Project 365 day 240: Apples and other produce

It's been a quiet day, doing little jobs in the house and garden. I put on my wellies and long sleeves to pick raspberries, which are finally ripening in reasonable numbers about a month later than usual. They are bigger this year, having had plenty of rain, but the ones I've just eaten were less sweet and flavoursome than in recent years, as we've had relatively little sun or real warmth this August. To reach the raspberries, I removed some thuggish and very prickly brambles which were sprawling across the fruit bed, and pulled out a lot of long, dry grass and tall weeds. There is still a great deal to do, but it's now possible to pick from most of the canes. Next time, I will need even more protective clothing to tackle the long, vicious stinging nettles which are blocking the way to some of the juiciest looking fruit. As well as wandering round the orchard with the camera, I also picked a couple of small cauliflowers, some courgettes and two more cucumbers, and P has been harvesting onions and digging some of the potatoes. At this time of year, picking, preparing, processing and preserving the things we have grown is always the principal demand on our time.