Signs of Fall

I broke down and put on my Valdez tennis shoes (xtra tuffs) today. Yesterday I got stung by a bee. Made it all summer without one then let my guard down. Somehow, the bee got in my summer shoes, with no socks, and stung me on my foot.

Other signs of fall are the elderberries. Right now they are poisonous to humans but not to bears. I've seen black bears chomp and gulp down the whole bush. Later on, when the elderberries turn a deep dark maroon, old timers would make elderberry wine. After the first frost elderberries are okay for human consumption. According to one pioneer its best to take it to the next step and distill brandy out of the wine. Just to make sure.