From basketball to balls of fire...

 August 31, 2025

The inch and 5/8ths of beautiful rain that fell on Thursday, plus the half inch from last Sunday, has resulted in a reprieve from watering the gardens, and reduced the Total Fire Ban that has been in place in this area, to a less restrictive ban. Temperatures have moderated, early mornings are a little chilly, but the days are sunny and comfortably warm, with no humidity. The sun is very noticeably rising later and setting earlier.

We had occasion to travel south to the 'Big Smoke', (Ottawa), mid-week, and decided to meander home along back roads. We visited Almonte, where the Mississippi River, (not that one!) once powered woollen mills, and still produces hydro-electric power. The volume of water cascading down the stepped falls is noticeably diminished, due to the drought.

We came across this fellow, Dr. James Naismith the inventor of basketball, seated on this bench, with a ball and peach basket, in a little parkette along the main street.

The clock tower on top of the old Post Office, seen from the bottom of Mill Street is an impressive sight.

Garden production has slowed a little, giving some breathing room. The first planting of carrots was unearthed and layered away on moistened sawdust in milk crates in the root cellar.

Although a little gnarly, the roots have no blemishes on them, so this year will be the first time for storing carrots in the root cellar. We'll see how that goes.

A morning wander around the garden beds yields a variety of produce, ingredients for a 'garden medley' stir fry, and a salad.

 This fall 'greens' bed is really liking the cooler temperatures. Nibbling deer have begun to be more prevalent, hence the screen of hardware cloth.

Aji Charapita peppers, apparently one of the most expensive peppers in the world to buy....why grow them? Because I can...! Three plants, loaded with fruit. 

Their Scoville rating is 30,000 to 50,000, compared to 2,500 to 8,000 for the humble Jalapeno pepper. 

Two shots from the trail camera over the apple pile behind the barn. A couple of critters eyeing each other,

and a bruin passing through.

The sun beautifully high-lit this spider web along the trail, from this morning's walk.