25" of rain......geez. I remember when I lived in PA that would have been a dream as it would get the steelhead running.

This morning it was a glorious 73 degrees, the coolest morning so far.

Here in Florida the season never really ends but we do have frost to worry about. We generally only get a couple of frosts a year, some years none but when we get them it creates havoc. I went from encouraging the bananas to bloom to now hoping they don't as I don't think there is enough time left to ripen.......of course this morning I noticed a new leaf that is only 3 feet long or so which is only half as big as the previous leaf, a sure sign the bloom will be coming out shortly, figures. The mat of bananas is HUGE. The base of the blooming stalk is almost as big as a basketball and probably pushing 30 feet tall when the leaves are extended.

The flower buds are forming on the blueberries so that is something to look forward too and the Mysore Black raspberries are trying to arch down to root so fall is in the air.

The fall veggie garden is in and already planning winter tree removals to fit in the 3 plum and 3 nectarine trees that will go in this winter.

I hope you have a easy winter up north.....those months of being snowed in I do not miss at all.

"The phrase, "count your blessings", is a cliche, but one based on a very important philosophical truth. Unmet expectations are the source of the bulk of human unhappiness, especially when ones existence includes very few sources of physical pain or discomfort. For most of us in the industrialized world, this will be the case for the majority of our existence (knock on wood)."

Hear, hear. Unmet expectations shouldn't keep us from having worthy goals. We can have a high aim and low expectations at the same time. (Dennis Prager)

I like your attitude.

Even here in California, growing fruit has its unmet expectations. See for example, the tree killer below. Unmet expectations might lead us to give up altogether, or it could lead us to change some things - picking varieties suited to our climate for the bulk of our plantings, balancing our lives more, learning how to prevent or deal with problems, taking better care of our plants, etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pacific Flathead Borer

Yours must be in ground figs with all that rain. My potted figs are all cracked and water logged, almost tasteless.

No, not exactly inground but sortof. I have them in either grow bags or containers planted into the ground but dug out and put in my well house every winter. They do have plenty of root in the ground by now. They are cracking as they ripen but sugar sweet. 3 different varieties and exceptionally large this year- like CA figs (they're usually quite small but still delicious).

I just started harvesting them a few days ago and they've improved the sept. fruit pleasure level here considerably.

Re: "enjoy your harvests everyone"

What harvest? A complete and total crop failure this year.

On the "count your blessings" front a little better. A complete and total crop failure should be a really good organic control of the pests.

Koko, you've made my blessings seem pretty good but I do sympathize. Do you have a diverse orchard?

My fruit harvest was somewhat meager and disappointing, except for the strawberries and blueberries, but the trees and bushes are all healthy and diseasefree, so I am not complaining. If you expect everything to go perfectly, you shouldn't be into gardening. I try to go for diversity, so hopefully there will always be at least something that has a successful year. Freeze and can extra in the good years to tide one through the years of crop failures. For all the talk about hunger in America, I can't say that I have seen those underfed people when I am out and about. Midwesterners are all very well fed, it appears. The Lord has been very good to us, and we need to thank him daily.
Northwoodswis