response 75 of 123:

Oct 16 02:57 UTC 2003

There are serviceberries (juneberries) planted all around town and campus as
ornamentals.  We have some planted but they don't taste as good - ours were
bred to be low bushes (different species) with large berries.  The large
parking structure on Miller near Ashley has a few trees, as does the farmer's
market and there is a tree near Zingerman's.  They fruit in July here.

We tried to grow persimmons.  You need male and female trees.  After ten years
both our trees flowered and are male.  The female grafts did not take.  They
are like candy.

I don't mind sweet fruits (except bananas need diluting with oatmeal).

Pawpaws turn bitter when frozen.  We just eat them all fresh.  Have not tried
drying them, probably that would also oxidize them and make them bitter.

We have jostaberries, white and red currants, gooseberries, clove currants
(yellow clove-smelling flowers, black fruits).

Juneberry seeds have cyanide so taste like almonds.

The two apple trees near the hospital are probably read to pick tomorrow. 
We used to pick on north campus.  City hall also has apples, as does Fox
Theater (red delicious).

response 77 of 123:

Oct 16 14:23 UTC 2003

The service berries I've had were growing along trail sides in the rocky
mountains.  Those were excellent, though you gotta watch for bears.  I
suppose one has to allow for some sensory distortion resulting from the fact
that I was climbing a mountain trail with a 30 pound pack while eating them.
There also appear to be many different varieties.

Thimble berries grow locally (though are more common further north in
Michigan)  and are edible, but they are definately an acquired taste -
sort like a fuzzy red raspberry.

response 79 of 123:

Oct 16 21:26 UTC 2003

Anyone who wants to try a pawpaw stop by in the next ten days (or less).  We
got the ones from my tree today and shared them at the hospital and a store.

response 81 of 123:

Oct 17 14:47 UTC 2003

Grapes have been ripe for a while.  Friends with a dairy farm and grapes in
the Kalamazoo area report that this was their best year ever for grapes. They
sell to Welch's.  Last year they brought us some of the product.  Today we
are going to pick a friend's grapes to make juice, on the way to visit another
friend with a pawpaw grove, taking along someone who wants to try making
pawpaw wine.  Jim says I can sit in the car while they pick if I get too
tired.  Apparently we had enough sun and rain at the right times.

Pawpaw comes from papaya/papaw which is a different fruit.

response 83 of 123:

Oct 23 15:46 UTC 2003

Central New Jersey is a few weeks behind Ann Arbor.  I'm starting to get
depressed by how green everything is.  Too green!  Too warm!  Wah!  I'll be
getting back to Ann Arbor just in time for January and February.  That'll fix
me.

response 85 of 123:

Oct 28 15:59 UTC 2003

But the sun has returned by then.  November is a lot cloudier.

response 87 of 123:

Oct 28 17:09 UTC 2003

  Eliot or Taylor?

response 89 of 123:

Oct 28 18:38 UTC 2003

The record low temperature for Michigan was set in February.  February
9, 1934, to be exact, when a low of -51F was recorded in Vanderbilt.

response 91 of 123:

Oct 28 19:48 UTC 2003

  (re #88:  for the record, it occurred to me with the first comment
  you posted but with continued use of just "TS" it started to look
  like you were fishing for a reply so I decided to oblige..)

response 93 of 123:

Oct 28 23:14 UTC 2003

And then suddenly, spring breaks out all across Tokyo?

For several days, it's a wet, miserable sort of cold.  The next, it's
a lovely spring morning.

What is up with the weather this year, anyways?

response 95 of 123:

Oct 29 13:15 UTC 2003

Dammit!  This rainy weather sucks... I want to see the northern lights!

response 97 of 123:

Nov 24 16:17 UTC 2003

Sunday's weather was great!  I love it when I can be outside without a 
coat.  And today we're getting snow flurries.  How Michigan.

response 99 of 123:

Nov 25 01:12 UTC 2003

Fuck you, willcome.