This week, most of the fun has been drinking the wine we made a few weeks ago when Rain's son Alder was here, (sorry Alder, we will send you some of the next batch) and making more of it. It's really quite easy, and just as funny as Lucy and Ethel made it out to be, feeling the squishiness of the grapes feels like smashing eyeballs.
There is lots of prep needed for the fall garden, including soil tests and amendments if necessary, starting seedlings, and harvesting food for drying, storage, and of course for the enjoyment of abundance at this time.
Rain is determined (and going mad) to better the yield in the kitchen garden. He is starting with the soil. He has been doing a lot of research and hopes that adding bentonite clay might cause to soil to retain moister better. Also trying to keep the balance of the PH in the most sustainable way possible adding seaweed could supply a lot of needed nutrients. We haven't made any decisions yet, and will update the status as it arises, or if Rain says screw it and starts eating the dirt.
This will be another try at starting seeds in the heat of late summer for the fall garden. So far so good. We found that saving and using fresh onion seeds as well as using loose soil, without oak leaves, ( may be allelopathic) increased the onion germination from other attempts. We also started pok choi, lettuce, & ........ I always get excited to see seedlings. I like babies.
Harvesting and drying food seemed like an overwhelming job before starting it, but a little fresh food goes a long way. Drying plums and peaches for our morning smoothie is so worth it in the winter when fruit would not otherwise be available. I've also heard there ain't nothin in the world like homegrown tomatoes... ain't nothing like pasta in the winter from them.
I guess I'm learning this is my favorite time of year despite the heat, and that I don't have enough hands to do everything all at once. Like my father told me once or twice " patience is a virtue", I'm just learning to make the moment last.