View from the deck on a glorious morning in early June.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Up there and apples!

YEAH! I made it up to the big fenced garden with my trusty young helper. Outside on the uneven ground I use the walker and put my weight on my arms instead of on the right leg. In the house I can now walk around as long as I wear  the Zimmer splint. The wheelchair still serves for 'long distance' travel such as the long hallway between bathroom and living room. "Let pain be your guide" was the sensible advice the doctor gave me when I went for the 6 week check-up. I just needed to know if this was a "Don't do this yet!"  kind of pain, or if it was telling me to get off my butt already and get in shape. It was the former. The leg and I are working out constructive compromises.
Michelle followed behind with the wheelchair so I could sit down just in case. I hobbled all the way up, and then sat down inside the garden. I watched her weeding the double row of leeks that was about to be smothered. They will keep growing well into fall and even survive winter. They could do with a top dressing of COF, but first we have to make a fresh batch. Chris was up there too  digging potatoes. I couldn't help myself. While he was gone to get a snack I just had to grab the fork and dig up a few plants. I also yanked out a few weeds in the carrot square and removed the bottom two thirds of the Brussels sprout leaves. The next day the leg told me in no uncertain terms to take it easy OR ELSE. So I did. 
When Michelle came again I stayed below and she got to pick apples from the volunteer trees. Apart from the fact we don't like to waste food we need to get them before the bears come around. It is a good thing I could not see what she was up to. It turns out she had climbed into the trees to shake them from the top. No wonder we have such a bumper crop! There were two more pails. M. took one home and one is in the kitchen. These are not great for fresh eating and they don't keep well. We will be busy the next few days juicing and saucing. 
Too bad my sister is not here this year, she makes a mean Dutch style apple pie. This was her handiwork.
I have never understood the expression "easy as pie". 

5 comments:

  1. Ien, I was just reading today about the healing that comes with communing with the plants. You are where you love to be and reading about your helper weeding, I wondered how long it would be before you tucked in yourself. I didn't have long to wait :) Heal well! I think I may just pick up a pailful or three of windfall apples tomorrow. They scare me a little because I know they'll mean a fair amount of work in peeling and coring and then deciding what to do with them.

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    1. I am ever so much better, and just ITCHING to get in there! So grateful for this tail end of summer. Yes, they do cause work. But it is so nice to just grab a jar or a baggie of sauce out of the freezer in winter.

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  2. *sigh* I commented... I swear I did. Some days my internet drives me quietly insane.

    I bet you're itching to get back into your garden! Now a freezer is, I think, what I need ;) Amusing myself making a few tinctures and salves instead. I have some Japanese knotweed, some dandelion and some plantain going at the moment. Looking forward to adding them to my 'medicine chest'.

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  3. So good to hear all this and see your happy beautiful smile over on Blogster.......

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  4. It's wonderful to hear that you are out there collecting apples and digging for potatoes even if you can't climb trees anymore. So nice to connect with another nature lover!

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