Bountiful harvests

It seems that thanks to a sunny and warm summer, with just enough rain but not too much, the fields and vineyards that surround the city of Erie and its suburbs have had a flourishing season.

Grapes, potatoes, fruit trees, corn, squash, etc. have all done well. For the last 2-3 weeks we have been the recipient of boxes and boxes of locally grown apples, either donated or purchased by our kitchen manager---maybe a combination of both. Anyway, the boxes have been huge and as one would expect, there are always a few too soft ones or bruised ones to put out for the sisters, our guests, employees---whoever is sharing meals with us that day. So, another sister and I have been collecting those dozen or so imperfect ones each week and laying them along the eastern tree line as a pre-winter treat for our deer herd.

She has told me that she has seen deer coming and going regularly, but I haven't caught them at it yet...until last evening, about 6:30 pm, dusk.

Two of them wandered over from the apple-bar, up very close to the house, and I did catch this one before they spied me and ran into one of their hidey-holes! Such fun to see them a little closer than usual!