Photo Catch-Up

40°f/4.4°C, hazy. Rain expected later today 

Some of you commented on my sisters photo yesterday. Yes, I have seven sisters, all younger than me. I also have 5 brothers, 3 of whom are older. So that made me the oldest girl, which meant I did a lot of babysitting, especially in my teen years. It also explains why I married young! And why having 5 sons of my own didn't seem like a big deal.

Yesterday was one of those days when you do what you have been putting off---like cleaning out the base cabinets in the kitchen. I have to wonder how I get so many extra baking pans. Do they breed in the dark? And I have this steamed pudding pan that I have used only once. Maybe I need to either find a recipe that I like, or just give up the pan. It's just that it's so cute! Anyway, that job is out of the way, thank goodness. Still a couple more cabinets to go through, though. 

Then it was time to get out the tiller and work up some ground for bulbs and peony roots, and get those planted. I was so careful getting the first lots in, but I was tired and the last ones I shoved in wherever. And then, guess what came via FedEx after dark? Yes, bulbs I ordered months ago and forgot about! So those will need to be planted,  and now the weather is going to turn very cold and nasty. What timing. 

Larry was happy that he was able to finish the brushhogging,  and to also plow some new ground for next year's garden. He wants to grow more corn than what we raised this year, and potatoes, which we didn’t have space for.  He has grown a garden in this area before, and those 2 crops do pretty well there. Here I am, though, trying to downsize our veggie garden, and he plows up more space! But you know I don't mind one bit.

We also took a couple bushels of pears to a neighbor, as we do not need them. There are plenty more still to be picked up, and even more on the tree. I think this makes about 7 bushels so far; we made pear cider, spiced pears, and pear jam, but don't need any canned pears; I am hoping it hope we can give away the rest. 

Today I will finally get to sorting out the Christmas stuff for the booths. I had hoped to take it in today, but I am just plain tired, so will take it easy today. 

Tonight we plan to go hear a friend playing at the independent bookstore store in Charleston, which will be a nice evening out. 

Did I take photos of any of yesterday's activities? Nope, was too busy! So here are some I meant to post some time or other. 

I said goodbye to this guy this week. This is a ceramic candle lantern of the Braxton County Monster, a pretty fascinating story of one of West Virginia's cryptids. I won this as a door prize in 2002 at a conference, and have enjoyed having it, but it was time for him to go. Now was a good time to sell it, as interest in cryptids seems to be at an all-time high. He fetched $150 on ebay.

A daytime fire in the fireplace is such a nice little luxury on a frosty morning.

I don't think I have posted photos of our rabbits before. We have 4, a buck and 3 does. Larry bred them recently, so if it takes we should have babies in a few weeks.  Before you ask, these are for meat. I know some people have trouble with that, but rabbits are a good source of white meat.

I changed out my display of Early American Pattern Glass this week as I put away fall decor. All of this glass is well over 100 years old, except for the large red plate. 

We have several patches of asparagus,  most of it self- seeded. This particular patch has lots of seeds-- see the little red balls? I may gather some of them and start them myself in the spring. I have done e this before with good results. 

The calendula is blooming its heart out now. I should harvest and dry some petals for cooking. Maybe, if I can remember before the frost.

The photo velow looks like a muddy mess, but it's actually black walnuts, which Larry pours on the driveway, where they are run over enough to remove the outer hull. He'll be cracking nuts all winter, I think, as we not only has a couple bushels of hulled walnuts, but also a good half bushel of nice big hickory nuts our son Derek gathered for us at the golf course.

Why does pineapple sage wait until right before frost to bloom? The color of its flowers is so pretty, a deep rosy red, but we seldom get to enjoy them for long.

The hollyhocks have put on one last show. I was so happy to actually have hollyhocks this year. I started the plants from seed, but the deer ate them every year. This year, with three active dogs, we had no deer trouble. 

And finally, this glorious tree at one of our neighbor's homes. This is our closest neighbor in that direction, about 3/4 mile from us. 

That's enough for today. I hope all of you have the best possible weekend!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.