This photo is a closeup of one of the blooms on our hydrangea. They start out white and fluffy, like this, and then transition to a little more compact and light green as the summer's heat bakes them. Although this is the native hydrangea, I still haven't seen one out in the forest. We spent last Thursday doing an invasive plant survey on our trail in Stokes State Forest for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, and it seemed like we saw more nasty multiflora rose and Japanese stilt grass than natives. We also saw a bear, who was no doubt snacking on the proliferance of blueberries on the forest floor. 
At the beginning of the last harvest day, Brian was going to mow the lawn. However, this baby robin was in the grass at the time. It hopped quite well, but didn't seem to know how to fly yet. Its mother was calling to it, and it was calling back, so she was able to bring it food. It also begged when we got near it, opening that bright yellow mouth that baby birds tend to have. I hope it survived, but given the stray cats that roam our neighborhood, I am not very optimistic. Stray/feral cats, as well as "outdoor" cats, are not good for wildlife. Many "outdoor" cat owners say that their cats are so well fed that they would never kill birds or other prey. That reminds me of parents who say "My son would NEVER hit another child!" when called in to school after a fight. Given the proper circumstances...well, you get the point.
This is my dad holding up a harvested blue potato plant. They get picked when the foliage just starts to die and turn yellow. 
We were fascinated by the way the potatoes grew off the roots; it's one thing to see it on TV, and another to see it in your own yard. The fun part was rooting around in the planter to find more potatoes that were still left in the dirt. 
I collect my harvested produce in a hod, which was given to me by a friend who grew up in New England. You can spray the hose right into the hod from all sides and wash the veggies before you even bring them in the house.
The garlic had also finished its allotted drying time, so I clipped the roots and stems, removed the outer layer of skin, and got these beauties. The zucchini are now coming fast and furious, and if you wait that one extra day to pick them, they suddenly become the size of baseball bats. The beans are in, and I've planted sweet potatoes where the blue potatoes used to be. The cherry tomatoes are warm and sweet right off the vine, and the cucumbers are crisp and fresh. There is truly nothing like the feeling of farm-to-table, especially when the distance between the two is literally 10 feet!
