Vine Fruit

Day 295: Fruits of the vine! I thought I'd lost all my kiwi berries to the varmints, but I discovered two which had escaped predatory notice. I am sure the only reason they remained on the vine is that I removed Doogie Squirrel from the equation and haven't seen any of his kin since I relocated him to Mineral. I'm not sure how to tell if they're ripe; currently, they're hard as little rocks. As for the grapes, I've given up trying to prune them according to the book. I just let them go last year, and this year, it looks like I may have a record harvest if I'll just get out there and put the net up. The Steller's Jays prefer grapes a bit on the tart side and invariably pick them a day or two before my human taste buds consider them ripe. Grapes, of course, are best after a light frost has set the sugar, but even a light freeze will cause the bunches to shatter at the slightest disturbance. These are Interlaken, a seedless variety which tastes very similar to Concords. I've never tried to make jelly with them because the vine has only produced one good crop in thirty years.