Winding Down

Well, after a crazy hot beginning of September, where temperatures were still in the 90’s, we’ve finally cooled down, thank heaven. And I’ve been running around like a mad squirrel harvesting and drying and canning and freezing for the winter months. I just finished canning our 28th pint of tomato salsa! Dried beans mostly picked. Chilies mostly dried or pickled. A good portion of the winter squash and potatoes harvested. Onions all cleaned and stored. Corn blanched and in the freezer. You get the idea.

We’ve had rain the last few days, and the garden and yard looks so, well, fall-like. It’s my favorite time of year. The smells. The colors. The feeling of a job well done.

After last year’s disappointing showing, I had a very nice harvest of onions this year. Hopefully I won’t have to buy an onion all winter.

We’ve had two big windstorms, neither of which lasted very long and both of which knocked out the power. The sunflowers are a little worse for it, but are still doing their best to follow the sun from a mostly horizontal position.

SO need to harvest, dry, and brew with these! Arggg. Too much to do.

Yup. That’s a 23 lb heirloom Moon and Stars watermelon (which in my case, is more like the milky way watermelon). I grew that!

Miles Away Farm Blog © 2013, where we still need to do something with the box of Italian plums someone gave us, and start thinking about having this year’s lambs processed, and a list of a hundred other things. But we still take the time to enjoy the sights and smells and tastes of fall. Pumpkin pie anyone?