The peaches are small but bursting with flavor. One bite and the juice drips down your arm. The sweet fruit falls away from the pit. They smell delicious. I didn’t weigh the two baskets I picked but they were full. This afternoon I shared some with a few neighbors and instead of getting rid of things I came home with one bag of tomatoes, one bag of cat treats, one large bag of lettuce and basil, two small tarragon plants and two small willow trees. How’d that happen? I’m grateful for great neighbors.

I froze a few, plan to give another few away, and will enjoy the rest of the peaches one way or another. One way is peeled and sliced atop vanilla ice cream, with just a splash of maple syrup…

In pond gratitude, Wren continues to make new friends (a young garter snake) as I continue to excavate the proper outlet channel. The hard work is done. The net and muck shovel have arrived, and we’ll see how those work for clearing the pond bottom.

In Cheese Sandwich gratitude, I continue to innovate. Above, fromage fort on toast, with avocado and smoked kippers. I’m thankful for my friend who suggested herring as an affordable alternative to salmon, and to my personal shopper for making the effort to find some in the big city. I enjoyed them in a salad also, and just ordered half a dozen tins online. Below, avocado toast with Brie and homemade bread&butter pickles. So simple, so delicious!