Today I harvested the last of Gran's pears. They are the most delicious pears that we have ever had. Soft, ripe and juicy. The question is whether we can eat them fast enough before they spoil, or should I make jam. Pear and ginger jam is really good. Last week I made quince jam with some quinces that Madhava Ghosh gave to us. It turned out quite good, however I have run out of jars and it is hard to buy more canning jars at this time of year. Next year we will have to plan ahead and buy extra jars for the whole season.

We are here in sunny California soaking up the sun, surf and fun with the kids. There is so much to tell. Just going to the ocean is such a treat when one lives in land-locked West Virginia. The strange thing here is that just driving from Novato to the beach the temperature drops 10 degrees. On our last day at the beach it was even too cold for the guys to go in with their wet suits on. Raja has a bold adventurous spirit. He likes surfing and skateboarding along with all the other kid stuff.