Lavender Harvest is Done for the Year

I can't believe that these plants are still blooming. I finally cut my last batch yesterday - not a lot - but some really big blooms on long stalks.  There are still a few that are ready to bud but they'll just have to wait til next year to get my attention.  I still have some bundles hanging in my closet to dry and then will still have to screen 'em & clean 'em.  Then I'm done for the year.  Of course I will always have the task of picking out the little pieces of leaves and brush that didn't get caught in the screening process.  But it's good TV watching work. Now that the NBA season is upon us, I can do hand work and still listen to the games.

It has rained all evening and is supposed to rain all week.  Out here, rain is good, so we don't complain. What I do complain about is if it stays cloudy a few days in a row ... I like my sunshine!

The catalog of lavender products is still in the making.  I'm so slow at it.  Bought some CD's from Office Depot to move photos and perhaps crop and clean them up a bit.  After talking to a guy there for 20 minutes about which ones are the best to use, I bought DVD-r and they don't work.  When I looked closely at the little door on the CPU, it says "CD writer."  So won't take DVD.  Returned them.  So I'm using Picasa and writing descriptions and printing out the pages myself.  Uses a lot of color ink but it will get the job done. They pages so far look pretty good.  Not real professional but I need to mail a catalog to someone ASAP and this will have to do.

The plaid sachet pouches and zebra stripe pounches filled with lavender didn't sell last year.  So I cut them up and made 2x4" Christmas ornaments with gold ribbons ... very nice.  A visitor mentioned she wanted to buy a few as soon as she saw them. 

This Friday there is a 3 hour meeting of the Lavender Festival Committee to continue working toward a successful Festival next July.  There is a lot of work involved, as with any major project.  But we have a lot of talented and exprerienced members involved so the work will get done.  Our Pres is a dynamo and sets the pace for the rest of us.  The next day, Saturday 10/23/10 is the monthly meeting of the Lavender Association of Western Colorado (LAWC).  Don't need to be a member to attend. It will be held at a member's home out on H road from 1-3 pm.  He has planted lavender in with his grapes in the vineyard and it will be interesting to see how they have fared since last year's visit.  An agent from the CSU Extension office will be there to  talk about it.  Please come if you are curious -- you are always welcome.   Email me for the directions...   aboutlavender@yahoo.com   10/21/10