Barry M

Good morning. A funny thing: a farmer neighbour popped by to ask if she could harvest the apples from this little stand of trees. I told her they don’t belong to us, and who she should ask. She said she asked them, and they said they gave me the harvest some years ago…

And this is true. They did, but I thought it was just for one year, a year they didn’t have time to harvest apples to make their own juice. So for years I’ve been walking by these trees, which includes a magnificent Perry pear tree at the back, wishing I could still take some of that fruit. 😆

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of pears 😜 Gathered the olive nets in from under the Helden tree, but didn’t take any back with me. Winding down, just trying to source some quince and 120kg of apples for one last pressing session on Saturday to make a couple of things I want to make.

Promised my wife I’d make focaccia today. Used to bake more regularly, but not done so in ages it feels. So, dough made. Looking forward to it later. Was thinking I should do something useful in between, tidying perhaps. But maybe just sitting & reading while it lashes rain outside is useful too. 🤔

I was feeling very guilty last weekend. Less so this weekend. Between my overstressed workload, other contributors being in harvest mode or ill, & all of us volunteering our time, I realised it’s ok not to publish for a week or two, we don’t owe anyone anything. But we do owe our health something.

Rain has eased off, we’re finally out the door. Will be coming home with pockets full of walnuts. I like how some trees have huge nuts and others are really tiny.

Picked the remaining quince hanging on the tree in front of our house before the winds come. Huge! The quince seemed to like the dry, hot summer.

Might seem idiotic to be mowing in mid-October, but I want to restart a job I couldn’t get done in Summer, and it’ll be easier with short grass in this part of the orchard. Those posts need to go into the ground and was rock hard in Summer.

It has been a very long day. Out with the dog at 6:30, final preps for market, then the whole day talking. Breakdown took longer than expected, so have missed the train I wanted to get to Frankfurt, so still have 3 hours ahead of me till I reach my work destination there 🤦‍♂️

But in a quick count of the cash box, was a pretty good day! I should probably eat something… there were so many tasty things on offer at the market, but I didn’t have a thing since some porridge at 8 this morning. Just peppermint tea and Gauloises.

Well, that was quicker sorted than I expected. Everything we need for tomorrow loaded onto my mate’s flatbed, so I can switch off for the rest of the day. We’re having a beer, which is nice 😊

Off to Mannheim for a small medical procedure. Was planned a couple months ago, yet the timing sucks in hindsight. Hoping it won’t affect my ability to do physical work this weekend, as the coming Sunday market means a lot of hauling shit around.

Out picking pears and apples for a small fruit show we are putting on this Sunday at the Naturparkmarkt here in Schefflenz. Been a bad year, so not sure I’ll get the 30 varieties I wanted.

If you listen to the latest @deliciouslegacy.bsky.social, there’s a part I talk about the “Turgovian Pear”. A few years ago Igrafted every pear variety with Turgovian in the name. This leftover was grafted to a mature tree, no idea which one it was. 🤪 Will look when I get home. First time fruiting!

Out picking pears and apples for a small fruit show we are putting on this Sunday at the Naturparkmarkt here in Schefflenz. Been a bad year, so not sure I’ll get the 30 varieties I wanted.

It was great fun chatting with Thom about perry. He really let me off the leash, meandering through parts of the history of ths drink and fruit that has so captured my imagination over the past 7 or more years. So sorry in advance for the geekery. :D Thanks Thom!