Summer is winding down, with crisp mornings heralding the fall. I always feel the end of summer has come when our local County Fair has ended. The fairgrounds are only a half block from my property, so the festivities are part of my daily life for ten days. After the fair, all is quiet, and there has been a marked shift in the weather, with clear mornings and stars at night. The dozens of horse stalls are being cleared out at the fairgrounds and I have had twelve truckloads of bedding delivered to my place waiting to be spread later on the beds and shrub borders. A 'thank you' of a case of beer is the accepted etiquette for the truck driver.
We have had a lovely summer with many sunny days. We usually have fog in the morning, but clearing by mid-morning, returning in the late evening. I love this weather, it keeps the greenhouses at a reasonable temperature, and I can work in them until noon, after which I have to move things outside. I have a very long driveway that goes to my barn, then to the greenhouses and the back pastures. Along the fence is a huge blackberry patch with vines arching over the fence. There are always blackberries, but this year the crop has been spectacular and friends and neighbors have been coming by to pick them. We have virtually stripped the ripe ones, and in two days there are just as many to pick again. I am not much of a cook, but I have made cobblers, crisps, jelly, jam and a delicious compote to pour over ice cream and yogurt, and I am still not tired of them.
The garden looks a bit shabby this time of year, but there is still much to see. I don't water very much and don't water the grass at all, so by now it is patchy and tired looking for we have had no rain at all for months. I have difficulty posting multiple pictures on this blog, so here is a slide show of the garden: https://youtu.be/eUUvakVBMrU