I love the summer

Summer is a wonderful time. Even if it is hot.

I have five tomato plants: One beefsteak, two plum, and two cherry. They are starting to set on tomatoes. In about five weeks, I am hopefully going to be covered in tomatoes. I love tomatoes. I hope there are enough to make some sauce with, 'cause I love sauce. I also just like eating a beefsteak tomato with salt and pepper. Or with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil, with some fresh mozzarella. Or layered on a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.

I have a grapevine. It has about twenty clusters of grapes setting. By the end of July, I should be rolling in grapes. Don't know what I am going to do with them just yet, but I can tell you that there must definitely be some grape jam.

I have a raspberry bush, and in about two weeks, it will bear the first crop of the year...which is going to be bigger than any year prior...and should follow up with a bumper crop of berries for the second. There will be some raspberry jam, no doubt. And this will be the first time that the bush has produced enough berries to really do anything with. Last year, there were about enough good ones to dress two bowls of cereal.

The pepper plants are putting on peppers, and I am hoping that they all survive. I see stuffed peppers in my future.

My peach tree has about twenty peaches on it. I'm looking forward to some peach preserves and maybe a cobbler. Maybe a raspberry-peach cobbler!

The tiger lilies are beginning to bloom, but the large oriental lilies will be blooming in a couple of weeks. I'll post pictures of them, because they are stunning, and the scent is terrific.

Strawberries are in season right now, and I am hoping I can get to the north fork this weekend to pick some. There is nothing like fresh strawberry preserves.

Yep. I love summer.