After school in the fall
was usually a
pickling fragrance time.
Mother made relish
and pickles, both
sweet and sour.
It was the combination
of vinegar and spices
creating the smell
that ushered in the season.
There were onions
to be peeled
and the papery skin
of garlic to be removed.
I’d help by slicing
cucumbers, or squeezing
small ones into jars
with a head of dill
and a bit of red pepper.
After, a mixture of hot
vinegar and salt was added,
each jar was capped. Then we waited
for the tell-tale pop
that sealed them
before they could be stored for winter.
Robert L. Keniston is a former teacher now working as an ed tech at Foxcroft Academy.