What's the collective noun for...

...a group of jays?

We don't have the same blue jays out here in the west. But we do have our own gorgeous (and friendly) blue bird, Steller's Jay. The one in the photo seemed to be the 'guardian' of our recent campsite along the Similkameen River. 

But back to my question: the collective noun for these birds. One site suggests such a group is called a band, a party, or a scold. 

I'm not crazy about any of those. And considering today's the first game of the World Series, I'm thinking a group of Jays oughta be called a TEAM. 

Go, Jays!

Harvest of good fortune

Our garden is small, but both of us do our best to preserve some of the bounty. 

During the summer I froze berries and apples. Many of these were gifts from friends whose big harvests can be overwhelming. I also spent quite a few days making jams and jellies, while the Dear Man looked after the quince -- always the most prolifice of the fruits in the yard -- making juice, and also drying and freezing slices for later in winter. 

Not all of our fruit trees are as bounteous as the quince; this year, we got exactly five peaches and only a single plum. Lots of berries though, but I wasn't counting. 

The leaves in the photo are basil, a herb I use pretty often. There's lots of pesto base in the freezer; the leaves on the little heat source are drying (weirdly, they take longer than even apple slices to dry) and I'll use them to season sauces. 

But the point of all this is today's celebration of bounty -- Thanksgiving Day -- a day of gratitude. 

Last kick at the can

Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment escape can be a real treat. Fires had kept us from camping enough this summer, but luckily enough rain had fallen to calm those down -- not completely, but enough to make it safe to venture into the parkland. 

Just a few days, but the perk of being offline, especially without news to contend with...ahhh. 

The campsite in Manning Park was right beside the river. Our only real companion was a Steller's Jay who insisted on hoping for snacks. 

Mornings were time for exploring trails. Sunny afternoons meant lazy times for reading. 

A great way to charge up the batteries for the rest of the year.