Fresh Plums

Early fall is sliding under our skin. The air has a hint of chill in the early mornings. The first of the days sun turns the hilltops rust instead of summer's sere brown or sage.The garden has that musty, dusty smell. Leaves are beginning to tinge orange and yellow. Apples dangle  from low hanging branches.The cats laze a little longer in the dappled light on the back deck. Best of all, the plums are ripe. I've watched and checked each day, patiently for me, to examine the last bit of green fading to a deep purple. And yesterday, I bit into the soft aubergine flesh. My reward was a swell of soft textured sweet fruit that melted even better than M&Ms.
So, Rod will soon be having fresh plums; plum cobbler, plums with pork....well, you get the idea.Plum jam, plum syrup...and my favorite dried plums.
 Last year I dried some plums on my handy food dryer that my beloved friend gave me a few years ago. Nothing like the old PRUNES famous as a dietary staple of crones. Dried plums keep that hint of fresh fall fruit all winter long. Popping a few dried plums with a cup of tea on a long winters night is a luxury and comfort not to be passed by. And for todays modern nutritionists and dieters, a healthy and calorie smart snack.
So today I will scamper up the ladder and pluck plums.