Its also been a bumper year for the black raspberries. We planted them about 5 years ago and this is our first really big crop. There have been enough for a handful every morning on cereal but this is large enough to have a bowl with cream each. And they taste wonderful with a sliced white nectarine and cream, of course.
I've been reading a wonderful book with a rather silly name, "The Happinesss Project" by Gretchen Rubin. She even acknowledges that the name sounds artificial and superficial. But the book is anything but. If the Buddhist saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" is true - which I think it is - then this book appeared at the right time. Gretchen is a blogger and the book was inspired by her blog. Hmmmm - it waltzed into my life just at the time I was starting a blog!
So what does this book have to do with gardening? Remember gardening is not just about working the soil but working with all of life. And the chapter I was reading today seemed very appropriate. Here's what grabbed me:
"I thought of a line from William Butler Yeats, 'Happiness is neither a virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing.'..........
You may soon take your new dining room table for granted, but tending your garden will give you fresh joy and surprise every spring."
I have a strong feeling I'm going to be quoting Gretchen often.