NATURE'S BOUNTY

Not only Nature is generous--so are family, friends, and neighbors.

I didn't get to the Farmer's Market last week--neither Wednesday nor Saturday--where local folks sell their vegetables and fruit during the season. In autumn, when the fresh produce is finished, you can find honey, jelly/preserves, dried herbs, cider, and sometimes handmade crafts.

So since I didn't make it to the market, the veggies in the photo above came from three other sources: eggplant from my neighbor across the alley; potatoes and zucchini from my yoga instructor; and summer squash, tomatoes, and cukes from my Ohio daughter. (The green/yellow/purple/Dragon Tongue beans were already cooked and cooling when I took the picture.)

Fresh produce always makes me want to cook--and eat. Last week's Ratatouille is almost gone, so the eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash above will find their way into another Mediterranean Vegetable Stew.

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A short walk in my neighborhood reveals more bounty--flowers, shrubs, trees. We are at the height of the summer season, when a couple of good rains revive the grass and wash the shrubs and tree leaves and make them green again. (If they were green to begin with.)

These nasturtiums grow on the alley side of my neighbor's fence (the eggplant lady). I get to enjoy them every day when I'm out picking up sticks in the yard.

Some people call these Mallows--they're also known as Hibiscus. Another neighbor has dark, dark red ones, nearly black. The sheer size of Hibiscus is stunning. Larger than my open outstretched hand.








These roses are so fragrant! They belong to my next-door neighbor, Iola, who recently went to live with her daughter and son-in-law. The Hibiscus are hers also. She must miss them a great deal.










Although I'm not in summer's fan club, I will miss her sights and sounds: flowers in their glory, green everywhere, the aroma of the backyard grill filling the air, the song of the John Deere tractor heard far and wide.... We are in a season of sensory delights.

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Yesterday I noticed signs of autumn's advent. A carpet of leaves in mid-town, and a tree with one branch of red-red leaves.

The time is coming...already nights are cooler, and daytime temps reach only into the mid-to-upper-70s. Mornings are dark when I walk at six o'clock. Evenings draw in a little sooner.

So today, I celebrate not only Nature's bounty, but her variety as well. Season follows season--each brings her own delights--and we know not one of them lasts forever (however long winter may seem).

I wish you joy of the season--every season.