This and That

or Another Miscellaneous Post

I first learned the word miscellaneous and how to spell it in third grade. My teacher, Mrs. Conley, had a job chart, and one of the categories was Miscellaneous. I learned to spell it from the chart, and I was very proud that I could spell such a long word. 

We pick two ripe figs and two overly ripe
figs with promises of more to come. 

After that trip down memory lane, back to the here and now. The first figs have finally ripened. I have had this fig tree for five years, getting it first as a seedling a few inches high in a yogurt cup. For the first couple of years, all it produced was a few leaves. For the next couple of years, we got a few figs. But this year, it has finally come into its own. It has quadrupled its size and has figs formed on most branches. We check the tree daily to see if any of the figs are ripe. Figs don't ripen after they are picked, so there is a small window between when they are ripe and when they are rotten. After harvesting the first ripe fig (so we thought), we found that we were too late on some others because we found them rotten on the ground. I'm sure they are making some kind of bug or critter happy down there. At some point, we should have a lot of figs ripe at once if all goes well. I think we will try drying them. If truth be told, no one here is that big fan of figs unless they are in Fig Newtons. They're too sweet. But I hate to see anything go to waste. 

The fig tree is still in a pot, so it will have to be transplanted this fall. Figuring out the right location still eludes us. Our winters are too cold for most figs unless they have a well-established root system. Then they can recover from the winter freezes. They do best close to the house on a south-facing wall. We'll figure out something. 

The fig tree has outgrown its space.

We are waiting for these to ripen.

As I've mentioned before, the pears are ripening. We've put some in the freezer, had some for snacking, and made a pear crisp. We have others we are ripening. Pears are just the opposite of figs. You harvest them before they are ripe. Pears ripen from the inside out, so if they seem ripe on the outside, they may have a rotten core. When I think about pears, I always think about this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat." 

I finally planted a few things for the fall garden using leftover seeds from 2020. I have planted turnips, beets, and radishes, and a few of them have started to come up. Luckily, these vegetables are not nearly as finicky as pears and figs about when they are ready to eat. Sometimes you can leave turnips in the ground for months. In fact, they are supposed to get sweeter with a couple of frosts. 

Now to talk about more outdoor activity that doesn't involve food. Last weekend, Wally arranged an outing for us at a park halfway between our two houses. It was a new to us park, and we will definitely be returning. There were good hiking trails, picnicking areas, a nature center, and a lake, as well as tennis and basketball courts. Something for everyone, but we were primarily interested in the trails. 

Ward, Wally, and Theo hiking a new-to-us trail.

This didn't turn out to be quite as random as I thought it would since I seem to have an outdoor theme going. Of course, you can't talk about the outdoors without talking about the weather. It's still hot and muggy here, with not enough rain. I'm ready for some days in the 70s. 

Until next time...