Another Day

We had a brief respite from the coming of autumn today. It was over 70 F! However, the forecasts for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night are all below freezing, with colder temperatures each succeeding night. That will undoubtedly be the end of the few hardy plants that are hanging on, the kale, the brave rose by the alleyway, and the flowers by the walkway, the identity of which I have no idea.

I'm looking forward to colder weather. I enjoy winter. Having lived in Alberta, I love to tease people here in the Midwest by asking them what they would do if it ever actually got cold. Having survived, quite nicely, a walking paper route at minus 50 degrees, I laugh at the 'cold' here.

On the other hand, my Other Half hates the cold. She is extremely sensitive to it, and is uncomfortable at any temperature much below 60. I tell her that she just needs to learn to dress for it. She doesn't take kindly to my advice, pointing out that she's already wearing three layers in an attempt to stay warm.

I'm just glad I've always lived where there are well defined seasons. I love three of them, but summer I could do without!

More Autumn Pictures

Whilst the asparagus is slowly succumbing to the autumnal chill-

-the kale keeps bravely marching on!

As autumn progresses, there are still the hardy ones! A rose out by the alleyway, defiantly blooming!

A Walk on an Autumn Afternoon

I walked down to the pub today for a beer, and to restock my home supply in the refrigerator. We are at 60 F, and under a wind advisory. The trees are shedding their leaves, and they're blowing hither and yon. The sun is shining, so even with the wind it's comfortable, light jacket weather. It's a beautiful day in South East Nebraska!

Pictures on an Autumn Afternoon

Earlier I took Maximus Barker out to the yard. I realised that even tho' there's an autumnal chill in the air, not all the colour is gone! The first, however, is actually a tree/bush by the garage the leaves of which turn a deep, dark red before falling. I've discovered what this shrub is! It is a Euonymus atropurpureus, commonly called, in this region, the 'burning bush'. 

These are flowers growing by the walk by the house out to the front yard. Not being an expert horticulturalist, I have no idea what they are. I just know that they're a welcome splash of colour on a cool autumn afternoon.

After supper, we took Max for a run out by the river. On the south side of the road is a corn field ready for harvest.

And there's still colour in the country!

An abandoned mail box. I know it's abandoned, except by the wasps, whose nests I found inside!

A shot of the river, with the trestle of the old bridge that was washed out in a flood years ago. The County decided the crossing was no longer need.

Deer spoor in the dried mud at the side of the road. I'm guessing a large buck. There were tracks all down the side of the road, but most of them were doe or fawn sized.

And just for fun, a late afternoon shot of the Other Half's shadow, with the Old Curmudgeon in the distance!

The Vegetable Garden

Another sign of autumn. The vegetable garden is almost done.The kale hangs bravely on, but the rest is a desolate wasteland, The zucchini and patty-pan summer squash died early. There was debate as to whether it was bugs or a virus that killed them, but it was a blessing from God that they died! They were producing so copiously that we couldn't eat, freeze, or dry them fast enough. Many of them went to the Clatonia Post Office, where they were left on the counter for the taking.

Of the rest, the onions are pulled and dried, the peppers are all eaten and we're buying store-bought now, the basil, both green and purple has been pulled and hung to dry, and the tomatoes that were left ripening on the vine have been picked and are completing the process in the warmth of the south-facing, enclosed porch. We've eaten fresh tomatoes, fresh salsa, had them on Pizza Margherita along with fresh garden basil, and used them in garden salads. We've boiled them down into sauce, which we've frozen. In fact, tonight's supper is rotini alla marinara made with some of it.

All in all, it was a success. And people will say that you have to use pesticides to have a good garden. Don't believe them!