Berry harvest

It was grape harvesting time a week ago, and I don't think we have ever had such a good crop. At the very last minute I changed my plan to open-freeze them, then bag them up for later use. Mike thought it was a pity not to make wine with them, there and then, so we brought out all the wine-making equipment (some ingredients were rather old and had to be replaced) and spent the rest of the day cutting down the bunches, stripping the grapes, and washing and weighing them until we had the required 11K, leaving a few bunches on the vine for the birds. We still have another vine, growing along the garage wall, and bearing yet more grapes, although these are possibly destined for grape jelly. Since then, the must, has been steadily fermenting in a large bucket. Let's hope all continues to go well.

Taking advantage of a warm, sunny day during the week, Mike and I parked by the church at Canwell, and strolled along the lane, carrying a couple of plastic containers, just in case there was something worth collecting from the hedgerows. As the blackthorn bushes were heavily laden with sloes, we spent some time gathering as many as we could, until the sun went behind the trees, and the temperature dropped considerably. The second photo shows the ripe sloes, looking just like bunches of grapes. The resulting sloe gin is turning a very pretty shade of deep pink, and there are enough sloes in the freezer for a further batch..... when I've bought some more gin.

The Wednesday walk, led by Judy, began at Baggeridge Country Park, near Wombourne. After a dull and rather raw start, the day suddenly improved and we all enjoyed the blue sky and warm sunshine during what turned out to be a particularly pleasant area. The trees continue to look spectacular and were mirrored in the lakes around the park. At the end of a long walk along the old railway track we had time to enjoy the rest of the sunny day, sitting outside the Old Station cafe, enjoying tea and home made cakes, before continuing on our way. This was the first time I'd walked in this area, and hopefully it won't be the last.

At the moment, we have our atlas open at the map of China, where our youngest son will be working over the next two weeks. He arrived in Shanghai on Thursday will be travelling to a number of cities there, by plane and train. In the meantime, we are following his progress on the map, and fact-finding on the internet, about

the places he'll be visiting.

A couple of days ago our new neighbours brought round a large bag of apples, so most of yesterday was spent chopping and preparing them for the freezer, and making two crumbles with the rest - one for us and one for our neighbours. The freezer is now packed with veg and fruit - enough to keep us going through the winter. Which reminds me, I must get down to the plot to plant the garlic and onions, not forgetting the cabbage plants.