Friday Favourites: Garden, Looking to the Skies, and Baking

 

In August the garden becomes unruly. Tomato plants sprawl, zucchini crawls into bed with the pole beans, and winter squash plants climb up any nearby plant, most recently, a rose bush. I've been busy with other things this week and am feeling helpless when I look at the garden. But we're picking a few raspberries from canes planted just a few months ago, and the last of the blueberries. I clip flowers regularly. Today Cosmos fill the vase on the dining room table - pink and green and airy. 

Earlier this week we joined about 30,000 other people on a long stretch of waterfront. We went early and staked out a spot with a picnic blanket and two portable chairs as a few others were joining us later. It's good that we went when we did. Books and people-watching kept us occupied until it was time for the show. 

The Snowbirds are the official aerobatic team of the Canadian Armed Forces and perform at various events across the country, and internationally. It gives me thrills to see the team fly with precision and do some daring moves. In some formations the planes are just four feet apart. Yikes! This is one of the final shows for these aircraft which are soon to be retired. The show was about 45 minutes long, and there were plenty of oohs and aahs from the crowd.

Bees keep busy among the garden. They really like the oregano flowers and the dahlias. 

Rosamunde Pilcher is a favourite author of mine. She wrote four large novels and more smaller ones. Winter Solstice is one I dip into every December; the others are Coming Home, The Shell Seekers, and September. Coming Home was purchased as a hardcover many years ago, but the others are paperbacks and showing signs of wear. It was a bit of serendipity for me to find hard covers of Winter Solstice and September in a used bookstore. I was very pleased with my finds. Now to watch for The Shell Seekers. 

My two young granddaughters spent time with their other grandmother and helped polish her silver. They had a grand time and asked if I had some silver to polish. I said I had a few pieces, but I didn't have any polish. 

Young Cora told me, "Nana, you go to the store and you look for the Silvo brand. Silvo is the one you want." 

She was so earnest and serious that I've laughed every time I think about it. 

Rats have been terrible this year. Many people are complaining. I had one nicely ripening tomato and found it half chewed this morning. We've installed a camera and see the creature come into the garden at night, avoiding the baited trap (although we've caught a few others). In an attempt to save some tomatoes, I slipped sheer gift bags over them. I don't have enough bags for all, and I'm hoping to pick tomatoes when they are just turning red and let them ripen indoors to avoid letting the rats at them. 

Peaches from the Okanagan are something I wait for every August, and here they are! Juicy and sweet. I like them with my overnight oats for breakfast, and any time of day for a snack. Delectable! If I get out to pick some wild blackberries there will be Peach Blackberry Jam. 

What's been keeping me busy this week is lots of baking. Next weekend we're celebrating my mother's 90th birthday with a tea. I've made madeleines, tart shells to fill with fruit and lemon curd, chocolate truffles, and mini cupcakes, plus mini quiches and cheese scones. Everything is tucked away in the freezer for now. My sister is also baking the gluten free items for family with celiac disease. 

Tomorrow we're going for a hike with our eldest daughter and her family. Hopefully the smoke isn't too bad. It's been hazy with a faint scent for a few days. 

Wishing you moments of beauty and grace.