First Days of Fall

Thirty quarts of tomatoes. That's what she canned. Not me. For anyone who has read my book, Grow It. Eat It., you have probably guessed that I don't like to can. I much prefer filling the freezer.

So that's what I've been working on. Beans. Apples. Tomatoes. Peppers. Basil. (I have a love affair with basil. I love the taste and smell of it. I love that when I'm done working with it, the smell lingers on my fingers. For me, it's a symbolic smell, the smell of late summer, of delicious dishes with pasta and tomatoes, of a garden full of produce and flowers.) So it's now wonder that I have a backache, but it's nothing that a good night's rest won't help. And it will be worth it on a blizzardy winter's night when I open the freezer for a taste of summer.

Demented Squirrel

"Bwaaaaack!Bwaaaaack!" Yesterday a demented squirrel had taken up residence in the tree outside my window. As I tried to work on the computer, the squirrel scolded some creature, real or imagined, constantly and consistently. Does it ever eat? or poop? The squirrel had been screeching for an hour and a half. I tried to scare it out of the tree, but it just scolded me from a higher branch. The sound echoed through the house. When I shut this window, the sounds entered through other open windows. If I were a predator, I'd go after that squirrel not for a meal--just for some peace and quiet.

P.S. The plums were amazing. The wildlife thought so, too, because my daughter and I only got a taste.

P.P.S. With the unseasonably warm weather, I have a second crop of beans. Delish!

Bloodthirsty

They're small. They're fast. They're bloodthirsty. It's a new batch of mosquitoes. Surprisingly, when you get as many mosquitoes as we do out here, you get to know the different kinds. I'm not a biologist, but the bugs have personalities. Some mosquitoes are big and lazy. Others stay in the shade, avoiding the heat of the day. But this batch is the bloodthirstiest, probably because the days before frost are numbered.

In other news, the petunias that I almost killed are still almost dead. I really can't bring myself to pull them up. One of the pots has some new growth, but that might be seeds sprouting rather than re-growth on the old plants. Is it foolish to keep trying? If there's one thing that makes a gardener in Minnesota going, it's hope.

Apple Day

Last Saturday was apple day, so named by my daughter. My daughter, my tall husband, and I picked apples from one tree, we sorted them, and we used the apple peeler/corer/slicer. That tool is a miracle! My daughter was in charge of the slicer, and together we made some applesauce and froze three bags of apple slices. We slept well that night. And I still have two crisper drawers full of apples. The next tree will be ready for picking in about two weeks. Just enough recovery time!