This is the ripening station. Theres a strip of cardboard that sits on top of Sili’s crate. In the summer it ripens plums, nectarines, figs, kiwi berries, and golden berries. Now, in October, the fruits arriving in the fedexed produce box are primarily pears and persimmons. Theres also the weekly avocados. Everything i want to ripen sits here because it seems to be a place the ants wont find it. On the counter they do find it. I’d like to place it on the other crate but i cant, for that crate belongs to Cashew, the australian shepherd, who bucks the fruit off like a rodeo bronco as soon as i go to work and apparently has strong feelings of negativity towards change. So at least for the next 8 years, the fruit must be ripened over the crate on the right side…directly in front of the air flow of the window unit. I feel blessed to have all this food on the ripening mat. during the first year of Covid, i did not have the opportunity for much fresh food. It is both nutritious and tasty. It also costs a good chunk of the paycheck so, every fruit, vegetable, or piece of wild game is to be cherished.