Any day now, winter could come to stay. So far we are enjoying the late fall weather. The air feels crisp and clean. Waiting for the bus in the morning is frosty and just barely daylight. Colorful leaves have gone and trees are bare. The only remaining color is the tamaracks with their golden yellow-y orange needles. Birds are starting to flock to the feeders. Today I saw our female Pileated Woodpecker for the first time since spring. (Joey calls them "fluffyated woodpeckers").
This knowing that the weather could turn any day has me feeling the rush to get projects done inside and out. The gardens are all cleaned out and mulched for the winter, leaves have been mowed and mulched. The last of the garden has been harvested and canned. (My garden didn't amount to much, but thankfully I have unlimited access to another huge garden, a co-worker's mom who shares her excess veggies and a dandy farmer's market to find my treasures.)
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| Just for kicks, I took out all the jars I have canned this summer and fall. This is about 2/3 of the total jars I canned in 2013. |
More canning than I have ever done by far. I still have a little bit more to do, as my selection is a bit light on protein. So, beans and turkey are still on the "to-can" list. Preserving the harvest has been a major part of my weekly schedule for several months now. I've expanded my selection away from just jams and jellies and included pickles, relish, tomato sauces, apple pie filling, and pumpkin.
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| Isn't that pretty? |
We have been making steady progress on our fall to-do list over the last month or so, being grateful for every clear, dry day. We finally cut down a dead birch tree that has been threatening to fall over near our house, along with a few other standing dead trees and got the wood stacked by our fire pit. The garage and shed have been tidied up, recycling has been brought in and the yard cleaned up (We even made a long overdue trip to the dump on our anniversary. Try not to be jealous.).
Soon the gourds and jack-o-lanterns will be fed to the chickens, autumn scarecrows replaced with winter snowmen. Rakes traded in for snow shovels. Any day now.
Until that day comes, the kids will be waiting as patiently as they know how to get out their sleds and Matt and I will be enjoying these last mild days before winter sets in.
