Beautifully busy fall days

Whoops! I fell off the tracks here on keeping this updated- time to write something. :) Things have been busy here- trying to finish up the winter wood, harvesting, continuing to plant, etc. We have had frost, like, I suspect, most of you reading this, have had as well. Overnight, from the 11th to the 12th, the temperature dropped like a young man's heart when he sees the girl of his dreams out with another suitor at the Saturday night ice skating get-together. Had 28 degrees that night, and 31 the next night. We anticipated it, though, and made preparations, so no real worries. I alluded to a trick to help the tomatoes ripen in a previous post- the idea was to set posts around the patch, then staple plastic to the posts. It would essentially make walls, that would keep the cool winds off the plants, while still allowing rain to get in and an open top to allow them to vent. Didn't work too well, with the wind blowing the plastics off the posts. But I had one of the cherubs here go by and cut the tomato growing points and most blossoms back, to try and force them to ripen the fruit already set, and cover them through the frosts. The plants are not doing too bad, all things considered. Here's how it looks on one of them.

Sioux Tomato

Yesterday, while out cutting firewood, we saw this neat tree frog. Been working to wrap up the winter's wood, since we all know what's coming. Not really looking forward to it, after last winter, but at the same time, (hopefully) slower days with quiet evenings around the living room stove, eating popcorn and reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls, does sound kinda cozy, so, I guess, bring it on. As one of my younger brothers is wont to say, what can't be cured must be endured.

Tree frog chillin'.

We've continued planting more baby green type crops, which we'll set out in our season extension "systems", of which I will explain more when they are up and going. And the winter carrots are sure looking good. These crops will be available primarily through our after the market season veggie delivery system. If I've already mentioned it to you, and gotten your email, no worries, you're in. If you haven't heard about it, and are interested, stop by one of the markets and inquire, or send an email. One of the earlier blog posts explains it in more detail.

Baby brassica greens

Baby lettuce

More baby cukes in the greenhouse

Rouxai lettuce

Helenor Rutabaga.

Below is a picture from one of the winter carrot beds. I call it "the cracking of the row". It's a good sign, when you see the carrot row start to look like a mini earthquake crack- it means the roots are swelling nicely down there. :)

The cracking of the row

Here's a newer shot of the big new herb garden.............

Beautiful happy herbs

Honeybee working on a zucchini blossom.

One of the late spinach beds.

Nope, it's not your eyes, nor is it a mistake- the bed is intentionally tilted toward the left, the left side being toward the south in this picture. Especially when planting late in the season, it helps to capture all the solar radiation you can- and tilting the bed while raking it out is one way of doing that. Seems to be doing well for this bed, it was planted early September, and the seeds are up and growing happily. Probably be harvesting from this bed late October.

Last picture for this post is...........

Nap time for Molly Anne and one of her many dollies. :)

No napping for me, however, I gotta run and wear out the chainsaw some more. :) Y'all take care now!