Daisy.

Lewisburg.

We have a new friend hanging about the house these days:



This is Daisy. She's a yellow lab/terrier mix (we think) who came home with us from the Centre County PAWS shelter in State College yesterday. Her goal in life, as near as we can tell, is to be your bestest friend ever. Doesn't matter who you are. Especially if you're willing to rub her belly.

Backyard blueberries.

Lewisburg.



Boy, when the blueberries are ready for picking, they are ready. A week ago, they were getting dangerously close, and now they're ripe. From two of the three bushes - the third's still ripening - in half an hour's worth of picking, we loaded up on berries for freezing.



So, it was a quart every ten minutes. In addition to the handfuls we ate while picking, of course. After that, we had to call it off so that we could get ready for a picnic this evening; there are still plenty of good berries waiting for us. Which is a good thing, since I'd like to stock up for another year's worth of blueberry pancakes. And cobblers. And jam. And granola. And so on.

CSA + Pig Parts.

Lewisburg.

'Twas the first CSA pickup for us today, and, all in all, not too bad for the middle of June:



It's the sort of goodies we expected from the Tewksburys. Clockwise from the left, we have: a head of frisee; a bag of glorious salad mix (full of a wide variety of greens, herbs, flowers, etc.); a bag of spinach; easter egg radishes; carrots; garlic scapes; and, in the middle, shell peas. Having picked all of this up after a (rather restrained) trip to our local growers' market¹, it's like a maddening game of Tetris trying to fit it all into the fridge.

Not that the growler of beer I picked up yesterday is helping matters.

And, to be honest, today's market trip was restrained only in reference to vegetables. My "unusual" order of pig parts arrived today, which more than filled the larger of our two coolers.² Ask for animal pieces usually thrown away, and you shall receive. For the measly sum of $22, I am now the proud owner of half a dozen uncured ham hocks, four pounds of pork liver, about five pounds of pork back fat, and a pig's head. In addition, I picked up some uncured jowls and a shoulder roast - with the liver, for a friend's order for scrapple - and a chicken. Which, with the pork fat, is bound for chorizo.

Honestly, I have no idea how long it'll take me to eat all of this. Good thing I have hungry friends.

* * * * *

¹Which, I may have mentioned before, is the closest thing I have to employment these days. It means, in essence, writing the weekly newsletter and maintaining the website. Fancy? No. But recipe research alone keeps me plenty busy.

²Good thing I thought to bring along the backup cooler, too. And that we have a chest freezer to put it all in.