It's a "Berry" good day!

It's been so hot lately, like almost everywhere, that we've spent most days in the house, in front of fans, and near the one small window A/C unit we have. We venture out quickly in the early morning to check on the garden and run whatever errands we need to, then find things inside to do for the rest of the day.

This morning at 6 am it was already 80 outside, but when I looked out the window while making the bed, I could see the black raspberries hanging heavy. So I dug out the beekeeping jacket with attached hat and face net, added lightweight sweatpants and sox, picked up my bucket and belt to hang it from and headed out to pick.

Besides the constant screen of mosquitoes hanging between me and my quarry, it wasn't bad out there. The raspberries were poor this year, mostly dried out from the heat, but I picked about two pounds of them, then tackled the blueberries, just coming on now. They grow in the lowest ground we have, so have the most moisture they've been able to reach with their deep old roots, and are just wonderful, plump and delicious.

I'm sure the neighbors thought I was silly looking, with all my cover, and I really freaked out their dogs, but it worked well. I managed to get back inside with about 4 pounds of berries for my labors, dripping wet inside my cover, but pleased with myself.

I stopped out to check out the garden while I was out there, and found our first zucchini and a summer squash, so dinner tonight will be great, with fresh squash, and berries for dessert.


The garden is welcoming now, with the scarecrow in place, waving us in with pinwheels in hand, tomatoes, scarlet runner beans and cosmos leading us to the new garden shed. Things sure are growing fast out there these days. The sunflowers are up to 12 feet tall now, the beans covering almost all the fences, and tomatoes just everywhere. The corn is looking good, and the hollyhocks just look so happy!

The rest of the day will be spent inside, for sure. It's HOT out there.