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Writer's pictureKim Malaj

The magic of fall in Albania

September was a very busy month but oh so tasty. We've picked figs all month long. This makes our longest fig season in six years.


We are stocked with dried figs for the winter/spring. We've also harvested the last of the apples and a first for our homestead, chestnuts. Art literally let out a WHOOP! when he discovered our first pod had three nicely sized chestnuts. We collected few dozen so far and have taste tested. They are fantastic. But side note, the pod spikes are lethal to a bare hand. Gloves are must.


Our walnuts are starting to crack open as well. All the nut trees that we've planted since taking over the homestead have produced including a few hazelnuts this year. It's great to see the return on the sweat equity.


With big strides we also had a few set backs. The grapes did not recover from the hail and the high temps from the summer. We will not be making a lot of wine this fall. Maybe a few rounds of sparkling grape juice better known here as mushti. We'll take the loss because we've been aging last year's wine in the oak barrels and are at capacity in our cellar at the moment.


One of my favorite things about our little corner are the lands around our homestead. If you walk up the path behind the house to the top of the mount it offers breathtaking views of the valley, lake, and the mountains around us. But if you walk just over the rise it drops into a full forest of trees and raw nature. We wander back there a few times a year and it's always magical. This month we walked through the forest to the base of a mount to collect wild sage. We dry the sage for tea.


Garden update, Art and I planted our spring onions and garlic and we've been on bell pepper overload for the last few weeks. Last year was a loss for our peppers, so we are not complaining. We have shared bags full of peppers with our neighbors and family. And we harvested a big bucket of jalapenos. I even tried our hand at candied jalapenos. They are sweet and SUPER hot. We are still harvesting a few eggplants, yellow pod beans, watermelons, tomatoes, bush beans, cucumbers, and squash.


Orchard update, it is time to get juicy. We walk the orchard to inspect each tree for any cracked pomegranates. We've harvested a few buckets of the turkish variety, hicaznar, and a few of the wonderful varieties. The davendish are huge but not quite ready to squeeze.


We also have quince, one orange, and persimmons ripening for this fall's garden fresh fruit.


Our chickens have started laying again. We were down to only one or two eggs a day for a few weeks but last night I retrieved eight from the hoop coop. And with a bit more rain this month the ducks are thrilled.


The pigs are enjoying the cooler temperatures and sleeping in longer now. They are also enjoying the acorns dropping.


And the birds did not disappoint. We had several close encounters with hawks and eagles this month.


Outside of the garden, orchard and vineyard Homestead Albania Print are happy to announce a new book release for They Say It's a Myth by Kim Malaj.


After surviving a mile-long flight through a tornado, Silvey Rhoades is a walking miracle. But her recovery has drawn the wrong kind of attention. She's uncovered a dangerous secret tied to forgotten technology, buried for sixty years-and now powerful forces want her silenced for good.


On the run with a group of unlikely allies, Silvey must stay ahead of her pursuers, each step more perilous than the last. As their numbers grow, so does the danger, and the group's survival hinges on uncovering the truth before they're erased-forever.


Will they find the answers they need, or will they vanish, silenced by a conspiracy that can't afford to be exposed?


The follow up novel to Twisting Hercules. Set to release on November 26th and the ebook, paperback and hardcover books are available for pre-order. The audiobook is underway too. Art and I are narrating like we did for Who Is Maggie and Twisting Hercules.


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