The summer that wasn't a summer

The transition from summer into fall is always a hard one for me. I am a morning person, I like light, I like getting up at 5 and hearing the birds outside. I like seeing leaves on the trees and I like watching things grow. All this has been slowing down considerably in the past few weeks and will eventually come to a temporary stop. It happens every year, I know. But it seems even harder this year because the summer wasn't really a summer. Everyone I know who grows fruit and vegetables had the same tale this year: too little hours of sun, too wet, too, cold... and hence, less to pick and eat ! We had no pears or plums at all this year, half the apples we had last year. I can't compare the vegetables because this is the first year we're growing them, but I remember my sister's former vegetable garden and it was positively lush compared to ours now... Still, it wasn't a bad experience and I am definitely going to repeat it next year. I also called a gardener specialized in orchards and asked him to come look at ours. He will come, and he will treat our old fruit trees, but he has also reassured me, saying that even professional growers have had difficulties this year...
Meanwhile, I do have a few kilos of apples to transform into apple jelly. Sadly, not all the apples are ours. I took some from a neighbour last week who put them out in front of her house "for free" and who apparently has a variety which still yielded fairly well, since she can't process them all herself ! It felt awkward loading up on apples when I probably have the biggest orchard on the block...
Let's just hope the jelly will be good. It's my first try, I never made any jam or jelly before !