We may hear of bad news from here and there, and even find some cause for despond because of it, but at Pluscarden anyway it's not hard to find reasons for which to thank and praise God.
Merely, as it were, at the natural level: at this time of year we are surrounded by the breath-takingly beautiful colours of Autumn. Maybe they are richer and deeper even than usual? And we have rejoiced in yet another excellent Autumn harvest. May all this be a little reminder, in case one were ever needed, that the Lord does not withhold his blessings in our day, and sometimes he lavishes them in almost bewildering variety and abundance.
Autumn produce flows these days almost ceaselessly from garden to house. Already the monastery's capacious freezers are crammed to the lids with (especially) redcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants and plums, plums, plums. Following all that: our picture shows an enormous pumpkin, recently brought in for consumption at supper. Outsized marrows, squash and courgettes from the same source have tended to be served at lunch.
One particular success from our poly-tunnels this year has been maize, or sweet corn. This year we've had more corn cobs appearing on the table than ever before. They make a fine accompaniment to a main meal at lunch, or an easy to prepare and most acceptable supper on their own.
Just now, though, by far the heaviest crop at Pluscarden is apples. We have a large number of varieties. Learned commentary on each is supplied at request. We consume carefully stored apples on all possible occasions, to keep ourselves both healthy and happy. But the quantity of apples far exceeds what the community could ever eat, so crate upon crate goes to the mashing and pasteurising machines, to reappear as bottled Pluscarden Apple Juice for sale, or for our own Solemnity consumption. Very good it is too, with some different blends or varieties for the connoisseur.
Our bees are all back now from their usual late summer trip up to the heather moors. Not one colony there failed this year to secure a good honey surplus. These bees had only to turn sharp left from their apiary site, and they were straight into limitless acres of flowering ling heather. A favourable location with sufficient sunny days enabled strong colonies, headed by vigorous young queens, to produce large quantities of highly prized, utterly delicious, unmistakably distinctive heather honey.
But one colony, in the middle of the apiary, produced no heather honey at all. For reasons known only to themselves, these bees ignored the heather entirely. Instead of turning left, they turned right. Instead of heading up the hill, they headed down: towards the clover flowering all amidst the cattle pasture below. Our picture shows Br. Patrick holding a comb of honey produced by these particular bees. We have of course no complaints. Clover honey is very different from heather honey, but some people even prefer it. It's more delicately flavoured, though certainly with its own unique tang: light, smooth and exquisitely delicious; a taste of a fine summer's day.
Autumn is also the time for trimming and clearing up. Br. Simon has the task of maintaining in good shape the hedges of hawthorn and holly on either side of our long front drive. Our picture shows him after very many hours' work: the job now almost done!