss is very slow. Started at 188 lbs the last week of July and now down to 184. My ultimate goal is to get to 150 but I have a mini goal to get to 179 by the end of September. I try to stay within my calorie goal of 1200/day and have added walking outside for 30 minutes per day.

    oceanmelody Wow..that is a long bike ride! Yes, living in zone 2 can bring it's challenges. We have very cold winters but warm summers. I can grow lots of different types of vegetables during the summer with no problem. The one thing that has come a long way since I started gardening (over 50 years ago) is corn. When I started, the only corn variety was normal sugar. Now they have a lot of sugar enhanced that are under 70 days and do well in our area. I have never tried the supersweet varieties as they tend to be over 70 days to maturity which I don't think will work for our shorter season.

  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Hi Dena789! It sounds like you are doing really well! It’s hard to lose any weight when you get older, I think. I would just be happy to lose 15 pounds more, but the scale seems stuck in a two up two down position.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Scale took another dip this morning so down to 183. Happy about that....slowly coming down.

    Hubby finished swathing and of course it has now rained. Will probably be a good week before he can try combining. We didn't get very much rain but even just a bit can slow things down. Hopefully harvest will not be a long process.

    Tomatoes are still green but I noticed that the Beefsteak ones are just starting to turn a bit. Read an article yesterday about the origin of tomatoes which was quite interesting. The author went on to say that the best tasting tomato in the world is the San Marzano which is an heirloom paste tomato. I have six of them growing in my garden for the first time and waiting for them to ripen. They appear to be greener than the Beefsteak ones so I may end up having to pick them green to ripen in the house. Depends when we get frost alerts.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Took a long walk in the woods at a new to us park. It was quite lovely, but trail markings made lots of appearances early on, then dwindled. Never did find any trail other than red! Oh, well. Wound up walking more than we had planned.
    Not getting as many tomatoes as I’d like, but cucumbers are doing well. San Marzanos sound fabulous!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Well done on the walking. My cucumbers are very slow. Have lots of blossoms but not many cucumbers at any given time. Have just been enjoying them fresh and not sure if I will have enough to make pickles.

    Overcast today and hoping it won't rain. Hubby may start combining tomorrow.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Canoe ride today. Beautiful lake with no motor boats. Perfect weather. Shoulders will hurt in the morning!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Canoe ride sounds wonderful! Nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

    Looks like a sunny, warm day here. Had just a bit of a shower yesterday so no combining yet. Hubby may try later tomorrow. Hopefully this harvest season isn't going to drag out.

    Not much planned for the day. Will do a couple loads of laundry and then get outdoors to enjoy the weather. I noticed that our Ohio Buckeye tree has turned all red which is early but definitely a sign of fall fast approaching.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Rain and clouds until sunset.
    Errands, no real erercise. But no watering needed, either!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    edited September 1
    Going to be a hot couple of days with 28 C today and 31 C tomorrow. Hubby just went out to combine a sample of the wheat to see if it is dry enough to start taking off. If it gets to 31 tomorrow it will be too hot to combine....will see what happens.

    Tried to sit outside this morning but the wasps are relentless. I think we must have a huge nest in the trees by the house as you can hear a lot of buzzing in the morning and then they are around the yard and in the apple trees. My fruit orchard is close to the house and at one end of our yard site. They are even annoying the dogs.

    Checked my garden this morning and looks like something is eating my corn and knocking stalks over. I think it's a bear as I doubt a coyote would do that much damage. My carrots are still being left alone though so may just be a coyote.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    edited September 1
    dena789 Hope you are doing well.

    oceanmelody Nice to read your posts....thank you!
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    I have many critters that want to devour my yard, but at least bears are not on that list! A minor panic in these parts at the news that coyotes have been sighted in a park.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Coyotes can be quite aggressive in urban centers and people have to be mindful of not only themselves but their pets. In our rural area, coyote sightings are the norm and they tend to be afraid of humans. I have come across them frequently and they have always run off when they spot me. Bears are a different story and when I spot one it has always been in the distance and given a wide berth. I tend to take my bigger dog with me when I go out to the garden just in case as he is good at alerting me of any wildlife. The garden is sheltered by trees on one side and a bear could be hidden in there very easily.

