Hello!
The
leaves are starting to change color and with frosty mornings soon our whole
mountain will be ablaze with bright yellows, oranges, and red hues as leaves
drift downward in gusty winds. The birch trees along the driveway are already
mostly turned yellow and shedding their leaves. Autumn has arrived and you can
sense the change in the air as wood smoke drifts upwards and squirrels scurry
around storing nuts. We started our first fire in the woodstove this past week
after cleaning out the stove pipes. It's also the time of year to get last
minute chores finished outdoors before the holidays and cold winter days
arrive. Meanwhile I savor each warm sunny day.
This
past month I've canned two different batches of sauerkraut, chicken, pork,
beef, another bushel of green beans, some more tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and
thirty-four pints of salsa. Whew! So thankful that most of the canning for this
year is finished. All the pantry shelves are full to bursting with jars of
canned goods. I also managed to paint indoor window sills before bringing all
the house plants back inside ahead of the first cold snap, mucked out the hen
and duck house (done in two separate weeks), painted a few items outside,
gathered more seeds from the garden, and transplanted some wild yellow and
purple daisies.
Today
I'm opening up the windows, changing sheets on all the beds, and hanging them
outside as it’s to be a warm sunny day. I'll also be in the garden collecting
more seeds and enjoying nature close up. And while the sun shines I need to
splash some more paint around. There is
always plenty to do.
Autumn
also means getting plenty of cardio exercise carrying in wood to keep both wood
stoves going on cold days and taking out ashes. I always dread the colder
weather as it flares up my bones where I have to take more meds to keep my pain
level under control slowing me way down and some day’s sidelining me in the
recliner.
I'm
so glad I have Dwight as he pitches in on slow days and helps me take care of
Dana. As long as we don't both get down
on the same day we are good.
After
years of working (when he could) putting a 1966 Chevrolet on a different frame
and I don't know what all else, Dwight finally got the old truck together
enough to drive it up and down the road. There is still more work to be done on
it, but I’m happy that Dwight is able to tinker around in his workshop,
although creating one of kind knives from scratch and redoing old trucks
wouldn’t be my choice for his artistic flare. It definitely is a guy thing.
I
need to hush up and keep moving as I have a busy day ahead.
Take
care on your end~
Dorcas
