response 61 of 123:

Oct 13 03:21 UTC 2003

I take Joy Road anymore; I don't have the patience to deal with drivers who
can't share the road with cyclists.

Went sailing today.  Good wind, bright sun, not cold at all.  

response 63 of 123:

Oct 13 07:18 UTC 2003

  Sunny and cool in Ketchikan today.  There was too much wind to be safe
  out on the water solo so I took the dog and hiked up the hydroelectric
  project's access road up to Lower Silvis Lake. As the road climbs from
  George Inlet up to the lake it offers some unobstructed views to the
  southeast and I was surprised to see mountain peaks in that direction
  that are already covered in this season's snow -- we haven't seen any
  yet on the peak more directly over the town but the peaks around the
  back side of the island and across on the mainland are higher.. 
  Autumn is definitely here, and winter not far away.

response 65 of 123:

Oct 15 18:44 UTC 2003

The wind blew all the pawpaws off Jim's tree and there are about 20-30 tho
I had only spotted one cluster of about 5.  Got to go check my tree before
the squirrels have a feast.  We have been out wading through red and yellow
carpets.

response 67 of 123:

Oct 15 20:40 UTC 2003

We hand pollinated between our trees (1.5 miles apart).  Got a good set, to
compensate for the squirrels eating most of the pears and the plums rotting.

It is nearly time to get apples off a parking lot tree.  We always go on the
windiest day last week of October when they are ripe but not all fallen. 
These are very late apples.  Should also check the local sour green ones
again.

response 69 of 123:

Oct 15 22:36 UTC 2003

What is a Paw-Paw?

response 71 of 123:

Oct 16 00:54 UTC 2003

The pawpaws bruise very easily and the bruised spots taste bad.  They are
tropical sorts of trees that supposedly were brought north by the native
americans, with shiny green unserrated leaves sort of like avocado, flowers
the color of rotting meat that are pollinated by carrion beetles (or
paintbrushes), and green fruits that can be as large as 3" long and 2" across.
We got some whoppers off Jim's tree this year, with 10 seeds each - big bround
flat shiny beanlike things.  A friend will plant some of them.

response 73 of 123:

Oct 16 01:44 UTC 2003

I was told paw-paw seeds are toxic.

Sindi, do you like them?  If so, I'm kind of surprised
as they are probably the sweetest fruit I've ever eaten,
and I didn't think you did sweet.

The guy with the orchard said he's tried freezing them,
making jam, and a number of other ways to save the harvest,
but nothing really worked very well.  They probably are one
of the seemingly few foods which are only available locally in 
season.  Wow.  How retro.

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.