Late Summer Days

The late summer bounty is upon us.  Several of the winter squash vines were dying, so we harvested the squash from them yesterday.  We're going to have plenty of winter squash and pumpkin to eat, that's for sure.  It also reminded me that it's time to make a batch of Pumpkin Chai soap.  The house always smells so good when it's curing.  I think it's the perfect warm and cozy Autumn soap.

While canning tomatoes today, I noticed this heart-shaped one.  I didn't notice until I had already blanched it, or I would have set it aside, and surprised J with it for dinner tonight.  After canning, several meals of okra were frozen, and a couple of bags of pawpaw pulp.  For lunch, I had a smoothie using a couple of our peaches, the last of our blueberries, pawpaw, and homemade yogurt.  Only two peaches are left.  J grilled some last night, but he talked me into doing a sweet version, rather than the savory version I really wanted to try using Gorgonzola, honey and balsamic vinegar.  I hope to try that recipe before the summer is over.  Neither of us was impressed with the version I did make, using butter and brown sugar.

The weather has been beautiful.  J & I went to the zoo yesterday, which we hadn't done in several years.   We wandered all over the Africa side, which he had never seen.

ring-tailed lemurs

 I hung a couple loads of laundry on the line today, and have enjoyed having the windows open since last night.  I am loving these days!

autumn clematis