Spent an magnificient Saturday afternoon exploring Georges Island in Boston Harbour with Nick and his parents. After a 20 minute ferry ride from Long Wharf we were one the island and staking out our picnic spot in the shade. Fort Warren on the island is much larger than I expected. There was a “vintage” baseball game going on in the center of the fort between the park rangers and a local team. I can’t wait to go explore some of the smaller islands in the harbour.

My eggplants are finally coming in. It’s funny that I used to hate eggplant and now I love it just about any way, especially in babaganoush.

However, I must say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to grow pickling cucumbers and pickle them. I only received the recipe after my cucumber plants started producing this summer. Evidently it takes 12 days to make these pickles. It’s not that much work, mostly checking in on them for the first week, some stirring, then making the syrup after that and eventually canning.

Yesterday was day 12, and I have to say that I am surprised they turned out so well. I think Nick was too because he sampled a slice before I canned them and said “It tastes like a real pickle!”. Good, that’s what I was going for. I wound up with 7 jars. Hopefully we can let some age for a couple years, but I’ll probably need to make more next summer.

Friday after work we drove to the White Mountains with a bunch of our friends for a weekend of camping and hiking (and biking for Nick). My friends were kind enough to accompany me on my next 4,000 footer – Mount Liberty in Franconia Notch. We woke up on Saturday, made a quick oats breakfast and headed straight over to the mountain. At 4,459 ft and rated strenuous, I knew this hike was not going to be easy. I didnt not know that I was totally going to bonk like half way up and feel like I couldn’t move my body up the mountain. It was crazy, but I made it to the top, eventually.

I love hiking, even when it hurts. Hopefully I can stick with this 4,000 footers goal. I’m either going to have to start hiking some of these alone, or find some more people to drag on these trips with me. I know it’s not everyone’s thing.

After the hike we went swimming in Russell Pond – near our campsite on Tripoli Road. The water was a tad chilly since the sun was about gone for the day. However, we were filthy and only slightly deterred by the chilliness. I also made it a personal goal of mine to always take advantage of swimming opportunities, even if the water is cold. It was amazingly refreshing – I felt like a new person after that swim. Which was a good thing because we had a long night of grilling (homemade black bean burgers, asian slaw, roasted potatoes and smores), drinking and scary stories ahead of us. When we woke up on Sunday we were all pretty ready to head home. We grabbed a hot breakfast in Woodstock before heading back to civilization.

This summer is quickly escaping me, although I am ready to say goodbye to all this humidity. Saturday was the most gorgeous weather – no humidity, perfect sunny day in the high 70s. My special beagle visitor and I mozied over to my garden, which is extremely happy with the weather this year.

Clockwise from top left: Sungold and cherry tomatoes, tomatillos (there are about a thousand on this very happy plant), eggplant blossom, bush beans + flowers.

I harvested enough pickling cucumbers from my garden to start a mini batch of my great grandmother’s “Irish Pickles” recipe. I grew up eating these amazing pickles that are spicy, sweet and super crunchy – I’ve never tasted another pickle like it. I am so happy that the recipe has been passed down to me – hopefully I don’t totally mess this up.

I am also SO excited that one of my sugar pumpkins is starting to turn orange! These will be turned into delicious homemade pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.

Yesterday morning I made it over to my garden in the morning to work for a few hours staking up cucumbers, pulling weeds and chatting with the eccentric old man who has the plot next to mine. As you can see one of my sunflowers is in full bloom.

My other summer plants are doing well. I harvested my first cucumber yesterday – not the one pictured above, he stayed on the vine to get a tad bigger. Clockwise from top left: Boston Pickling Cucumbers, Purple Cherokee Tomato, Green Bean sprouts and Sungold tomatoes.

Anyway, I made it out of the garden and to downtown Boston for some shopping before the torrential downpour started. I didn’t realize there were flash flood warnings in effect, the streets downtown weren’t even flooded for the volume of water that was coming down. Evidently there was an entirely different story playing out in Somerville, just a quarter mile north of our condo. Here’s a video someone took near Union Square, outside our friends’ warehouse which was innundated with several feet of water yesterday afternoon.

Yeah, it was quite the adventure for Somerville residents yesterday. We got a report from our friend (who seriously lives 1/2 block north of us) whose basement flooded with two feet of water, killing their power for a little while and their hot water heater. During the storm water got backed up in the city drains and started bubbling up like a fountain out of their toilet and bathtub. And evidently an underpass in Union Square was completely flooded and the city of Somerville sent in a dive team to make sure no one was trapped in their cars. Crazy. Luckily everyone is fine.

The hike took us 3.5 hours round trip, and the view from the top was amazing – you could see all the way to Mt. Washington off in the north. I can’t wait to get back up there and check a few more mountains off my list – only 45 more to go!

Ok, bees aren’t exactly horrifying. These bumbly beauties were quite friendly and adorable buzzing around some crazy pink flowers at the community garden. These flowers are part of a “sensory garden” that a teacher from one of the local schools has set up for her students. What is rather horrifying, is the craziness in my plot:

That monstrosity in the lower let corner (and other places) is my sugar pumpkin taking over and engulfing everything in its path. I have named it Audrey III – let’s hope it doesn’t develop a taste for human blood anytime soon. Although I do an impressive redention of, well, the entire soundtrack. I’ll leave you with a close up of a baby cucumber – don’t you just want to pinch it’s little cheeks?

Pretty flowers that will turn into delicious veggies. From left to right: Tomatillo, cucumber, sugar pumpkin. The summer crops are mostly in place and super excited about all this humid 85+ degree weather we’ve been having. I cannot say I share their excitement, but I am excited to eat them later this summer.

I was looking forward to a slow summer at the office, so I could dedicate my time to some long term projects that I don’t have time for during our busy season. Unfortunately my boss quit, and until they hire his replacement (if ever?), I will be covering some of his previous work load. I am excited about working on projects for other areas of mtvU – here’s to hoping I can get it all done!

They’re good for your heart, or something. I love the days when I can just show up at my garden and take home some food. It makes all the sweaty, sore-back, weed-pulling, stake-hammering, replanting-cause-a-seedling-got-bit-or-died days all worthwhile. Today I grabbed some english peas (above), almost all the rest of the broccoli raab as it’s bolting, some leaf lettuce and belgium endive. Happy weekend!