Friday, July 11, 2008

Summer Fruit

"Think in the morning. Act in the noon. East in the evening. Sleep in the night."

-William Blake




The heatwave we have been experiencing in the Bay Area has finally lifted! Finally, we are back to a very comfortable range of upper 80's to low 90's, which is almost always accompanied by a cool breeze as the fog rolls through the Golden Gate. It's heaven here when the weather cooperates. I am really enjoying these warm months and all the enjoyment it brings. I am especially grateful for the harvest of fruit we have going on right now, as both the lemon tree and the plum tree are currently producing some particularly sweet fruits.

Last night I was in the back yard to do some photography for the this weekend's RRC, when I spotted one of Elvis's pals, Peanut, up in the plum tree helping himself to a delicious, ripe, juicy, black plum. Peanut usually shows up in the yard between about 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. It's amazing how scheduled critters can be. With gas prices so high, we have been spending a lot of time close to home but that didn't mean I had to do without when it comes to photography. I have been putting the tripod up in the yard, and keeping a small diary about when I see certain forms of wildlife. Birds, butterflies, opossums, they all go by schedules, and I enjoy watching and waiting for their visits.

We should make that a RRC at some point. Scheduled backyard photography. It could be interesting to learn about what animals or insects turn up in our yards and gardens at certain times and in certain regions. I would love to see pictures of fire flies, or deer, or even moths. No matter what time of day, there should be something interesting to see.



I set a couple of the damaged plums on the dining table outside, for the birds to enjoy, and sure enough, by late this morning it had been eaten on, and apparently enjoyed! I should have set the tripod up near the window to capture which birds had been by. I think it was probably the finch family, but it could have been the large robins that have been eating near the lemon tree. I have seen both eating on the plums.

Tonight, Alan and I will be eating on the plums. LOL. I am not sure what I want to do with these. I could make some Chinese food tonight, and these would make a delicious plum sauce, or I could grill up some chicken breast and make a spicy marinade with them and some red pepper or jalapeno peppers. Of course we could also turn the sweet plums into a nice dessert or even just snack on the just as they are, but somehow, I think I would enjoy doing something a little more creative with them. A salad could be good too. LOL. Plums are one of my very favorite summertime fruits, so I will think of something.

So tell me, are you enjoying this summer so far? Do you have a favorite summertime fruit? Do you have fruit trees in your yard, and if so, do you use the fruits in cooking or do you simply enjoy the fruit as is? What wild life can be found most often in your yard or garden?

-OndineMonet
"Peanut The Red Squirrel"
Berkeley, California
July 10th, 2008
Evening

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