Raspberry Jam

Last year I was given a small raspberry plant not much bigger than a twig. I didn't know where to put it because I am very short of space by now.  In the back near a gate that gives a second access to the front of the house I plunked it in the corner.   No rain hit it there and no attention was paid to its wellbeing. As you can see it has grown!!!  I must find out what to do with it come spring. I would like to make a row there since so far nothing has thrived in that area.
I have had numerous small bowls of lovely raspberries these past weeks. I even had enough today to make a small batch of jam ( I added a chopped apple to 'extend' the raspberries. I love raspberry jam but my DH does not so I'll be enjoying 'my' jam on my morning toast.

 

 My 2 little jars of raspberry/apple jam. Below that is some rhubarb/strawberry jam we made earlier in the week. 

We had a light rain last night. Just enough to settle the dust but hopefully we'll get more. It's still cloudy out there so I'm hopeful.
I hope you're having a lovely weekend. Thanks for visiting,  GM

Thursday Chit Chat

July seems to be the month when strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries all ripen at the same time.  Mostly I freeze the fruit for winter use. The freezer is almost full by now (definitely a first world problem).

Monday is my day to water my houseplants and check for dried leaves or bugs. Imagine my surprise when I saw that one of my Amaryllis had a big healthy flower stalk.  It may be one that didn't bloom in late winter like the rest did. It decided that now would be a good time to bloom and I think there's a second flower stalk coming up from the side of the bulb.
 

I found this birdhouse at the thrift store.  The roof is tin and the walls are some kind of wood. There's a pattern of grass and flowers on the side and it feels like that part is just paper. I put it in the shade area

 ( that has a metal roof so nothing gets any sunshine nor rain). It should do fine there. I doubt any bird will use it especially since there's a hole in the back just like the one in the front.

It's another sunny day. We sure don't take those for granted. But, a day of soft rain would be welcomed by the flowers and would refill the rain barrels. Speaking of which, I'm off to do some much-needed deadheading. I hope you're having a lovely day.

Granny M

Nothing but Flowers

 

 July in the flower garden this year is superb. Everything is growing and blooming.  I have had to water a lot since it's been a while since we had any rain. Our 6 rain barrels are getting low ( don't tell DH but when I get tired of dragging pails of water I turn on the hose).

 

That pink Hydrangea is Endless Summer.

Along the tile path to the front door I've planted a row of red  Astilbes.

 Perennials fuchsias are just starting to bloom. Hummingbirds love them.

Daylilies are also starting to bloom. This one is one of my favourites  

 
It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm doing laundry. I hope to do more Spring Cleaning ( maybe it would be Summer cleaning by now). This week I'm taking down all the teacups not behind glass doors in the diningroom. ( there are at least 50 so it's not a job to do in one day). I wash them, wipe the shelves, then put them back again.   I only do housework in the mornings; I like to keep afternoons for sitting on the porch and reading.
What are your plans for this week?

Thanks for visiting today,  GM

Thursday Chit Chat

 My Nasturtiums have begun blooming.  There are still quite a few just tiny plants; I'm not sure why they're slow because I sowed them all at the same time.

 

My perennial Sweet Peas have also begun to bloom. Unfortunately I only have pink ones. Years ago I had a white one but it hasn't appeared the last 2 years. My annual Sweet Peas are just a few inches high. Maybe I should give them a shot of fertilizer.

 A quick trip to the thrift store to look for more reading material and just look what I found. A treasure!!  This Gladys Taber book first published in 1928 and no longer available on Amazon was priced at $2 ( and as a senior I got 20% off ).  Those of you who are GT fans will understand my joy.

 It's a pleasant day here, not too hot so just right for puttering outside which I have done. Now it's almost lunchtime and DH will be home from Gleaners and want some lunch. Neither one of us can face oatmeal at breakfast so we have it some days at lunch. With a drizzle of maple syrup and a few blueberries it is delicious!

Thanks for coming by,  GM

Another Day, another Walk

 Another lovely morning walk. This lavender plant in the parking lot caught my eye.

I counted at least 8 bunnies as we walked. Some were so little and seemed unafraid of us ( until we got too close. Then the hopped away).

I have exactly ONE raspberry bush and this is the first year it has produced any fruit.  The plant was given to me and I plunked it in an empty spot. It really  has grown too big for that spot.
 

I baked rhubarb muffins and we've been enjoying them with our coffee. Next time I make them I'll make a crumble topping. Or increase the sugar. The rhubarb is quite tart.

 I'm glad the information about the dog days of summer didn't bore you. I debated whether to include it.

If I could ask that the ones who comment as anonymous could leave a name or even a nickname ( if you're hesitant to leave your real name). It just seems so impersonal to have it anonymous. I do enjoy reading the comments.

Thanks for visiting,  GM

picture from the internet

Dog Says of Summer

 Happy Sunday !!  It's cool and rainy here today, a pleasant change from the heat we had and most welcome by my flowers!  Our rain barrels were getting very empty and this should help.  We debated whether to walk or not. I'm so glad we opted to go because the air was so fresh and so few people were out walking that we  both had more energy than usual (and managed to extend our walk ).  We rewarded ourselves upon returning.  We had the last of some date squares from the freezer ( I'm sure they were in there a month or more).  Being that old they absolutely needed to be topped with ice cream.

I read this bit earlier and you might be interested, if not just skip it.

The “Dog Days” of summer are from July 3 to August 11 each year. They’re usually the hottest and most unbearable days of the season. We often hear about the “Dog Days” of summer, but few know where the expression originated. Some think it’s a reference to the hot, sultry days that are “not fit for a dog.” Others suggest it’s the time of year when the extreme heat drives dogs mad. But where does the term come from? And what does it have to do with dogs?

The phrase is a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star. During the “Dog Days” period, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth. Sirius is a part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog.

In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as diēs caniculārēs, or “dog days.”

Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year.

 If you read till here you're amazing.  Thanks for coming by today,  GM

Canada Day 2022

 The sun is shining and we're all set to celebrate today. For many years we've had a family BBQ here and this year is no exception.,  When the kids were young we'd go watch the parade but now we stay home and watch it on FB where someone is sure to post it.

We walked around the lake as usual. Saw a raccoon  hightailing it across the grass towards the lake. Then a noisy bunch of crows ( a murder of them?) alerted us to another raccoon high in a tree. The raccoon didn't seem to mind them as he made himself comfortable and prepared to take a nap.

 

I did some baking. There was also a cheesecake but it disappeared rather quickly and I didn't get a picture. The top picture is a lemon square.

About that big unattractive (so far) house being built nearby, I'll take a picture once it's done and post it. No doubt that will be in a couple of months.

That's my post for today. It had been close to a week since I last posted. I think those 35*C days might have been to blame.

Happy July 1st to Canadians ( and to those in the U.S. happy July 4th.

Granny M.