Seasons Bounty...45º

The apricot tree is the first to bloom in spring and usually puts on quite a show...That doesn't mean it will have fruit every year but about every 5 years we have a bumper crop...Herb and I diligently thin the apricots when they are tiny green orbs, so they will grow into nice sized apricots...We have to resort to climbing a ladder to do this...Since we now avoid ladders, except for the very lowest rungs, I've found that a long wooden pole, used in July, banging on the branches and clusters of apricots, knocks the fruit to the ground, thus thinning the crop.

2014 August 1st, 

mostly large green apricots...this

was before I figured out to use a pole.

This years apricots were thinned and the waiting game began for them to ripen...They turn a lovely orange color and look good enough to eat...Our neighbors start to worry that they will rot on the tree and try to help us by putting apricots on our porch, signaling that they are ripe...But only a few were ripe, the others are still rock hard and sour...So we wait and watch.

Photo last night thanks to Marsha.

Herb has been picking a few each day and we have them for breakfast and snacks throughout the day...I've shared some with friends that don't live close...I text Marsha last night, "I think the lower apricots are ripe," and she picked enough to make jam and took a photo for me to share...We have younger people (ladder climbers) that will pick for themselves and others as the fruit continues to ripen.

Our next project is the Santa Rosa plum tree, it is also loaded and sort of thinned...It is really tall and almost impossible to pick, so we wait for them to fall and pick the best ones off the ground to made into the most luscious jam and maybe a rustic pie.

Meanwhile the garden is running away with patty pans but only a few zucchini and an occasional cucumber...The green beans had a short season and were quickly packed into jars for "Dilly Beans," they now reside on the cellar shelves, for winter Bloody Marys'.

I've been having problems with a torn meniscus in my right knee, so am limited to what I accomplish on any given day...I still hope to get tomatoes to roast and cucumber for pickles from Walla Walla in early September...Wish me luck...Hugs To All...OWAV:)