Monday 15 August 2022

Hot... but successful ...and Rain!

 Yesterday was foraging day.

Still dry but more high clouds coming over, hot but not oppressively so.

Wheat was being harvested, but looking more closely it wasn't a good crop and was being harvested late...but better save what you have, than lose the lot when it does rain.



We looked north towards Ayr....you can see three tower blocks in the middle, which are due to be demolished due to unsafe cladding.  Cheaper to demolish fifty year old buildings than to renovate, probably.  The VAT ...20% tax ..on renovation as opposed to none on new builds has a lot to answer for .

Then the tallest building in Ayr will be a large hotel near the centre.

Brambles and elderberries are just ready to harvest...very few sloes are, but it is very early for them. We gathered litre boxfull, enough, with some odds and ends of berries in the freezer, for the first batch of mixed berry cordial.

The success was two bags of apples. 5kg of small eaters and 15kg of what may be cookers.

The former, thinning out the ripe fruit from our usual foraging tree, the latter doing the same from a tree that had little fruit last year, and this year is laden! 


Having managed to get to the tree, we discovered that it was next to a large well laden crab apple tree...next time!

We are not the only people foraging there and there is plenty for all including fruit for the birds! I was sad that I hadn't taken a box as well as a bag to the apple trees as the Rosa Rugosa hips were just ready.

There will be another day. I need to get making and storing what I have first.

This morning we have awakened to freshness and rain, after a night of thunder and lightning and heavy showers. Luckily not torrential rain here, what is falling now should soak in not just run off.



7 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

Dark clouds here in North Yorkshire - just hope is a good steady rain rather than torrential as our village *on my doorstep although I live in a town* is prone to flooding.

Steve Reed said...

Oh, lucky you! No rain for us as yet. Supposedly we'll get some this evening but it's still sunny now at 3:30 p.m.

Your foraging looks very productive! I can understand tearing down the clad structures. They probably have other issues too. Asbestos? Poor or aging insulation? Who knows.

Anonymous said...

Fresca here—can you say more about foraging? Do you do it on your bike, or by car?
Are these wild public land, or owners who don’t harvest (do you have to ask permission)?
Lots of urban harvesting could be done here—I’m shy though, as there’s no wild land in the city… But others are bold and smart to harvest all sorts of fruits that otherwise fall and get smashed on the sidewalk and streets

Susan Heather said...

Sounds good. Heavy rain and strong wind warnings here. Hope it is not too bad.

Joanne Noragon said...

A fine haul for one day, and time to deal with the newly discovered trees.

gz said...

I will later on Fresca..but yes, on common ground or hedgerows on the public not private side.
If it was on private ground I would ask

kjsutcliffe said...

The rain has been teasing us here - the clouds build up then you can just see them passing you by!