Fruit Of The Future

Day 4: Ah, there is a new fruit in my future! While in Chimacum, I visited the farmers' market and picked up a small basket of kiwi berries. This fuzzless version of the kiwi you find in grocery stores produces a grape-to-walnut sized fruit which I could argue is even more flavourful than its larger cousin, and the berries have no little gritty seeds as far as I can tell. I was pleased to discover that not all varieties require both male and female plants (I had visions of hand-pollinating again on a much larger scale), but hardy kiwi "Issai" is self-fertile! A larger yield can be achieved by planting two vines, so that's the plan for spring 2018. Cold-tolerant even in Zone 4 (I'm in Zone 7), they'll need a trellis or an arbour, and I know exactly where I want to put it: straight toward the crow board from the kitchen door.

Czechoslovakian Pitcher

Day 139: During the 1930s and 1940s, my maternal grandfather ran a Rexall store where he also served as the town pharmacist. He often ordered in gift items from Czechoslovakia, and this hand-painted pitcher was one of the many imports he brought in for sale. My mother loved the bright colors and bird motif, and as a young married, chose it to add to her kitchenware. It was frequently featured on the breakfast table when I was young, filled with fresh, rich milk for the morning cereal. The bird appears only on the front side. The reverse is painted solely with the fruit/flower motif. There are a few chips in the glaze, and of course it has crazed with time, but the colors are as bright and cheerful as ever.