The Promised Frost Arrives
Wow! We woke up this morning to an absolutely gorgeous sunny day – that was 29 degrees! The fields and gardens are blanketed with a lovely frost, the white flag of surrender for the summer crops. I, frankly, am quite glad to see them go. We’ve been running around for the past few days frantically gathering up tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and everything else tender we hoped to save. I do regret not pulling in the last of the beans, because we did have a lot out there. But I’m truly glad to be done with the rest. Now we can sit back and enjoy the spectacular show put on by the winter and root crops.
Even now the towering brussels sprouts stand triumphant in the deflated gardens, their gigantic blue leaves proudly iced in white. The rutabagas are like a sea of teal leaves, while the delicately shaded pink and fuschia roots grow sweeter every day under the soil. Beets, too, and turnips continue to sweeten with each cool night. Kale, collards, Swiss chard and cabbages begin to take on the gigantic proportions of the autumn harvest, and so, too, the broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, and turnips are peaking.
So the tastes change, but the tasks continue apace here on the farm. Now it’s time to dig potatoes, clear the beds of debris, muck out barns, remove trellises, work compost into the soil, prepare new beds for next year and repair fencing and move animals to winter pastures. The days are shorter, but more comfortable to work in, and at the end of them there will be fires to enjoy and new recipes to try. Then – snow.
becky kruse said,
October 6, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
Hi Kriss, I left a phone message but since I have a minute at work thought this might have a better chance of getting to you.
Your critters in the lower pasture seem fine. No trouble while I was gone. Is Congo behaving himself?
I have talked to a few folks who board horses so have some idea of the price range. Prices are all over the place. Since I have a humble facility I expect to be at the lower end of the scale. There is rough board, rough board with special care, etc. etc. You should think about what you do for and with Shakespear on a given day or week and what you would want me to do. If we are both clear on expectations I figure we can both be happy and he can be warmer but still content. For example how many times per day/week you give hay, feed, groom,pick his feet, exercise visit, pet etc. Since we know all this changes during the course of the winter think about hard winter versus mild. I am figuring my hay, barn & water and care. You provide feed, any extras, medications, wormer etc. you would want him to have but I will keep to his normal schedule unless we agree otherwise. He IS an old guy and I want the move to be as smooth as possible.
Are you still ready to ride Brava—should we make a date for me and my lunge line to come for a visit? Maybe you have already got her going? Sounds like fun.
Becky