Hi there sweet friends!
I suppose it is time to bid farewell to the hottest + busiest month for the summer garden keeper.
(Au revoir July, bonjour August!)
At least in my neck of the woods that is, buckets of stone fruits turn up from our dozens of trees at the country house.
However, this year, one tree went above and beyond.
My Santa Rosa plum tree gifted and gifted and gifted and gifted and...
Well, you can imagine.
I have been busy with over 700 plums to process.
I baked and froze individual portions of a dozen giant plum crisps (like cobbler but with oatmeal and brown sugar) to enjoy in the winter months.
I made hand pies, tarts, jam, and ate who knows how many right off the tree.
You take one and rub it on your shirt and it turns glossy red like a cherry.
I honestly was gobsmacked at the sheer amount of fruit this one tree gave.
I've also been standing under the peach trees eating peaches.
But today it's all about the plums.
Baskets of them.
It's almost hard to believe when the garden gifts you this much goodness.
I delivered some fresh baked goodies to a dear friend as well - trying to spread the wealth.
All the guys in my life gather round for my baking, it's really sweet and wonderful.
I truly enjoy baking for people, and boy did I bake.
Now the zinnias are coming in droves and the basil is tall and hearty.
Summer in full swing.
Such a sight - and somehow it just swooshes by.
Although, it has been a particularly rough summer, with crazy high temps and little to no rain in our monsoon season. Hopefully August will bring more rain as it sometimes does. I have some projects I've been working on that are so exciting - one thing in particular that I simply can not wait to show you. I am giddy with excitement!!!
But for now, I'm baking my last plum pastry - what a journey!!
I'm plum spent - time to kick up my heels and sip ice cold drinks.
And eat plum crisps from tea cups too of course.
But you already knew that ;-)
Happy August, how does the time fly by?
I get so nostalgic with the wonderful memory bank that overflows.
I think of this and that and the other - and I feel it slipping through my fingers.
So I say to myself, live it up more today - enjoy every moment you can now.
That's the best way to honor both the past, present and future - by savoring the now.
I've been swimming and feeling lazy the last couple weeks, like the summers of childhood's past trickling in.
Still, so much to do when you are a garden keeper.
The tasks never end do they?
But I enjoy them so, especially the very early morning hours, peeking around at what is coming next.
Oh and the glorious scents!
Right now the dinnerplate dahlias are unfurling, such a wonderful thing to see happening.
Slowly getting bigger and bigger - giant petals.
The next thing on the list is pesto from basil.
I freeze batches too.
It defrosts beautifully.
How are you this fine summer?
I'd love to hear what your neck of the woods has had you up to?
Well, I best be off for now.
I have nothing to report except for garden chatter chatter chatter.
I just listen to the birds gossiping all day long and the bee and cicada song.
See you soooon!
Love, Vanessa
ps: I was thinking that I should share some of the things I listen to when I'm typing my posts from now on.
So today I was listening to this whilst typing.
(Tori Amos, To the Fair Motormaids of Japan)
