Well, not exactly, perhaps but I was very surprised to discover fresh fruit on the raspberry canes a few days ago. Not a ton, obviously, but then it is October and I was, in fact, in process of cutting the canes back a bit. Oh, I know that I'm suppose to leave the garden untidy to provide habitat and food for wintering birds but Gradka also regards the canes as her personal hunting blind and with her recent kill of Ratticus I worry that she might leap on an unsuspecting white-crowned sparrow next. And there is plenty of cover and food sources left in the yard, I promise. I was very pleased to see a chickadee enjoying a grape not an hour ago. The grape arbor offers cover and tasty treats. I found that I was sharing the space with a white-crowned sparrow when I was picking a few pounds of grapes this morning; he was just hopping about without a clue that I was few feet away. There's a reason I worry about the white-crowneds in particular.
The few pounds of grapes have been processed into grape pie filling which I plan to freeze and pull out to use in the depths of winter, should winter depths happen. I'm not counting on only grape pie to remind us of summer, however. There's also the absurdly overstocked jam cupboard.
I am enjoying Madame Gradka's Grape Jamly very much. So much, in fact, that I actually contemplated planting a grape vine and investing in Mason jars, but then I came to my senses. You are clearly the one and only supreme Mistress of Jamly.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear that you like it! I'm also relieved that you have come to your senses; grape vines take a while to start producing, I think. If next year's harvest is anything this year's, however, I'll be happy to provide the grapes.
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