Butchering and canning

I didn't like it but I had to get up early this morning. We had 10 dark Cornish chickens that needed to be butchered and taken care of. We got started about 8 this morning before it got too hot. Only took about 1 1/2 hours to do them up. With 2 people plucking and I do all the cut up work. Then off to the summer kitchen to get the meat bagged up and the stock on to cook. I alas season my stock with celery, onion, carrot, parsley, salt and pepper with a splash of vinegar. The vinegar helps leach the calcium out of the bones and into the stock. So it is very wholesome and good for the body. I had 4 jars of chicken thighs and the rest stock. That is the makings of some good chicken soup or dumplings.
I had planned on going out to pick some blackberries this evening but by time all the canning was done it was quite late. So I can do that tomorrow evening. I did go pick a few wild berries in the back drive way  and ate all of them on the way back to the house. Jason got the yards mowed this afternoon and good thing. Gosh the grass was so thick and it needs raked badly. But I doubt I have time for that kinda nonsense. We got a little sprinkle of rain this evening too and it got even hotter after the sun came back out. If I feel real energetic tomorrow I might rake up some of the thickest parts of the grass and compost it. That's a big IF. I still need to get back to the garden and mulch the celery and plant some other beans, more beets, mustard and turnip and maybe some rutabagas. Next month will be time to start the late cabbage and broccoli plants.
We have  a few tomatoes that are almost ripe on the plants in the back yard. Am so tickled. I cant wait to taste the first tomato of the season.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella