August harvest

Morning harvest in our garden. Leeks!

zinnias, leeks and tomatoes beyond

Lindentree CSA pick up this afternoon

Corn

raspberries

Spider at home in the raspberries

Butterfly in the zinnias

The sound of crickets is loud tonight. As EB White writes in Charlotte's Web, it is the job of the crickets to announce that summer is over, even in these last days of August. A spider spins its web and lays eggs that it will never see hatch. A snake outgrows its skin and leaves it on my woodpile.

There is a fullness at this time of year. The harvest brings huge tomatoes, ears of corn, watermelon, cantalope and cherry tomatoes too many to pick. Gone are the days of tender lettuce, arugula and crisp small cucumbers. Everything is over done, abundant and ready to be stored for the winter. I stuff my mouth with raspberries knowing these will be the last local berries until next year. I eat tomato sandwiches at least two times a day.

We are already planning revisions to next year's garden. Cucumbers by the fence where they can climb, more parsley, less arugula, and let's plant carrots next year and pumpkins and beets!

I will miss picking food from my front yard garden. Before long there will be snow. But let's not rush things. I've got to find a place in the refrigerator for the large leaves of swiss chard that I got at the CSA. As for the tomatoes, why bother storing them, I think I'll make another sandwich!