peach fuzz

ahhhhh.... summer fruit. don't you simply live for it? blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, watermelon, cantaloupe and the very best...peaches! of course, there are many more - these are just a handful.

there is a wonderful peach tree in the backyard and it has peaches on it. yay! doing the dance of joy because for the past 2 years, it has been somewhat dormant. we've not been sure why. perhaps the weather. maybe it's the way of peach trees and how they bear fruit.

i first learned how to can off of this peach tree. i had never canned before and had no idea what lay in store for me. i thought it sounded like fun and went after it wholeheartedly.

i found peach jam, butter and salsa recipes and went to work. once the peaches were ripe enough, the harvest began and washing, peeling, measuring, mixing, cooking, stirring and jarring ensued. then putting the jars in steam baths and finally waiting for the little pops to go off signaling the process was a success.

whew... this is what they did in days of old? to survive through winter? and not just with fruit but with vegetables, too. day in and day out the women canned product for their families. i was doing it for pleasure and to give away to others. mine was a choice. theirs was not. what a hard life. no wonder when we look at pictures from back when, those faces are all lined...craggy...and they look so very tired. i admire what they did after my experiences and it makes me appreciate my efforts all the more.

i am looking forward to seeing what kind of harvest the peach tree gives this year. the juice of the fruit running down my arm as i bite into its flesh and enjoy the sweetness. yum.... nothing like it.

i am excited at producing salsa and butter and jam. to be able to share some bounty with others. to say, "this came from my backyard tree" and see amazement in their eyes that there's a peach tree there, hanging out.

happy day.....