Tag Archives: harvest

Apple harvest moon

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On a mellow evening in September, I was coming from the garden with a heavy basket of apples which I had been gathering. It had gotten dusk, and the moon looked over the high wall of the court, causing undefined shadows to lurk in the corners of numerous projecting portions of the building. I set my burden on the house steps by the kitchen door, and lingered to rest, and draw in a few more breaths of the soft, sweet air; my eyes were on the moon, and my back to the entrance, when I heard a voice behind me say– “Nelly, is that you?”

~Chapter X, Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

Ahh, chokecherries

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Chokecherry?

Chokecherry

One of my very favourite prairie fruit is chokecherries! I have distinct memories from childhood of eating them straight from the tree, camping at the lake one summer. Drenched in chokecherry syrup is really the only way I get excited about pancakes. So this summer I made a point of learning to identify this ubiquitous prairie plant – and learn syrup making… mmmmmm

Leaves

Leaves for IDing…

The harvest is in, and syrup made, thanks to the help of my visiting mom and sister (and another friendly neighbourhood blogger). 😀

Chokecherries on the branch

Chokecherries on the branch

Chokecherry syrup

Chokecherries in the jar!

Now off to make buttermilk pancakes! (Oh, the power of suggestion)

Seed Pods

Seed Pods

It is our quiet time
We do not speak, because the voices are within us.
It is our quiet time
We do not walk, because the earth is all within us.
It is our quiet time
We do not dance, because the music has lifted us to a place where the spirit is.
It is our quiet time. We rest with all of nature. We wake when the seven sisters wake.
We greet them in the sky over the opening of the kiva.

~Nancy Wood
Earth Prayers From Around the World
Edited by Roberts & Amidon

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This morning all the neighbourhood squirrels are out industriously clipping and dropping long green spruce cones from the trees, creating a steady “plunk” throughout the alleys.

Our resident squirrel – a yearling who has set up shop under our garden shed – is nimbly flowing out to the slender branch tips of the bur oak in his quest for the last remnants of acorns, occasionally slipping in the insubstantial branches and hanging precariously with a squeak! of alarm.

Squirrel in oak tree

Where’s Waldo!

Although no other squirrel is after his treasure mine, he must contend with a curious blue jay who stops by from time to time.