Cold again!

Well that was short and sweet! It's raining again, and miserable out. No roof work today, I think.

I'm glad I got the garlic planted, though. Now the only thing remaining is to mulch the strawberry bed with a few inches of straw, but I should wait until the ground freezes and they go dormant. Also could start some more grape vines from cuttings. Just watched a video on how to do that, and now's the time for it.
If you're interested, you can see the video at http://tinyurl.com/2alvj5y . That's Mike McGroarty, who has built up quite a business for himself -- found a niche in the gardening world, and filled it. You can check that out at http://www.freeplants.com/wanted.htm.

Maybe this weekend.

Gotta finish that article and get to work.

Beautiful Fall Weather!

The weather turned from cold and nasty wet to beautiful, sunny, and breezy for the next xouple of days. Just taking a break from working outside, to catch up on some coffee, writing, and email.

Yesterday, in just over 1 hour's time, I was able to ge the tiller going, till up a patch, and plant 250 garlic cloves. Now writing an article about it, which I hope to sell, complete with pix, to one of the gardening magazines. I plant garlic a bit differently than most folks, and manage to get a very nice harvest from a very small planting. Saving the details for the article, so I can't publish them here.

On Saturday we processed and canned 40 pints of home made applesauce. Dorie had done 46 pints last week, and now we have 1 1/2 bushels to go. The grandkids love it, and we do too. We use a lot of it warmed, spread on pancakes or French toast in place of maple syrup.

The main canning season is about done, but I've still got a pumpkin to do, and want to put up some pickled beets. The canner never gets put away, though, as I use it for chicken or pulled pork, or several other things when we can get them on sale.

Our pastor was just here, looking at the roof that needs replacing. He's coming up tomorrow with a couple of the guys from church to do it.

God is good!

It never ends!

Got the garden just about put away, only need to till a couple hundred square feet now, and will be planting the garlic soon. It was a good year! The pantry is pretty well stocked, and we're pleased with the results.

I didn't get the shed moved, or the greenhouse started, or the grape arbor put up yet, but there's still time. First, though, gotta re-roof the 200 square feet over our living room. That's just under 5 rolls of half-lap, and a bucket of roof cement. No tear-off this time, so I should be done in a day or so, even less if I have some help with it. Then there's one back porch to close in for winter, and I'd like to put a roof over the other one. All in good time.

Meanwhile, we had a funeral last week, and two more later this week -- too many good friends leaving us. One, a close neighbor, died this morning of cardiac arrest, while doing her job as an emergency responder, treating and transporting a patient. She was our town fire department emergency services chief, and a 19-year emt. She'll be sorely missed.