BBH 486

Blueberry Hill report #486 – Even in the midst of summer’s heat I have found many bright and encouraging spots, not that the dark places are absent; they are just not worth mentioning. To start with my blueberry harvest was phenomenal but I finally quit picking because the rest of the fruit was scattered, small and of poor quality.

The final tally of blueberries was 137 zip-loc quart containers in the freezer. The same day the blueberry picking was called off I picked 10 gallons of figs – from one tree. Four of the remaining fig bushes are very small and the medium sized one hasn’t been picked yet. Most of my fig and blueberry bushes/trees need to be weeded and mulched – on a much cooler day.

One of the four paw-paw trees bore fruit this year and now I have finally tasted this slightly odd delicacy – it’s like a mild fruity custard. The three hazel nut trees on the south end of the house are struggling, too much sand and not enough moisture I think. The three pineapple quava trees are OK but still too young to bear fruit, as are the three pomegranates.

The two jujube trees are a different story. They are bearing fruit this their first year – they were purchased as larger trees. This is another fruit I have never tasted but am looking forward to doing so. The single pear tree has some fruit but not loaded like last year, this is because I pruned them so severely last winter.

The hazel nut trees on the northeast end of the house are doing well – much better soil. Just below them, the muscadines have many grapes but are not quite ripe – that happens between now and Labor Day. Little work has been done at Fort Gruntmonkey due to the heat – even though I did work about three hours down there a couple mornings ago, splitting and stacking firewood. Afterwards I came in soaked in sweat.

Praise God for His provision, I enjoy this place we call Blueberry Hill and am grateful for it. ec