Brix at 19!

The Rondo is getting close to harvest. The grape juice Brix tested at 19 today so the sugar content is almost there. My pH measuring device has arrived, but I didn't measure that yet. I will in the next two days. Alex hung CDs in the vineyard today to ward off the grape-thieving birds.

We had fog yesterday morning and heavy rain overnight. We have weather advisories in place for thunderstorms, and we had thunder yesterday evening but I did not see lightning. Weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight will develop in many areas Tuesday through to Thursday (September 6th to 8th). I suppose that means the grape crop can be affected as well. 

The apple crop this year is the best we've ever had. Pressing apple juice will be a priority for this week. So far I've made apple concentrate from the early fallen apples -- delicious, crabapple and rose hip jelly, and apple sauce. I made tomato sauce and tomato soup and need to make more sauce. The blackberries are ripe and blackberry jam will be in the making. But I need to find time to make lots of apple stuff. Plyatsok is next on the list.  But the eating apples off the big tree are the best apples I've ever eaten; their skin is dark red in colour. Beautiful!