Autumn is Around the Corner

Some ramblings this morning, although if I get lucky, there may be a tie-in to preserving food. We shall see. It's been a very busy summer and I've been on the road and on the water quite a bit. That means pre-scheduling blogs and not replying to my favorite blogs while I'm gone. It's funny that I miss that - checking in on friends is part of my routine and that gets disrupted when I'm out of cell phone range.

The Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in Seattle was great fun, but tiring. It's an intense extended weekend of sessions, meetings with agents and editors, too much food, and re-connecting with old friends. After that it was on to Canada aboard Huckleberry, our trawler and two weeks cruising the Gulf Islands. Princess Louisa Inlet was our final destination and it was incredibly beautiful. Erle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason, once said that a person could not look at the waterfalls there and the scenery and doubt the existence of God. I believe him. Low clouds obscure the mountaintops that seem to rise all the way to heaven.

Home now and catching up on chores. Weeds grew fantastically in the garden and the first night back we had a frost. Some damage but nothing killed, thank goodness. Yesterday I began harvesting green and purple beans. Today I will freeze the purples and begin canning the greens. Aha! I did find a tie-in! Still many more to pick.

Crookneck squash and cucumbers also coming on and a few cilantro plants as well. Now off to check my friends' blogs and see what they've been up to.

Wednesday I'll give you my recipe for dilled green beans.