November

I am cold, especially my feet and fingers.  Unless I use a headlamp, quitting time is 5:30 for field work.  There is a staggering amount of field work. Non farmers just don't get that. It is not so much they don't get it;  they simply don't think about gardening and November in the same sentence. I do.  Anvils, black clouds, heavy burdens, until the field tasks are crossed off I am haunted. The temperature will hover around 25 tonight.  I hope the preparations of fresh bedding, food and water will suffice my animals.

Two days of rain cancelled my plans for flail mowing and tilling the main plot. Maybe tomorrow I will get a second chance.  I turned my attention to inside jobs. Thanksgiving requires lots of pies.  I decided to have a clear conscience in preparing food for others. So I cleaned out the cupboards, washed all the assorted trappings of kitchendom and took an inventory of the spices. For thirty odd years I have collected cookie cutters,  As I washed their shapes the memories came to me; so many holiday dinners, so many hours rolling out cookies. There were pies and cakes too. So many.

The camera battery has lost its strength, a disappointment.  I wanted to show you how large the ducks have grown, and their beautiful feather patterns. Monday, while ripping out trellises and vines, I discovered a stunning surprise-purple broccoli and rainbow colored carrots!!  How I wish I had a picture. These crops never grew this summer due to drought and high temperatures.  I assumed they were failures, doomed to obscurity in my crop journal. During the season I did not bother to pull out the headless broccoli plants, as they were behind a wall of pigweed. Imagine my shock at finding dark vibrant purple heads. Then I saw the carrot leaves! If only I had these weeks ago for the CSA. There were only a small amount of each, yet I felt so happy.  Maybe next year...........

Next year will be here all too quickly.  Last night I spent several hours ordering seeds. Despite the cold and darkness, there is hope.  In a matter of weeks it will be time to sow onions, celery and leeks. Plans are underway for a Quick Hoops caterpiller tunnel. This is a small unheated tunnel for starting seeds here where we live. It will enable us to grow seedlings efficiently. No more crammed trays in the kitchen and living room, or seedlings not getting enough light.