The cool morning air coming through the open window was inviting me to walk around the burgeoning Dragonfly Farm with my camera, but the warm blankets that only my face was poking out of were almost impossible to part with.
The crisp, inviting New England morning air won, and I climbed out of bed, gathered my camera and a basket, and set out to see what had changed in the months since I last visited. I met met my cousin walking across the wet field as she was on her way to let the new flock of laying hens out for the day. The White Plymouth Rock pullets were excited to get out and eat their way through the acres that are richly stocked with bugs, greens, flowers, and wild berries. Because they live with a family of excited people who have never had chickens before, they have been handled a lot, and so are very friendly.
After meeting the chickens, I continued my tour through the August version of the farm, and was delighted to find wild blackberries, raspberries, and crabapples nestled among the edges of the encroaching forest.
With the help of Wilson, the golden retriever, I collected enough fruit to make a breakfast tart--although by the time I made it back to the kitchen, the berries were gone. So the tart ended up being crabapple only, and it was wonderful.
* Crabapples can vary in size, and they cook down quite a bit, so cut up more than you think you need--it is okay to pile them up!