We were convinced it has lately been too dry to expect much, but we haven't been to "the oyster woods" in a while, so thought we'd wander through to see if anything was starting to fruit. But as we passed through nearby redacted, we filled up our boxes with good quality, perfect condition oysters of at least two varieties (branched and 'normal'), and started to worry.
Sure enough, we got to the oyster woods and had an immediate mushroom emergency. In fact, there were four or five logs that were too old - we had missed by at least a week! But several more that were fruiting prolifically and in absolutely great condition. No worms, and they barely needed cleaned.
We filled up a bag and my backpack directly, and got extremely picky with them. Heroic K came to rescue us with the car, as we began to lose the light.
This saved us over an hour walk home, which we needed as processing them took ages and I was asleep on my feet at this point. We roughly chopped and boiled most of them in salted water, bottling 9 large jars full. There is still a good kilo left fresh, and I made up a box for a neighbour.
Got up at 4 for solstice sunrise, but it was cloudy. Tried again the next day, then cleaned the beach towards Wemyss, and picked wild rose petals to make rosewater and added it to everything, including fancy rose jelly custard desserts.
Had a mega migraine and lots of sniffles (but negative covid tests).
Thought about Quest for Brothers spinoff novella.. though I should finish the novel first, shouldn't I.
Worked on Co-op governance and employment stuff; coworked in Edinburgh.
Started and finished Circe. Started, finally, Entangled Life.
Got a jolly rug from Furniture Plus and filled my hallway with it.
Remember the painting of Seafield Tower I saw in January at the market and been thinking about every since but never again seen the shop open? Walked into town for the Saturday market, and the shop was open, the painting was still there, and he'd knocked £15 off it :D
Went to Errol Sunday Market, which is enormous and full of treasure.
Watched the new Doctor Strange, and caught up on Stranger Things.
After harvesting rose petals at dawn on the solstice, we made rosewater. Then proceeded to add it to everything. Rose lemonade, rose iced tea, rose hot chocolate, rose syrup. Fancy desserts with a layer of rose jelly (lemon juice and agar) and rose custard (almond milk and cornflour) topped with pistachios, almonds, pine nuts and pecans.
Planted turnips, carrots, mange tout and choy sum seeds, and lettuce seedlings in the garden. Got first courgette/squash harvest, and purple french beans, plus raspberries and lots more strawberries.
In the footpath garden, I have a self-seeded nasturtium bent on world domination. And its minions, which are crowding out the beans and celery. Rhubarb is finally coming back to life.
Another try at solstice-adjacent sunrise was better. Walked to Wemyss, cleaning the beach on the way, then harvested wild rose petals, which grow there in great abundance.
