July of Apples, Typed Stories, Basket Harvest & Fairy Tales…

It is time for apples my pretties…

Come closer, go ahead, don't be shy.

Take a bite.

I would be a nice witch though.

I'd recruit Hansel and Gretel to deliver garden goodies in a beautiful old flower truck…

And I'd have Snow White help me bakes cakes and breads and tend to injured animals in our nook of the woods.

I harvest early Anna apples, endless cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash and crook neck squash –

And think about these sort of nonsensical things.

The Anna apples are beyond words delicious.

They are early apples, meaning they are ready in July.

Anna apples are the only apple trees that do well in the heat, but you need two Anna apple trees and one Dorsett Golden in order to truly get apples.

My biggest trick this year was a perfect accident really.

The winter veggies went to flower in early spring in a huge above ground bed right by the apple trees.

Since it was early spring there was not much for the bees and winged creatures, so they went bonkers over the flowering arugula and broccoli.

In turn, I had tons of bees hanging around when the apple trees blossomed really early in spring.

It was the most perfectly wonderful accident ever, and now we have gobs of treats to pick.

Shall we go into the secret garden and harvest a few goodies?

I have had endless veggies, and have made so many delicious noodles out of the zucchini.

They taste even better than pasta.

I just spiralize them in my hand held device, put them in a huge colander and sprinkle them with salt.

I leave them there for a couple hours (one hour is enough) so they lose some water and are not soggy when you use them in place of pasta.

I make whatever sauce I want in a big pot, sauté my zoodles that are already salted from the colander, in a big pan with olive oil and then add the sauce.

So delicious!

Anywho, I veer…

Let's go in and pick some goodies.

The garden has been utterly plentiful this year…

I have apples growing at both houses, which is one of my greatest loves.

I'm not sure why I love them so much.

I just do.

And so I fill up my basket…

And recruit some help for carrying it inside…

Because this is a huge basket.

Should I take some zinnias with me as I go?

(to answer this question I get often, my two identical arbors are from Plow and Hearth and I hand painted them with a brush using a chalk paint called sea glass, not sure the brand)

The zucchinis are huuuuuuge.

I know many people say to harvest them when they are young and tender –

But for whatever reason, these taste just as good when they are giant, and are amazing for spiralizing.

And, here we go.

Carry my basket from the bottom garcon 🙂

A lovely day indeed.

Which was followed by the most incredible rainstorm that lasted all afternoon, evening and morning <3

Perfect weather for typing stories and letters…

Cozying up on the rug with a fur who needs to be brushed (and hates it).

Reading a few tales with apple in right hand.

And thoroughly enjoying the moment.

I love these billowing cloud days of monsoon season.

They add such mystery and excitement to the atmosphere.

I went out at 5 a.m. to check on my water collections.

Poured some of the water out and strolled around in bliss.

I collected sooooo much water.

I know the cisterns at the country house must have filled up several times over, I can't wait to head over there.

I had a busy 4th of July weekend planned, that ended up being canceled which I don't mind either way.

But it made me stop and just enjoy the days.

Everything happens for a reason as they say.

I got soaked in the rain and watched the stream out back flow again, through the property and into a little pool on the other side of the fence.

Such a dreamy sight.

I'm sitting here typing and there are clouds hovering around the mountains.

Clouds that look like they were painted in the ceiling of an ancient Roman cathedral.

I have strawberry shortcake ready and intend to have a delightful low key weekend, I hope.

Knock on wood.

Stay safe out there and have a delectable weekend my friends!

 

Love from the high desert!

Vanessa

 

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