Individually delicious. Not to be mixed.

July 7th the garlic came ripe. It’s time to dig it up when the tops start to go brown. Leaving it until it is totally brown will allow the earth worms to eat away the outer skins and the stalks to separate from the bulbs. The first is bad for storing garlic; the second for finding it without damaging the bulbs.

After drying for several days, I braid it or bundle it, depending on whether it’s hard neck or soft neck. The “neck” is the stalk. Soft neck varieties are pliable enough to braid. You can guess which ones I bundle instead. We grow four varieties, two hard and two soft. The soft tend to have smaller cloves with paper that sticks really tightly. It is difficult to peel them, until springtime when they begin to dehydrate. By that time, we have used up all the hard necks, which peel like a dream but dehydrate by January.

My chickens kept me company as I worked outside. They would come and pull garlic off the table while I had my back turned. Shortly after this, two hens failed to come in at night. Ever since, they’ve had to stay in the fenced chicken yard. Usually they will escape despite the 6’ fence. Lately they have been content to stay in the yard.

The currants came due on July 15th, which is right on time according to the dates on last year’s jars of red currant jelly. No mold grew on them in this dry year! I picked about 18 pounds of currants.

Enough to make one batch of currant wine. We’ve never made this type before.

I also got a short batch of jelly.

We rewarded ourselves with a short fishing trip to a new lake. The wind turned the lake over, which is never a good time to catch. Even so, we came home with dinner.

Summer chowder. Yum.