Harvest Time

 Harvesting the fruit trees is my signal that summer is on its last legs and fall is creeping in. (The other sign is that the kids refuse to go swimming. You can't keep them out of the pool in April, but by August they act like I'm asking them to go into a vat of acid.)

The kids got to climb our incredibly tall pear trees which made me more than a bit apprehensive. 

I think pruning their height for next year might be advantageous to life and limb and prevent my having a heart attack.




Elijah took the top and handed down to Emma while the three littles held the ladder down. To make the entire event even more dangerous, the ground slopes away in the orchard and the ladder wasn't touching the ground on the high side.



 We ended up with a couple of baskets full of pears - most with some blemishes. 

I hauled out the canner and we now have some caramelized pear butter to try later. Side note...I thought these jars were strange but some how appealing. 

Everything Grows When it Rains Continuesly

  Tonight after dinner James and I took a walk out back to our garden/orchard and everything is looking green and zippy after about 30 straight days of rain.
  Each of the kids has their own little garden square with one tomato plant, two ears of corn and another vegetable that they chose.

 

   We checked the fruit trees and found our first small pears, apples and peaches.

 

All being happily pollinated by the bees.