Brad was up north in the hayfield starting to move hay into the stackyard, and called me to let me know that the plum thickets in the hayfield were full of ripe fruit! I loaded up the fourwheeler with the three dogs and buckets for picking and up we buzzed, like a little mobile circus.

It turns out what Brad was seeing were actually hawthorns, beautiful, crimson berries in heavy clusters, but the plums were ripe as well, so we picked both until a thunderstorm shut us down. They were the best wild plums I have ever tasted! I’ll be going back for more.

We got home to no power, so it’ll be a cozy evening cuddled up on the sofa with my husband, watching the lightning and reading to the light of the oil lamps. “No Life for a Lady,” by Agnes Morley Cleaveland will be good company tonight.