It’s that bountiful time of year in my mountains. Gardens are overflowing, brambles are just wrapping up their offerings, and the fruit trees are weighted down. Such a delicious time of year!

Many mornings Thistle and I walk to the neighbor’s and have a freshly picked green apple to start our day. Apples are good, but when you get one still dew wet and munch it as the mists rise over the mountains . . . well.

As early as this weekend I expect to be making a pie of the red apples that are soooo close to ripe. The pears will need picking and aging then they can go in salads or alongside pork. Mmmmmm.

And then there’s another neighbor’s garden. They’re traveling right now which means I have free reign to help myself to the abundance of tomatoes that would otherwise go to waste. Add those to the herbs I have growing on my own front porch, add some crusty bread and we’ve got supper!

And then there’s the garden stand at the end of the road. As you can see in the photo above it’s adorable. And while this bounty has an actual cash price, it’s still delightfully convenient. As I take Thistle for a hike I can drop some cash in the box and return home with a dozen eggs, fresh greens, or some just-picked squash.

Boy howdy! We could honestly feed ourselves pretty well without going more than a mile any direction. (Another set of neighbors raise beef and have hives and surely there’s a milk cow nearby.) If only someone were grinding wheat. Oh, and making chocolate!