Summer, & an abundance of fruit, and vegetables..donated.

We are in a farming area.
We grow grapes, and make wine, on our boutique vineyard.
Some of our neighbours also grow grapes.
One nearby grows capsicums.
Another grows stone fruit.
During summer we receive many phone calls asking if we'd like some plums, or apricots, or peaches, or capsicums, or assorted vegetables.
It is the very rare occasion that I say "no thanks".
It is usually "Yes, please"

Early season nectarines from the Zambellis.

Early season peaches.

A bowl of freshly picked apricots.

A bag of crisp beans, grown by our neighbours, the Winks.

Assorted vegetables from Mario.

...and rockmelons from Mario too.

Late season, Yellow-fleshed peaches from the Zambellis

Also from Zambellis...late season nectarines.

Some beautifully crisp capsicums from Sam.

Are you jealous? 
It really is fantastic to be on the receiving end of such wonderfully fresh produce.

What do I do with it?
vegetables are easy to use.....cook them, or use them in salads.
 
Sometimes I make jam from the fruit.
Other times I stew it, and freeze what we don't need immediately, so that we can have stewed fruit later in the year.
And of course, we eat heaps of fresh fruit , but there's no way we can eat our way through a whole box of it....hence the cooking.
 


And what do we give in return?
We can give bottles of wine OR grapes of the neighbour's choice OR eggs OR rhubarb....we have much rhubarb growing. 
It is a "swap system" rather than a barter system....and I love summer for this reason.

A bonus of rural life!

Summer at the farm.

Summer at the farm sees the grape vines growing apace, and the vineyard looking beautiful and green.
The bunches of grapes are growing too.

Visitors arrive for some R & R at the farm.

And what to do?

Ride the ag. bikes (agricultural bikes....used by farmers for quick and easy access to various parts of their farms)    An adult sized ag. bike for my husband is quickly snaffled by each of our sons for riding.
A smaller sized one is for the grandkids to use. So far only the grandsons have ventured on it, and each of them took to it like old. pro motorcyclists.

First time ever on the ag. bike. Receiving instructions from Poppa.

Even great-uncles and great-aunts want to ride the bikes.

Now it's the turn of Elliot's parents.

 

Elliot on small bike, Andrew and Renae on the larger one, heading up to the main house.

And sibling rivalry never ceases....two brothers ready to "burn rubber".    Daniel grabbed the large bike, so Andrew has to ride the "little" bike.

Yes, a family of 4 can get anywhere on two bikes!  Going off for a swim.

Mucking around outside, especially blowing bubbles if the breeze is right, is always fun.


 

Elliot and bubbles.

Swimming in the summer always rates highly, be it in the lap pool by the house, or, more often than not, down in the creek which forms the northern boundary of our farm.  Some summers the creek is dry, and we miss using it, but this summer it has been running well, so creek swims were daily affairs.

Mucking about in the lap pool.

 

The family in the creek....Andrew, Daniel and kids.

Charlotte and her mum in the creek.

And of course games. The kids persuaded various adults to play Junior Monopoly, Connect 4, or Junior Scrabble.

Being a good uncle and playing "Junior Monopoly"

Beating great-uncle Hugh at Connect 4.

 It would not be a farm visit for the adults without games of "Snatch"....a game of anagrams to which our family is addicted.  Fierce competition reigns, with doubtful words like refiltering being challenged, checked in The Chambers Dictionary, and either allowed of dropped. (Refiltering was NOT  in the Chambers) 

Out comes the dictionary during a game of "Snatch"

Drinking good wine, and eating delicious food is also on the farm holiday agenda.  What a life!

Relaxing on the front steps, with a glorious Verdelho in hand.

Andrew, Renae, me and Ade.

Renae's cherry torte.....delicious!

 

A pancake shaped like Mickey Mouse's head....courtesy of Uncle Dan....and a mould from Disneyland!

 
This summer followed that pattern, and a relaxing and fun time was had by all.