Killing Frost

Woke up late yesterday morning–a nasty cold involved in that–to find the first killing frost was still in attendance all the way up to the house.  My father said it was 24.6 degrees on their barn and that it “looked like it had snowed”.

Here the heavy white layer of frost stayed on the ground until almost 9.30AM.

We had a nice long green autumn; almost a month longer than usual.  Not any warmer, really.  But wetter, and the cloud cover and moisture on the plants worked together to result in not any good conditions for an  earlier hard frost.

I had woken up about 3AM Monday morning and Orion’s belt, my old friend of three stars in a row, was in his winter position out my window, clear and bright.  No wind.  All the stars were blazing.  Perfect frost night.

Autumn

cabbage at the home farm

watercress

waterlily autumn crocus

solomon’s seal

Tomatoes

Late blight has hit this area pretty hard.  Thanks to Sue’s heads-up, Jay cut off diseased leaves and sprayed our tomatoes several times before it showed up in force here, which enabled some of the fruit to ripen.  I have canned two loads (seven quarts per load) of Sungolds, taken large bowls of them to several gatherings, eaten many out of hand and as salad, given quite a few away, and this morning Isabelle picked the last from the  eastern plants before Jay cut them down to dispose of.

I picked all the red tomatoes fit to eat yesterday before the rain.  We got half an inch overnight.  They amounted to about 3/4 of a bushel.  Most years I get at least eight bushels.  Also picked most of the Sungolds, about 1.5 gallon’s worth.

This morning the less than perfect red tomatoes and Sungolds went either into  Suzanne’s Meju Maja to produce five quarts of tomato broth and a half gallon or so of sauce with herbs or into a double batch of tomato soup concentrate with onion, garlic and herbs to freeze.  It will be frozen in to use as Sunday meals during the winter.  Salt and chicken broth or half and half are added when used.

Thanks to my mother, we are not dependent upon just this year’s harvest for out tomato needs.  She has built up quite a canning backlog over the years which we are helping eat through.

Isabelle will have a nice bowl full to take to a meeting tonight.

September

And the first cyclamen:

Flowers in the Garden

Just Wondering

Who would want to knit a beet?

Almost Plum Tuckered Out

The plums just keep coming.  We have given plums away to over a dozen neighbors.  Some took a quart, some took a gallon, many took a quantity in between.  Jay takes them to work to give away.  I have been picking a gallon or more each day since Friday.

I have made plum conserve, canned plum halves, and this morning, canned plum sauce.  It is wonderfully tart and colorful and will be great with meat.