Hello!
Autumn is in full force here in the TN mountains bringing cold nights and frosty mornings with chilly days. The leaves have already flaunted bright colors of red, orange, and yellow at their height of glory- now slowly fading and dropping down to the earth to make a crunchy carpet underfoot. Winds whip the treetops sending acorns falling to the earth like mini pellets scattering everywhere. While the squirrels race around hiding nuts for the winter, I am busy trying to finish outdoor chores before it gets too cold to work outside. As usual, I am running behind on everything I'd like to get done.
Meanwhile
all kinds of daisies, purple asters, marigolds, zinnias, and mums are blooming
as the graceful yellow goldenrod stands tall among them. A few hardy roses
unfurl their last delicate petals for the year.
The
garden as well is finished for the year for me as I've not planted any fall
crops after harvesting the mini pumpkins I planted. I plan on mucking out the
duck and hen houses to put on my garden beds so I can lay new straw down for
the winter. I've already tacked down plastic over the windows to hold in warmth
for the ducks and hens at night and cleaned out all the cobwebs.
Each
sunny warm day has found me busy painting the mailbox, wooden rocking chair in
the sun/mud room, plant stands, the back steps going down into my enclosed
garden and the workshop steps. I also painted the sun/mud room walls.
I
did up a last batch of nineteen quarts of tomato juice and eight quarts of
tomatoes to finish filling up the pantry. I always love seeing full jars on the
shelves.
Before
Stacy and her family arrived, I picked up branches and burned a pile of briars
that I cleaned out along the hedgerow etc while indoors I did a major cleaning
throughout the house that was long overdue.
The temperature dropped sharply so I ended up having to bring all my
hanging and house plants indoors too
that I had hoped to wait until later as it entailed washing windows and sills.
It
was such a joy to see Stacy, Justin, and meet Theo and Mae for the first time.
What fun having small children once more in the house. It had been years since I last saw Justin's
father, Jeff, who I was in school with, and Rachel. Theo and Mae were excited
to gather eggs, smash acorns, and play after another long day of traveling. All
too soon we had to say good-bye.
Dwight
got the sink installed in the kitchen- what joy- and I was finally able to put
everything back underneath and clear off the dining room table in time to make
a meal for Stacy and her family. I feel so blessed to be able to cook and bake
in my new brighter/lighter kitchen especially as the days grow shorter each
week.
Due
to the very wet summer we had, the beehive closest to the hedgerow along the
property that was in more shade, I was saddened to discover that moths had
taken over and all the bees had died. So I dismantled the beehive and cleaned off
all the boards storing it in the workshop until spring. Meanwhile, thankfully, the other beehive is
going strong. I’ve been feeding them sugar water as the flowers die out and
there isn’t a large source of nectar for them to get. I plan in the spring to
use this beehive to start another brood for the empty one.
God
has been so good to help, watch over, guide, and take care of us in the year
since Dana died. It has been a big adjustment, but He has been there every step
of the way. I’m grateful each day for the strength He gives me and I have
Dwight to keep an eye on me to make sure that I behave and not go too wild.
There still is a lot to get done indoors that will keep me busy this winter.
So
until next month- take care on your end and stay warm!
Dorcas
