Fall Harvest

The gardening season is drawing to a close. The afternoons are still warm but there is a definite chill in the air by dinner time. The slant of the late summer sun is changing daily. The sun sets early in the evening. Fall is on her way. Sweet fall.

The tomatoes are finally starting to turn red. We had our first taste on the weekend. Sun warmed, sun ripened tomatoes. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt. I'll bet you can taste them, can't you?

I dug all of the potatoes, pulled most of the beets. Carrots I will leave for a little longer. I may re-seed some spinach as well.

The sunflowers are in their glory, even though the undersides of the leaves are covered with aphids.

I thought I would have to make a trip to the city for produce on the weekend but Paul did some work for a Hutterite Colony and was rewarded with a wonderful bounty.

Athena was especially pleased with the radishes.

We pruned the trees this weekend too. We are trying to save the life of one of our birches by pruning way way back. We won't know if we have success until spring. Putting the yard to sleep in the fall is my favorite outside chore. Paul chopped a huge pile of wood and stacked it in anticipation of the cooler weather.

But now, we think of Autumn. Cool mornings, warm afternoons, wood smoke in the air. Shorter days, chilly nights. Warm soups and stews to keep us warm. Knitting by the fire in the evenings, talking over a glass of wine. These are the days!