A Productive Day at the Aerie

Terry and I met with Joe for breakfast at Gramma's Kitchen this morning before we all went over to Murphy's Blueberry Farm to pick some. The mid-season bushes were loaded with juicy ripe berries. Joe got himself about 6 pounds and Terry and I combined for a little over 8 pounds of blueberries in about two hours of picking. Joe then headed home to near Jersey Shore and Terry and I went back to the Aerie.

With rain in the forecast, I picked string beans right after lunch and got over a quart. I also harvested three small cucumbers and half a dozen cherry tomatoes from our one potted plant.

Then it was time to do something with the blueberries. I got the fixin's and equipment out and processed seven pint jars of Blueberry Jam. We then put a quart of berries in the freezer and another in the fridge for breakfast cereal and ice cream topping and Terry took some out for muffins. She's set aside more for some blueberry buckle later this week.

Blueberry Jam

Blueberry Muffins

Late this afternoon, some rain did finally find its way to the Aerie. Heavy, heavy rain fell for over an hour and soaked everything. It fell so quickly that the ground had trouble absorbing it. There was a little rivulet of muddy water along the base of the slope behind the house. Runoff from the covered porch--the only area without any gutters--washed some of the stone I had there to slow it down out onto the lawn. Puddles formed in the garden where my heavy foot has packed the soil into hardened clay. And the bird bath over flowed.

You could almost hear the trees and lawn heave a great sigh of relief. This was the first measurable rain we have had since the late June. The concern I was starting to have about our well water supply has been eased considerably. There's still a chance of some more rain tonight.