    Grandson (13 years old) started playing hockey at age 6 for their local minor hockey team. This year he tried out for the Maple Leafs which is a very competitive team and was notified yesterday that he has been selected. So excited for him as I know he has been trying very hard to get on that team.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    That’s wonderful about your grandson!
    My daughter’s boyfriend introduced her to hockey last year. Now she’s an avid fan and goes to many games.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Got about 1/2 inch of rain yesterday so combining is off until maybe the weekend. Cloudy today but hopefully no more rain. Going to be a hot weekend with temps in the 30's so hubby may have to combine at night when it cools down. Will see what happens.

    Not much planned for the day other than housework.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Busy morning doing perogies. Did eleven dozen potato and bacon ones all tucked away in the freezer. Picked one of my San Marzano tomatoes yesterday that ripened on the vine. Was so good! Will definitely be looking for this variety next year.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Oh my gosh you made my favorite food! Did you boil them before freezing or just assemble them?
    I am having a hard time figuring out why the scale hates me after going on several long hikes, a canoe ride, a bicycle ride, a trek in a stream bed. Trying very hard to not eat much. So frustrating!!!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    I boil my perogies then freeze them. I like to fry them when I take them out to prepare for a meal. We don’t have them very often but enjoy them occasionally.

    I know the scale can be frustrating. You are doing amazing with your exercising….keep up the good work. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you will see that darn scale dip!

    Pulled out my kobo reader that I haven’t used in a couple of years. Decided to get a library card and download Libby. Have about 40+ books that I purchased on my reader and looking through Libby, there are a lot of books I’m sure I can enjoy for free. Have to go into town to our local library next week and get my card.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    I’m a retired librarian so I am so happy you will have access!
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    I do a lot of reading in the winter. Got my kobo all set up and was able to sign in with the temporary card I got online. Downloaded one book and put holds on a few new bestsellers that will be available in a few months. With a small library I know there will be a waiting period for the more popular ebooks but that’s ok. I have a few favourite authors that I haven’t read and will be looking through what is available.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Bit of laundry this morning. Hubby will take another test of wheat to see if it is dry enough to combine. Very smokey this morning from wildfires in BC and going to be hot at +30 C.

    Scale has been bouncing around this past week going from 183 to 182....back and forth. At 183 this morning so looks like no weight loss this past week. OK with that as I know it will eventually come down. Sticking to healthy eating and 1200 calories.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Scale was better yesterday. Skipped it today. Went to a local garlic festival. Was much cooler and very windy after a rainy night!
    Sad to hear of the wildfires and heat. It has been beastly in California where we have family.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Festival sounds like fun....hope you enjoyed. Good the scale was being nice to you. Was at 182 again this morning which was two days in a row so looks like another pound off. Happy with that and down 6 pounds in total. Not sure I will reach my 179 goal for the end of September as this is coming off very slowly.

    Have read about 1/2 of my library book that I have on my kobo reader. I also put a hold on a few others and was notified yesterday that another one I selected is now available. Thought it would be two weeks before I would get it but it's available now so I downloaded it. Have 13 days to read my books and have the option to extend the time if needed. I'm enjoying this free reading!
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Six pounds is impressive!
    Tired today but managed a walk in a canal town east of here we had never explored. Within 5 minutes I ran into a former colleague who had moved to the town with her husband where they are starting a ministry and restoring a very old church. Such a small world.
    Beautiful but windy day.
    Trying to not start any new books because we will be traveling in a week and a half and I don’t want to pack anything large. Don’t have a reader and not crazy about reading on the phone.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    How nice for the chance encounter with your former colleague. I'm sure you enjoyed catching up.

    I switched to reading on my kobo a few years ago and find it nice to take with me when travelling. Easy to slip into my carryon to use on the plane and to do a bit of reading in the evenings at hotels. Wasn't really fond of using it to begin with as took time to get used to not having the actual book to enjoy but got used to it over time and now really like it. There is no way I would even attempt to read a book on my phone.....screen is way too small.
  • Joy1580vb
    Joy1580vb Posts: 429 Member
    Had an unexpected light frost last night. I am hoping my tomatoes are ok....time will tell. Forecast was for +5 C but at 7:30 this morning it was down to +3 C.
  • oceanmelody
    oceanmelody Posts: 469 Member
    Pouring rain yesterday, morning fog and then sunshine. Just got back from a long walk. Was a beautiful evening. Tomorrow it’s time for a car inspection. Do they have those in Canada?

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