The Old Codger says that TonTon thinks skunks are his long lost brothers being Black and White and all. NO Ton they may be pretty but they are laughing at you.
TonTon hates the skunk off. But it is the only thing that will take out the smell.
I put up an electric fence in the field and opened the gate for the piglets yesterday, so they could get out onto the grass with my permission as opposed to tunneling under the fences without my permission.
Look into the back of this shot. The little Gilt has run straight under the electric fence giving herself a shock on the way so she does not want to go back the same way she came out. Though Ton is trying to put her back.
He has called in reinforcements.
And eventually after she had played Mouse and Elephant with Daisy for a while she was persuaded back under another fence and into the paddock where I was able to walk her back to the barn. 
Thirsty baby.
The first of the summer sauces went into the crock pot.
Ninety five percent tomatoes. I just roughly chop everything up, no peeling. Cook for about 4 hours until soft, then using my stick blender I blend it then cook on low overnight until it is a beautiful thick heavy sauce. Every summer I make a batch every 24 hours for weeks, the crock pot will run about 24 hours a day until all the tomatoes are in or the crock pot gives up. Often the latter!
Good morning. My dehydrator has been running since I took it out of the box, we are working our way through the last of the apples. Zucchini chips and celery are high on the list. If you have any hints or suggestions, those would be most welcome as this is the first year I have used a dehydrator. I am wondering now how I ever did without it.
Have a lovely day.
your friend on the farm, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
49 responses to “Somebody has been playing with Skunks”
Dehydrated almost 200 hundred lemons off our tree last year; the slices are great in tea (of course) but also to brighten up stews and baking! They grind easily, peel and all.
wow.. i am deeply envious of your lemon tree.. c
Celi, do you cook the tomatoes for 4 hours on high, and then overnight on low? I love the idea of making it in the crockpot! Thanks!!! Di
Yes that is about right, blend after the four hours, if you have a stick blender it is much easier, and the longer you leave it the more it renders down and the thicker it gets.. wonderful stuff.. I freeze piles of it!
Just one more quick question Celi. What is a stick blender? Is it the same thing as a potato masher to mash potatoes with by hand??? Or is it the tool you use to whip eggs??? I’m going back to your summer sauce recipe from last year to find some of the other ingredients you put in!
Put in anything that you pick that day, http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-77-Blender-Chopper-Attachments/dp/B0006G3JRO.. here is the thing! I use it for everything.. very handy.. this has attachments that i don’t have but I am working fast, i have a sick piglet.. c
That sauce sounds heavenly. I’ll have to tell mom about it. Snorts on the piglets. They are growing so fast! I just don’t remember growing like a little weed like that. AND, they are so funny in their little misadventures. I love them! How is my honey Charlotte doing these days? XOXO – Bacon
Charlotte is doing OK.. she is enjoying the peace and quiet out the back. I am sure she will come up trumps, she just prefers things to happen slowly.. c
The little pigs are just delightful to watch as they grow. Ton is such a good line leader! Skunks–for some reason I’m surprised that you have them. It shows my ignorance, I know, but I can’t quite figure out where they “come from” and then how they live in such open space. You provide so much valuable information, Celi, but I find my lack of knowledge so vast when I think in terms of your life on the farm…you send me to my friend Mr. Google quite often! 🙂 I can smell that delicious crockpot sauce all the way from here. I hope you have a safe and wonderfully rich weekend. ox
Never a dull day at the Farmy! Naughty piglet and TonTon, you certainly have your hands full, Celi!
I think the Old Codger is right about TonTon – he doesn’t seem to get the message 😦
Our three dogs killed a skunk one year. They cornered it in a corner of the house right along Dad’s bedroom. Dad was furious because the scent was on the stucco of the house. The dogs were So Pleased with Themselves!
It’s the end of summer and dry…skunks!
Will be looking forward to ideas/ suggestions concerning the dehydrator. Think one of those must be added my Santa list.
Love your slow cooker sauce “recipe.” What a great way to capture the taste of summer.
Poor TonTon! Did you ever try tomato sauce? I heard that works, but who knows for sure?
I did and no it doesn’t.. c
Oh man, skunked is bad. I’ve noticed even after de-skunking, that rain or damp weather kind of brings it back out again. When I was a kid I found an abandoned baby skunk & talked my parents into letting me keep him. My dad brought him to the vet to have him de-skunked. The vet kindly asked us not to ever bring another one back! But, even after he always had a certain odor about him.
I very interested in all these comments about dehydrating. We’re remodeling out kitchen & I just realized that the stove I bought has a dehydrate feature so I’m going to have to learn all about this.
what a fantastic stove! You are going to love that feature.. c
Poor TonTon. He looks stinky. I’ve been lucky so far this Summer and hope that Max continues to stay away from them. Some nights/mornings, though, the back yard really smells because of them. Can’t believe that piglet braved the electric fence to get to the greener grass. They are too much! You sure do make a lot of sauce. I bet it’s delicious, Celi. I’m pickling more radishes today and want to make jam tomorrow. I’ve got a bags of tart cherries taking up valuable space in my freezer in the basement. Have a great evening!
Is. That. Okra??????? I love love love okra!!!
It is some kind of pepper John grows i will ask him.. c
The grass is looking good. No wonder the piggies are so keen for it. I can almost smell your simmering pot of good things from here – but not the skunk. I’ve never smelt it and never want to.
I currently have onions in my dehydrator. The kids eat it like candy when it done. Some is in rings and some chopped for tossing in whatever is cooking and for my homemade taco seasoning. I’ll be trying to do onion powder so I’ll let you know how it goes.