A Bit of Harvesting

Yesterday was one of those days that wasn't too cold or too wet but still had just enough weather to give it good seasonal "atmosphere". I wouldn't have even noticed it though, if I hadn't gone out to do some gathering in the garden. We've had warmer than typical night time temperatures but it's only a matter of time before we have a hard freeze and I didn't want to lose some of the more exposed vegetables I hadn't had time to harvest.



A variety of eggplants, some jalapenos, and a bunch of Anaheim chilis. I've avoided picking them because while I was busy they started to turn red and I'm not sure what to do with them once they turn red. I've only cooked with them green. Should I string them into a small ristra and let them continue to dry? Anyone?



Probably the last of the cherry tomatoes. The cold doesn't do good things to their taste. They're still better than storebought but not as sweet as they were this summer.




Most of the big tomatoes are still green.




There were twice this many but this was as many as I could hold at one time and still take my own photo. I liked them against my green cardigan and the green lettering on my tee. I think these are a purple striped variety. They'll have to finish up inside.




One lone red one. There's actually some more red ones on volunteer plants but I didn't get to that section of the garden yet.




Francois looks rather sad about the end of summer. Between the heat wave and the travel, we didn't spend as much time with him out in our "new" courtyard this summer as we'd planned. I think I'll bring him inside soon. With his damaged feet, I don't think he can handle a winter of wet snow. In fact I'll probably have to bring Spike, our front door gargoyle, inside this year as well, as I was sad to discover he's damaged one of his wings somehow.




Jack seemed happy enough with the season though, even with a morning glory growing through his nose.




The leaves are turning color. They were whipping in the wind on this afternoon. And if you look closely, this side was faint, there's a rainbow.




The other half of the rainbow was more dramatic, as were the clouds, even though you have to see them through the electrical and phone wires.




An interesting ghost of pumpkins past, haunting the compost pile. Or maybe it used to be a gourd. Not sure.




In the front yard I also harvested my quince. Quince are an old fashioned, not well known fruit. My tree hadn't been taken care of well before we bought the house, and then we didn't know what it was (or rather, we thought it was just a decorative blossom) and pruned it back too heavily for years. It finally started to bear for me in the last half dozen years and I wasn't brave enough to use the fruit until last year. They aren't instantly edible like one is used to using fruit, they're hard and tart unless you bake them, but then they're aromatic, beautiful, and delicious.




After enjoying the breeze and sputtery rain drops outside, I was in the need of a cup of hot tea inside. Using my fortune teller's tea cup for the party the other day inspired me to use one of the other two fortune teller tea cups I have collected. I've had them for quite some time, discovered at thrift shops over the years, but never used them before now. I've been working my way through using quite a few of my tea cups lately. I'm determined to "use it or lose it" with my belongings. I'm enjoying using my tea supplies.




I didn't try to tell my fortune with my cup but I did try to take a photo of me pouring the milk in. I was going to joke that "I foretell that I'm going to enjoy this cup of tea."





But, take a closer look at the way the photo turned out - all those lines in the cup. I can't really read it, but it sure looks like an image of some kind, doesn't it. Spooky indeed!