Thursday 25 August 2016

Sleepy Cats and Cicadas

Many bloggers have commented on how it is starting to feel a bit "autumnal". Although I LOVE the hot weather and all that is summer, I must admit that it is that time of year. For me, late August means harvest. At the moment I have more cucumbers in the fridge than can possibly be consumed by one family. No, I am not going to make mustard pickles, or bread and butter pickles, or any other kind of pickle because I know they won't get eaten and it is too much work for jars that will just sit on a shelf in the basement. I've managed to give one cucumber away. I feel like I could be Oprah, saying, "You  get a cucumber, and you get a cucumber, and you get..." but I just haven't seen that many people recently.

As well, I've been stockpiling zucchini and last night I got around to getting out my handy dandy food processor and shredding a whole bunch, then bagging them in 2 cup amounts to be stored in the future for muffins and cakes.


I tried a new recipe for zucchini applesauce bread as well. I think I under-baked them. They are almost too moist (i.e. not quite fully baked in the middle), but still tasty with a cup of coffee. I will freeze one of the loaves for later.


The cats are incredibly lazy. Scooter has been even more talkative and affectionate (on his terms) after having an upset tummy a couple of days ago and successfully purging himself of a giant hair ball. Life is tough when you are fluffy. When he's not talking, he's sleeping.


This time of year also means blooms of a different sort. It is yellow and mauve time in the gardens. Although I declared all out war on Rudbekia (Black eyed Susan) last year, I still have a lot of it in different spots around the property. I does look attractive right now when other things have faded and are looking positively mangey.


Late August also means tomatoes, sweet corn, and cicadas. I picked my first decently ripe tomato this morning with lots more green ones waiting to ripen up. I plan on buying some corn at a road side stand soon. And I can hear the cicadas now, through the open windows in the kitchen. I know summer is wrapping up, but we often have many more warm days in September. It is certainly not time to get the sweaters out. In fact, it is maybe my most favourite time of the year. What is yours?

14 comments:

  1. When I was a child my father had a greenhouse in which he grew tomatoes. They were always late beginning to ripen and we were always left with many green tomatoes. My mother used to make the most delicious green tomato chutney - as a child I adored it for tea on bread (home made) and butter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only chutney I know (but don't like) is Branston pickle. My husband adores it. I've had to cover my tomato plants with bedsheets many times to avoid them being damaged by frost in the fall. How wonderful to have had a greenhouse! -Jenn

      Delete
  2. I love the summer for the warm long days but Fall is my favourite. It means stews, blankets, crocheting and geneolgy. But I do not like the darkness because it makes my depression worse. I do have a SAD light. That helps.

    I love how cats photobomb. Scooter just had to get in front of the flowers. He does look handsome and makes the flowers look lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My husband is affected by SAD and he has found that going to the suntanning place (I know, I know...) starting in about October has made a huge difference for him. Now I know I sound like a crazy cat lady, but Scooter is on the chair,and Samson is in front of the flowers. (He would be offended by being called by the wrong name since Scooter is young and a pain in the ass). ;)

      Delete
  3. My season is spring, especially May and June, when the leaves still are shiny. I declared war on Black eyed Susan many times at the old house. We eventually declared them official ditch Black eyed Susan and sent them over the ravine without guilt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If only other perennials were as hardy (i.e.hard to kill) as Black eyed Susan. It came up in my strawberry bed, too. -Jenn

      Delete
  4. Spring is my favourite season followed by summer. April and May and August are top months. And September, too, when the weather cooperates. I'm always sad to see summer end. I'm not a winter person at all and do not in any way look forward to it! I’m always so cold!

    This time of year I start to feel a little sad as we approach the new school season. I feel nostalgic for my early years because I loved school, but the biggest tug at my heart is remembering my own children on their first day of school. Even though they are much older (one is finished school completely and the other is starting her second year in university), those feelings still surface this time of year.

    Your cats are adorable. And very much like mine...sleep for hours and hours and hours!

    Looks like you’ve had a bumper crop. It’ll all come in handy in the colder months. I actually didn’t plant anything this year aside from some annuals. I was sure we would have moved by now and I’d be planting in another home. But here we are!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm not sure if I knew that you were planning on moving. Same city? I am not a winter person, either. Don't ski, don't skate, don't snowmobile. Reading and red wine are kind of my winter thing. -Jenn

      Delete
  5. I like seeing those yellow/brown colors popping up in garden views. I guess I am ready for the next season change . . .
    Happy your "furry one" is minus that fur ball!
    Poor dear . . .

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes, he was a whole different cat after that. I do love the colours of fall, especially the trees (but not quite yet). -Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't know if I have a favorite season. There is something about each one that I really like.
    That being said, I am SO over summer this year. It is supposed to be 93* here today. Nothing benefits from that type of heat. But, we have at least another month of the possibility of warm weather.
    Love the picture of your kittie by the flowers! We have his female counterpart...her name is Sissie and she looks just like him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is awfully hard to get work done in this heat. Tabbies are great, aren't they? And they all look alike.

      Delete
  8. Your Rudbekia is especially pretty with the kitty! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. What beautiful puddy tats! I love late Spring early Summer the best because of the light mornings. I hate dark mornings, it's so depressing.

    ReplyDelete