Mmm… green beans and ham.  The meat is some of the cured pork that we buy whenever we go up to the processor about an hour north of where we live.  They bag and freeze chunks that are analogous to bacon ends.  I’m not sure what their curing method is, soaking in a brine is my guess, then smoking for a spell.Mrs J is getting serious about wrapping up the patio container garden.  I picked most of the peppers.  The small sweet peppers are great for pickling – I have been using a simple water/vinegar/sugar pickle.  The habs and the Anaheims were frozen whole.  I noticed the jalapenos were starting to wrinkle so they got the same pickling as the little grape sized peppers.  Still to go are a bunch of cayennes, and the ornamental tri-color peppers that have proved to be hot hot hot.  Some other tri-colored peppers have no heat at all.They brought this long haired chihuahua to the shelter the other day.  He was found running free by the roadside with his son.  No tags or owner.  They think he’s about 8 years old.  Heartworm positive, he’ll be there a while, his son has been adopted and he is all alone.A neighbor called yesterday evening, telling Mrs J there was a momma cat and her kittens abandoned by the road.  She found the mom and three kittens right away.  They were hungry.  Another sweep through the same area found three more kittens.

They all seem to be healthy.  We have them all in the back barn for now, all set up with litter boxes and bedding.Bookending the post with beans.  These are red beans and rice.  Kroger surprised me the other day with Andouille sausage.  I bought a ring and used it here.  Just about the perfect addition to the classic bean dish.  I tossed in a few boneless chicken thighs to keep the sausage company.