Canning

  Nothing smells sweeter than a kitchen during harvest.  The sweet scent of pickling spice and dill.  Peaches in the drier.  Pears and plums.  Grapes awaiting the juicer.  It transforms the kitchen into a small piece of heaven. 
  Kettles strategically placed throughout the kitchen, heaping with garden produce.  The water bath canner bubbling at a constant rate.  A marathon, a sweet one.  Empty jars at one end of the room...waiting.  Completed jars on the other....full....satisfaction.  The cooling rack loaded, waiting for the "ping" of freshly processed works of art.  Its harvest....its beautiful.
  There is now a well worn path from the garden to the kitchen.  Small hands carrying buckets...feet running back and forth...small bites of cucumbers and tomatoes along the way.  They enjoy this as much as I
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  Transformation.  Hard work.  Making Memories.  All to the scent of sweet spices and smells.

 Treasure hunting in the garden.

 Tomatoes. Check.  Cucumbers. Check.

Fresh Pickles in the making:

 Cucumbers.

Add a little spice.

Dill and Vinegar.

And.....with a little time....Homemade Pickles....Yum!

A Trip to the Orchard:

Fresh Peaches.

A good bucket to pack them in.

Pears.

And...back to the Home Front:

Preparation.

A good canner.

And...these....

Become these...

Satisfaction.

My finger nails are now a shade of brown.  My floor now resembles Elmer's glue.  My kids have a winter stock pile of yummy fruits and veggies.  My kitchen smells delicious.  And...I am happy.

**I will clean my floor as soon as I am done blogging. <wink> <wink>**