Long ago, when I lived in California, my granddaughter Sarah Kate, asked after I had left California, "Grammy, where went California?" I have the same feeling now about summer. For four weeks, I have had lovely people in my house, from Aunt Bette to the grandaughters, and last weekend, wonderful old friends. But it is exhausting, and now that the weather is turning cooler, I can only wonder, "Where went summer?"
It has been an extaordinary summer, though. The weather from the beginning of April has been perfect, a little rain from time to time, a lot of sun, no occasional plunges in temperature - a perfect growing season. And my garden is proving it. I've run out of raspberry recipes, and jam containers, and I'm about to be inundated with tomatoes, cukes, squash, etc. One can never have enough corn though, and I can't find the beans for the pumpkin vines. So I'll have to buy a freezer before the roof is even on the barn.
Speaking of which, after all the stewing about water lines, and pouring of concrete and dumping of dirt, the first floor of the barn has gone up perfectly and in only one week! Finally, this Friday afternoon, I parked the car in the garage. Of, course, it won't stay there very long, but it seemed to fit quite nicely and be quite happy in its new space.
The downside to this perfect summer, though, is that I have found some bamboo shoots coming up through the dirt and construction detritus. I thought that surely with all the dirt moving that we would have been rid of that annoying plant. But no, it's still there - popping up as if nothing had happened. I have no idea what I shall do about it, but surely there must be a use for it? Perhaps I can send it back to California!
