Signs Of Fall

Finally it seems like fall might be here, temperature wise.  Today is a lovely sunny day with a cool breeze.  Fall chores have commenced with a vengeance now, trying to get the many things taken care of before winter sets in. 

Today, participating in a fall ritual, I worked on cleaning out the garage of the accumulated hay and other debris that tends to collect even when I am looking.  I've started a little pile of things to burn when the wind dies down.  The old hay leavings will go on the gardens.  Soon the garage will be ready for the winter's supply of hay. 

Lots of laundry today too, since it's a prime day to hang it out and dry.  Slowly I'm pulling up or cutting back plants, as most of them already look straggly even before we have had a frost. 

The sheep are starting to get feisty and lots of ewe fights breaking out.  Not sure how things will go this year, since this is the first time I'll not be putting any of the ewes to a ram.  I have four wethers in with them so will see how that goes as well.   The Shetlands in particular can become quite the handful at this time of the year.  I should be able to rotate them one more time on to grass in the lower pasture, which will hopefully keep them in enough pasture until November.  If that pans out, then this will be the latest that I've ever managed to not have to feed hay. 

It really seems very odd not to be making plans to set up breeding groups!  

 

The other night I picked four pounds of wild grapes.  There are more, but I'm not sure I'll get to them.  I de-stemmed and washed the picked ones and then crammed them in the freezer to make jelly out of later on.  I'm astounded at the size of these wild grapes!   All that rain we had over the last few weeks must have been timed perfectly for them.

There are also a bunch of pears that need to be worked up that someone gave me...and some apples on the tree that need to be picked. The pickings in the garden are slim to none.  I did eat a small tomato off the vine today, but most of the fruit is small, and withered looking--even the green ones.  There are a few onions that have had a resurgence of  growth after I cut them back in early summer.  The peppers are doing outstanding right now, with quite a few nice plump peppers on them. 

This little flower is a volunteer...although I'm not even sure where it came from.  I believe it might be an impatiens, and I believe I might have  had some in a flower pot last year.  This plant sprouted up on the concrete, where the wall meets the ground, and seems to be rather proud of itself.  It was a nice little surprise. 

This little guy falls in the 'uh oh' category.  Supposedly the more black a woolly worm has on it, the harsher the winter.   So what does it mean when they are all black?  This may not be a positive sign.

"Homecoming" is tomorrow at the church and cemetery that my Mom's people are buried at.  Another sure sign of fall is this yearly tradition.  I have chicken and noodles in the crock pot and a pear crisp to go in the oven soon.  

Vacation will be in just two weeks and that is a very good, very definite sign of fall!  

The leaves are slow to turn, but I have a feeling they are going to be really showy this year. 

And finally a sure sign of Fall and cooler days and nights---the cats start to gather and puddle up in a pile with each other. 

 

 

Gabe says--me too! 

Hope your weather is lovely this weekend, wherever you are!