Both Clyde and Irene loved sunflowers. We plant them every year. When they bloom, it’s time to visit.

It helps that we’ve had highs in the mid-90s. Running north with the windows down. A fine way to travel.

Eleven pints of tomato and jalapeño jam made our house a bit steamy this morning. Another good reason to decamp.

We still eat tomatoes morning, noon, and night. Even so, our vines produce more than we can eat or give away. Canning in August drives my desire for a summer kitchen.

My neighbor cans green beans. We have heaps of beans, but I will eat them fresh always.

No one is having a good onion year. The hail was hard on them.

August sees the giant puffballs magically appear in ditches and on lawns. These I refuse to eat fresh! They are best dried, crushed into powder, and added to sauces or pasta.

Meadow mushrooms (they are the ones you find in grocery stores) we eat immediately. This year they have an especially floral scent. Omelettes with sautéed shrooms. Yum.

Michael took me on a trek to find trout on one of our rainy days. We discovered cold water, cool ferns, and chanterelles. No fish.

August brought some wicked wind. It made the gate to the duck’s winter pasture a giant kite, anchored by the grape vines. Michael repaired the gate while I plucked fox grapes. Grape jelly like you’ve never tasted! We are cutting our vines so we don’t lose more fences, but I may hunt for these in the woods if we have another banner year. Who knew fox grapes could be so good?

The pears produced a juice of a lighter hue this year. A result of huge snow but shallow frost? We need to strip the tree before it drops all its fruit. One of the duties of keeping fruit trees is clearing the ground under the trees. It deprives the worms a vector to reproduce and infect the fruit next year.

We bottled the currant wine last week. The red reminds me of raspberries, as does the bouquet. The rhubarb pales in comparison (although this year’s rhubarb is the best ever).

All the Greats would love to see how the Grands grow, and how wonderfully the children they spent time with are doing as parents themselves. They are delightful!