Back to the Blazing Metropolis...

...that is Ashford, Washington.

My detail to the East (a.k.a. "Sunny") Side of the Park is over. No more waking up to Alpenglow at 6:30 a.m. Sigh.

I'm sitting here at Whittaker's in Ashford, attempting to catch up on things that have happened during the past month while I was out of touch. (Am I ever really in touch?!) Yet all that's on my mind is food.

For those of you who are curious, the wild berry-picking total for the season thus far is:

1 qt, 1 c. Blackcap raspberries
2 c. Thimbleberries
1 c. Salmonberries (Hannah and I ate most of what we picked in July!)
1 qt, 2 c. Blackberries
4+ qts. mixed Blueberries and Black Huckleberries

Needless to say, it's jamming season here. I also picked up a couple of pickle recipes from Ranger Julia last week. Very interesting; I'll have to try them. Makes me hungry just to think about it. Oh, and a small jar of peach ketchup was shared around the south blockhouse at Sunrise, thanks to Ranger Julia as well. I REALLY want to try to recreate that recipe. Seriously yummy.

I have a 3-day weekend this weekend, as I only had 1 day off during the past two weeks. I have a huge to-do list, including laundry, groceries, banking, etc. etc. etc.

Or maybe I'll just sleep the weekend away.