what, a nor'easter you say?

Well, we dodged a weather bullet here in northern New England the last few days..so what better time to zip up to Maine to check out the surf? It's always great when the beaches are all yours.

But now it's home again, home again jiggity jig. Normally taking a few days away this time of year might be problematic but one thing about having a lousy harvest is there's less to do at this normally labor intensive time of year. But heaven know there's still a ton to do. Time to hop to it.

last minute mowing and the once & future vegetable garden

We've got some weather coming our way and today, I must admit, was the first time I really felt the cold.
I have alot of lawn to look at...well, alot of grass mixed with other stuff that passes for 'lawn' and that's fine with me except I'm no fan of mowing. I've hayed fields and mown more than my share of landscape and it's not just the noise and using fossil fuels that bugs me. I don't get into the 'meditation' of it. I don't hate it, I'd just rather allocate the time for other gardening matters. Luckily it only falls to me about half the time.
But today I felt an urgency as we are expecting some white stuff and even if it doesn't stick it's psychological impact is strong. Anyhoo, I keep raking to a minimum so the leaves get mulched into the lawn, that's it for my fertilizing. Seems to work. So a final buzz cut. Hope is that much of this area will have vegetables growing on it in the not too distant future. The good news is that it was a veg garden in the past so it'll be relatively rock free. The bad news is it's a very wet area so some serious raised beds would be needed. But whatever is decided my mantra is to not bite off more than I can chew. (Good luck with that one, Randi)
So, the woodstove is pretty much on full time duty now and I find myself hunting down hearty recipes. I've got a fava bean chili going at the moment. Could be interesting.

another day in Vermont

Well, El put a bee in my bonnet the other day when I read her post on legitimately, (that is: knowing what she's doing), foraging for wild mushrooms. I, on the other hand, know nothing about fungi. BUT! I've had a ball looking around the last few days on my walks and have begun at least to read a bit on the topic. Tried to find the variety of that bright orange monster but am still looking. If you know fill me in please. So today, Sunday, a day in nature worthy of worship... here it is.

quintessential aromatherapy

Walking in October with Effie, Egil and Cabot is a treat.
Walking is a treat and breathing in and out is exquisite when the air is so clean and it's about to rain and the earth is fecund and so spicily perfumed that it is not to be described but to be inhaled.

I should not consider it, (daily long tramps), an indulgence. I should and do consider it my health care insurance. We did our 4 mile loop along the river and I dillydallyed today, taking time to stare at the shrooms, lichen, leaves, fungi and on. But deep breathing was at the root of it. I noted that were I able to bottle and sell said aroma I would be wealthy. So, another day, more gratitude, woodstove going, baked squash and apple pie from the fallen apples. Not for a second today will I not be conscious that Life is indeed good.

end of's and were they thinking what I've been thinking

At the end of some things now. Basil has it's finale. Still smells great..the last hurrah to fresh pesto for the season. Hurrah!
And putting seed away...which means drying and separating seed from chaff..here's where I got to wondering if 'they', (by they I mean the thousands of generations before me of mostly women performing some version of the same task), thought as I did while seed cleaning. My crude, no machines except me, method requires alot of shaking and blowing with assistance from the prevailing winds. It's sorta fun, sometimes meditative and occasionally induces one to involuntarily inhale clouds of stuff should you get distracted or the wind gets the rascal in her.
My seed harvest is pretty measly this year, not much atall in the way of veggies but I've managed a few odds and ends and already am mentally cheerleading my way into next year with some 'the odds must be with me' calculations. Calculations means hope. Ha!
But hey, autumn provides the most scenic backdrop for deep thinking. Double HA!

day tripping

some days in the autumn are just for roving about...