THE FROST IS ON THE PUMPKINS

We have been away from the farm for a month, and it feels so good to be back. The trip up the Clearwater was beautiful, and I was glad to be traveling along with Mike, and he was driving.

Brother Chuck predicted that this warm autumn would turn cold suddenly, and he was right. It’s just so hard to believe that Monday afternoon was unseasonably warm and by Friday, we were having a cold snap! Lows will be around 20 here at the farm. (24 this morning.)

Our initial plan was to dash to the farm and winterize the house. Then Mike suggested that we wait and spend the weekend here to keep the house warm. We just hate to winterize this early, especially since after this three- to four-day cold snap, the forecast shows warmer weather for the foreseeable future. I appreciate Mike’s willingness to be here while it’s cold because the work of keeping the house warm falls to him, and the cold is hard on him.

As Mike was lighting the fireplace, he removed the carcass of a flicker. We didn’t weep over that. The flickers do a lot of damage. No sign of mice.

Note strawberry blossom and green berries

I picked many ripe tomatoes. I will probably stew them. I found a cup of ripe strawberries and plenty of largish green ones as well as blossoms! Obviously, they aren’t going to produce any longer. I guess I should just trim off the blooms and put the plants to bed for the winter. I have never had this situation before.

We still have plenty of supplies on hand, and we didn’t forget to bring anything. But I was dismayed to discover that apparently my cheap little mittens have all drifted back to town. Mike found some glove liners I can use, and I think I have some real gloves somewhere, but when it comes to the gardening, sometimes bare hands work best anyway. And I sorta wish I had thought to bring my long underwear.

Mike and Bess scouted for elderberries yesterday and found none. Too bad – no new jelly this year. For one reason or another – and maybe some laziness – I missed the country berry seasons. However, one can always make jelly somehow.

I happened to think that I forgot to get out the Halloween quilt I made some years back. I love those vintage prints! But these October days were so warm that I just didn’t think of it. I was also preoccupied in making this Halloween table topper with machine embroidery designs from Advanced Embroidery. It was labor-intensive – 1) the embroidery; 2) the quilting, which I did with a specialty stitch; and 3) mitering eight odd-angle corners. I read and reread a lot of tutorials since my object was to learn. (I also stitched and restitched.) KW