Michael and I are sitting on the deck after another day on this lovely land. I have an unparalleled view of our elderberry bushes. They are looking pretty bare at the moment, but just two days ago they were loaded.

Elders, being mostly wild, tend to ripen over time. These were planted by birds. We simply failed to mow them down. A bird-stripped umbel is in the bottom left of this photo.

I was walking down to help Michael put the birds to bed when I noticed a flock of Cedar Waxwings fluttering about the elders.

Sated, this young one was catching a nap. Almost all the umbels at the top of the bush are bare.

Instead of heading down to the bottom pastures, I went back to the house and got a paper sack and clipper. Michael found me stripping berries when he came up from bird care duties. He joined me and we finished getting berries separated from stems at about 10:30 PM. I put them in the fridge overnight and juiced them and made jelly yesterday.

Elderberry jelly looks like grape, but tastes much better.

Michael made more jelly today, having finished digging the potatoes yesterday.

Artemis must be telling Lilith about what fun she will have picking berries with her grandparents...or at least that's what I like to think has evoked this beautific smile.

Or maybe she's extolling the creaminess of home grown potatoes.