Sunny streak continues

Golden Hops

In October, it's unusual (to put it mildly) to have a six day stretch of sunny weather. When this type of high-pressure weather system happens in the summer, it gives everyone in Seattle a chance to complain about the 80 degree oppressive heat. But in this year of strange weather, a few sunny days in a row feels like a bonus. The air is chilly but the skies are clear after the morning fogs burns off. We saw the enormous moon come up around dinnertime.

Good days for working in the garden, although many plants still look so nice I hate to pull them down. The golden hop is a self-twining climber with bright gold foliage. It's beautiful all summer, and then you cut it right to the ground in the fall. This one has been growing for years over an arch where nothing else ever survived, so I like it for that reason alone. The little pods, which look like pine cones, are used for flavoring beer. I don't know if it has any other uses.

I recently read Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage, and a section of the book described the hops harvest in 19th century England. Apparently, entire families would show up each year to pick the crop, and have a camping out vacation in the country at the same time. It's worth reading the book just for that vivid chapter. With all that fresh air and freedom, the young folks found plenty to keep them busy, and weddings often followed in the spring. Some were of the "shot-gun" variety.