Life on the mountain is dulcet.  August is humid and sweaty, but quiet and sweet.  The summer garden is just about done, with the exception of the peppers still ripening to their reds and yellows in the warmth of the August sun. The fall gardening has begun.  Radishes popped up in just a couple of days after planting.  Beets, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, new tomato plants, and a few fall seeds are set in the warm clay.  We've had afternoon showers most days.  This afternoon Cliff and I sat out on the back porch in the humid 76 degree air watching nuthatches and titmice come to the seed feeder and energetic hummingbirds chase each other from branch to nectar feeders using the porch as their flight pattern.  I brew up fresh nectar every other day filling the little feeders 2-3 times a day and the big ones every 3-4 days.  This is the first year we've had at least a half-dozen HBs constantly visiting the feeders.  They never cease to amaze us.

Sunday I took another stab at making whole wheat bread again.  I wanted a nice warm bread to go with the hearty barley & bean soup from Dr. Ornish's recipes.  One of my fears about making bread was working it too much, but this time I kneaded it, let it rest and did this three times.  I wanted to bake a round loaf on the pizza stone instead of forming it in the bread pan.  My son-in-law, Jim, gave me some tips to try and the bread was actually edible!  The texture was lighter than any bread I had made in the past.  We didn't have to soak it in the broth to eat it.  Confidence restored!