The Mrs. asked me to
– make some extra
– blackberry jam so she can take it to the
granddaughters in Pennsylvania next month. Told her I would since that is one little chore I rather enjoy doing. I decided to make two batches instead of one. Mind you, a batch of blackberry jam is five cups of berry juice and six and a half cups of sugar.
Checking the ingredients, I had plenty of blackberries, a lots of sugar and two pouches of Sure Gel along with another case of store bought pint jars with rings and seals; I was ready to start jamming. Got one batch cooked, canned and cooling on the counter which equaled almost six pints. Sieved the next batch of berries and had them in the cooker on the stove. I was measuring sugar for the next batch in a separate bowl and came up about a little over a cup short.
“Horse feathers!” I said, and had to shut everything down and drive to the store for another bag of sugar to complete the process. A bit of inconvenienced and somewhat frustrated, I finished the product with a final tally of ten pints. An incredible amount of sugar is involved in putting up blackberry jam so next time IÕll have an extra bag of sugar set back.
One of my buds from Day Lake called and said the water is at 31 feet level and no telling when it will stop rising. Boy howdy, thatÕs all I need another mud party at the cabin cleaning with no attendees. Sure enough, I got on the computer and checked USGSÕs web site @ (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/uv?08067000) for the water level for the Trinity River @ Liberty, TX. Water was at 25 feet and a huge sigh of relief was forth coming not to mention a phone call to my friend whose cabin is next to ours down there. Water does not enter the cabin of this old Snake Charmer until it gets to 29 feet then we got waterfront property.
I told the Mrs. that I was thinking of selling the cabin. Somehow or Ônother, I think she likes for me and the Four Dog to go to the cabin so she can have her peace and quiet at times too. Maybe IÕll just keep it.
The Henderson boys are cooking fish for a benefit at the Boat Club on July 10th for Hopelene Johnson. There will be some of my chowchow available at the silent auction as well as a limited supply of blackberry jam so come on down, starts at 11:00.
What did the fish say when it hit the wall? Dam.