It is now Tuesday, September 6th. Labor Day weekend is behind us. For many, that means summer is over. For those of us fortunate enough to be securely retired, summer will continue for a couple more weeks.
I have mentioned before that Labor Day weekend makes me feel melancholy, still getting that end of summer loss of freedom feeling that the start up of the school year always gave me.
Well, I didn't get that feeling this year! It must be that it is 2020 and nothing is the same. But I did still continue the tradition I started some years back of going to capture the sunset on Labor Day as the sun sets on summer.
The Des Moines Marina, on Puget Sound, south of Seattle, is the perfect nearby place to do that.
But the weekend was not all about the ending of summer. On Sunday I actually got something done. I went for my walk and did my PT exercises, and I picked flowers.
I roasted the fresh tomatoes with herbs from the garden. I ran the frozen tomatoes under hot water to loosen and remove the skins. I chopped them up and cooked them. Then I removed the skins from the roasted tomatoes, added them to the pot, smoothed them all out with an immersion blender, and cooked it all for an hour to reduce and thicken the sauce.
I now have four pints of tomato sauce in the freezer. It's a start.
I now have four pints of tomato sauce in the freezer. It's a start.
We have been having high winds, high temperatures, and very low humidity and the fire danger is very high, even here on the west side of the mountains. One small town has been wiped out and more are threatened. We have power outages, and there is debris from trees everywhere. We have a big clean up to do once the wind settles.
Summer isn't done with us yet.
Interesting that you mention the going back to school feeling. That feeling hasn't hit me for a few years. The school year starting was a big deal and a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunset after a blustery day. I'm sure that wind only made the wildfires that much worse. I feel for the unfortunate people who have lost their homes because of it.
ReplyDeleteThe sun really put on a marvelous good bye show for you. I was wondering if you were effected by the fires and smoke. So glad that so far you are doing OK. It is terrible what is going on with the west coast. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteIt's the strangest year for all of us. With everything changed and the election on the horizon, I feel a sense of foreboding that is unusual for me. I love all your sunset pictures, Linda. :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of the sunset!
ReplyDeletePhotographing the sunset is a great Labor Day tradition.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about that "start of a new year" angst that comes with the unofficial end of summer and it's absence this year. My sense of time and usual patterns is all amok.
I could almost taste your tomato sauce-sounds good. What a lovely sunset...we've had terrible winds in UTah and more heat but today the temps are down to 58 and it definitely feels like the end of summer but it will continue this weekend with 100 degrees again...
ReplyDeleteThat is the most beautiful sunset. Glad you are feeling better and are out picking flowers. The flowers are so pretty! This has been some year. I hate to wish time away but I am looking forward to starting a new year, hopefully, a much better year for all of us.
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty sunset! You must be feeling better to do some tomatoes! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunset pictures! Hope you all stay safe and well.
ReplyDeleteThose are absolutely gorgeous sunsets, Linda. Wow! You can make your own tomato sauce? That is amazing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! How blessed you are to live around so much water.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting that in each gardening season some plants takes the limelight, and some wither almost from the start. Your zinnias look beautiful. Mine - not so much. :)
I have about 30 lbs. of tomatoes in the freezer. Will make marinara when the plants in my son's garden stop producing -- probably in another 2 or 3 weeks.