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A cold and rainy day did not dissuade us from visiting the Duchess County Fair. Jen and Sarah enjoyed copious amounts of fair fare.

We saw cows, sheep, goats, and, yes, these piglets.

Jen was triumphant, winning not only her customary blue ribbon for her splendid peach lemon marmalade, but also a blue ribbon and the Best of Canning – Soft Spread prize for her newest concoction, a blackberry basil jam. Her black raspberry jam also podiumed, taking the bronze.

The Regners, on the other hand, were on the schneid. Sarah’s crocheted blanket went unrecognized while my pickles were affirmatively rejected, with the taster, although saluting their crispiness, found the pickles to have an “odd aftertaste”. I now share the feeling.

When Daisy was younger she avoided the sun, but now, at twelve, she seeks it out.

A few peaches are ripening in our under-producing nano-orchard.

Jen parked her tractor beneath the tree to make the birds think she might return at any moment.

Here is Jen out and about with her new fanny pack, equally useful for storing foraging bags and embarrassing her daughter.

This is not Herman, the bachelor muskrat who lives in our pond, but rather one of his numerous cousins living in the marsh. Although not renowned for beaver-like industry, the muskrats do appear to maintain active lifestyles.

The black raspberries — black caps — are having a great year. Jen is gathering great bowlfuls to be made into jam.

The mulberries are also ripe at this time, which is why we can often find a deer grazing at the end of the driveway.

The Mock Orange, one of the senior members of our shrubbery community, is highly fragrant and in full bloom.

Sarah is hostess this summer at Rhinebeck’s newest and most fashionable restaurant, Little Goat. Jen and I have eaten there twice and we are hoping to get a good table one of these days!

Jen, returning Sunday from her 40th high school reunion, looked in on her garden, which, as has become customary, received about two inches of rain on Saturday. Daisy assumed her post by the garden door.

The herons have built a nest very near our bank of Vlei Marsh, giving us a good view of what we expect is a growing heron family.