In pursuit of peaches

After the market

Watercolour and marker on

drawing paper

10.6 x 13.8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

Today was about peaches plain and simple. We bought a small quart basket
of lovely peaches from a small vegetable store on Saint Clair. And this got
Steven, my husband, longing for enough peaches to preserve so that we'd have
peaches all winter long.

For the past few years Steven has been dedicated to putting up bottles of
peaches.  He doesn't add sugar and the peaches taste exactly like the fruit
when it’s in season. He delights in giving people jars of peaches. In fact
one fellow at a restaurant where we pick up takeout calls Steven "Peaches"
because he doesn’t remember his name, but remembers the jar of glorious
peaches Steven gave him last year.

Today alas -- we thought we’ve missed the season entirely. Steven started
calling farm stores in the orchard area around Beamsville. Only one farm said that
 they had some quart baskets of peaches. 

This was not going to be good enough. I mustered my most positive self
and imagined that we'd find peaches against the odds! The farm store that
was supposed to have them, actually had almost none.  But hurray -- on
the same country road at another farm, Steven bought enough peaches to
literally fill the trunk of the car with that delicious fruit!

So all is well. Here is a painting of peaches. We are so much like the squirrels
I see hiding nuts in every one of our flower planters. It has been unusually cold
for the past few days, which makes it clear we have to get ready for winter.

Wishing you success in finding whatever treasures you need to get you through
the winter.