Cherry Picking

The bounty of summer keeps giving. Several years ago my mom planted Nanking Bush Cherries. Unfortunately the birds ate all of the cherries last year. This year she had an overabundance of fruit.

Nanking cherries are smaller and tarter than the sweet varieties sold at the grocery store.

My mom and I agreed to a barter: I helped her pick the fruit and she would give me cherry jam!

You cannot get any more local than your own (or your family's) backyard.

Sweet Lavender Dreams

A few weeks ago I harvested a basketful of lavender. My mom dried it for me in her dehydrator. Now, I am picking the fragrant blossoms off of the stalk. It's slow work, but rewarding. My fingers smell of lavender and sweet dreams.

It's a peaceful meditation.

Maize

Blue

Blueberry Picking

Matt and I went to Ludington last weekend. Since Angie (Strawbrry Passion) and I did not find time to pick strawberries before the season's end, I was excited when my sister Cait suggested we go blueberry picking.

In true Michigan fashion the weather changed from overcast to sunny, hot, and humid while we walked from the barn to the fields.

 

Michigan's fruit seasons were strained by the false summer in March, but the blueberries are doing very well this year.

When blueberry picking, it is recommended that you tie your bucket to your waist so that you can use both of your hands. I was determined to fill my bucket, so I used a rad tie that matched my shirt.

My niece helped us pick a few blueberries but she quickly grew hot and bored.

I was a little worried about traveling across the state with the blueberries, but they made the trip just fine. I froze 11 cups of blueberries (minus the ones that made it to my stomach. I am going to dry the rest tomorrow).

Garden Fresh

Between the heat wave and lack of rain I have struggled to keep my container garden watered. It finally rained yesterday; when I peered through the precipitation something red caught my eye.

 

 

Our first ripe tomato!

A little salt, a little pepper; Matt and I enjoyed our garden fresh tomato.