Late summer and the raspberries are. . .

 

Spectacular. This is year 3 for my raspberries, and Joan J is a wonder. These little jewels make diamonds look pedestrian, don't they? Somehow, I don't think that "Raspberries are a girl's best friend" will be a hit, though.

Several things about this mostly cool wet summer have surprised me. Some haven't. The very poor tomato season wasn't surprising. I canned 3 quarts today, and don't think I'll have any more from my little patch, though the cherry tomatoes are still going gangbusters. The green beans (Blue Lake) continue to hold forth. That's a big surprise given previous years' behavior. We're actually getting increasing numbers of beans now, whereas last year I had pulled them all out by now.

Likewise, the later cultivars of blueberries continue to deliver in small amounts. This is ok, though. I simply add them to the fruit I have in the freezer, and will pull them out once the winter is here for jam or pie. It's amazing how this small amount 3 times/week add up!

I haven't had any time for the studio, which makes me very sad. I have several pieces that need to be waxed and glazed, but need to have a block of time for that. I just haven't had it.

Hiking must go on, of course, because it's Jasper's time to shine. It also forces me to do something other than harvest and preserve. Harvest and Preserve. Harvest and preserve. My lovely consort and spouse caught these images of some really amazing mushrooms. The 3rd Kingdom. The image to the left isn't complete clear, until you see the image below, which focuses on just one of these black trumpet mushrooms. I have no idea if that's the proper name for them. Are they cool or what?

Then there are these cool orange guys. Maine always seems to have a plethora of mushrooms during the not-snow season, but this year's wetter seasons really brought them out.

On the hiking front, Jasper and I made it down to the rock on Messalonskee the other day, and I thought I'd record the view. What you can't see in this image is the loon that went paddling by in front of me. Small gifts.

The last bit is about a new resident here at the Highland House. I finally got this Rose of Sharon planted. I had a good hand wringing session over it, because I didn't know if my back would tolerate the small retaining wall, and much bigger amount of soil, compost and peat moss that I wanted to incorporate into the planting hole. As usual, it was easier to Just Do It than it was to contemplate/worry about the possible consequences. Two days later my back is fine, I'm a little muscle sore, and life will continue on as before.