It's Canning Time

Our tomatoes are coming in strong and heavy. Looks like Monday will be canning day for us. These photos show the yield from a couple days ago, which means that there have been two more collections made since then. We'd thought our plants were looking rather shabby with their spotted and dying leaves, but after much worry and lots of tender care, I think they'll be okay. So homemade salsa and pasta sauce will be available through at least part of the winter.

We've picked a few poblano peppers, my personal favorite. But the pepper plants are being a little slow... they need lots of sun and heat... which we're now getting again, after a lovely little cool spell. Our beans and squash are still looking good, though not quite ready for harvesting. We got a late start on those because our lettuce was so productive this year and we waited to pull those up before we planted other veggies.

The blueberries bushes are loaded, and I've picked a few pints, but I'm waiting a few more days for the berries to get a little bigger, a little darker, and a little bit sweeter; the rain we had this week should help with that.

The apples are growing like crazy in my neighbor's meadow where I've been walking his dogs, so there'll be plenty of those for more apple pies, baked and fried. Our grape vines are amazingly full... gotta figure out what to do with those come September. Same with the pear tree.

On another note, it's been a good week for wildlife. Birds seen both here at home and at my neighbor's home, three miles up the road where I am dog-sitting, have included, with much excitment on our part, Scarlet Tanagers which seem to be regular visitors, at least this week, in and around the blueberry bushes. Making regular appearances as well are the Indigo Buntings and Eastern Bluebirds with their beautiful flashes of blue feathers. And we have the usual, or shall I say oft-sighted, Goldfinches and Purple Finches, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and many more.

We have had our part in six Box Turtle crossings. And we have seen several deer in our yard, including this beauty yesterday evening.

Happy harvesting, and remember to count your blessings!