Killing Frost

29 and a hard frost. Clear skies.

It has to come every year, and so it has this year. Frost has ended the growing season, and now we can concentrate elsewhere.

Today, it's back to eBay and paperwork for me, and maybe more paint on the little dresser I started on the other day. My arm is sore from the booster shot but we had no other side effects, which is nice. I feel ready to go out and about with more comfort and safety again. This Saturday is the Fall West Virginia Writers Conference, and I am looking forward to going to that worry-free. It will be held in Huntington, WV, a city on the Ohio River that I have not spent a great deal of time in. Huntington is well known, sadly, for its drug problems, but there is a vibrant arts and writing community there, and it is home to Marshall University, the second largest school in the state. It's unfortunate that more focus isn't put on the good aspects of the city, but that tends to be how news is reported, isn't it. We focus on the bad and the sensational, barely giving a nod to the better, uplifting things in life.

Larry found two large hams in the freezer during the big cleanout, and he is slicing them up this morning. Poor man, I am sure his fingers are freezing, again. We found we had a fair supply of meat, but not as much as we thought we had, actually, so we'll be on the lookout for a butcher hog, and for some deer during the hunting season to restock. I am hoping turkey prices will be low again too so I can stock up on that like I did last year.

We watched a movie called Michael Collins last night, based on the story of the Irish revolutionary who fought against British control of Ireland. I'm of two minds about this man. The movie, of course, made him out to be a hero, and in one way he was, although violence and bloodshed seemed to be his preferred methods--even in the end when he was fighting against his own people who saw a different path to the establishment of the Irish Republic. I need to read more about him to really draw any conclusion about his heroism or his culpability in causing needless harm to his own people. Liam Neeson and Adrian Quinn were excellent in the movie, however; Julia Roberts really didn't seem to fit, at least to me, and her attempts at an Irish accent were less than good.

Back to the salt mines of eBay I go. Enough of this lollygagging, as my Dad would say.

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

First Frost?

47 this morning, and didn't warm up much. Rain in the early hours, gradually clearing up. Expected to be in the 20's-30's tonight.

This may be the end of the run for the flowers, I'm afraid. It looks like a very cold night tonight and even colder tomorrow night. I know it's time, but in the last few years we've avoided a killing frost until much later in November. 

At least the vegetable gardens are pretty much done, thanks to the deer that managed to get in and eat everything except the turnips and kale that Larry covered with chicken wire, and the beets and onions in the walled garden. Oh, and the dill that only recently came up from seed. Still, I know Larry is glad to see the end of the gardens. He said he can use a rest. I don't blame him. He did move a young peach tree today that was growing inside the new chicken yard; I was worried the chickens would dig around its roots and kill it.

I brought in the many aloe plants--I have no clue why I have so many--a begonia, and the Christmas cactus. It's getting ready to bloom and I'm pretty sure the abrupt climate change to indoors will make the blossoms drop. Ah well. 

I did a quick walk-around in the gardens, getting photos of some of the last blooms.

The miniature roses are making quite a show. I hope these new plants make it through the winter.

Geraniums seem to love cool fall weather. I usually try to being some inside but they never survive, so this year I just left them alone.

My fall-blooming iris. I am so in love with it.

The Mandevilla is still doing well. I probably misspelled that, but this has become a favorite too, it blooms so steadily all summer and fall.

And the hydrangea, still looking so pretty.

My single tea rose doesn't bloom much, but it's had several blooms this fall.

Drift roses and chrysanthemums; photo didn't come out very well.

And the zinnias, still going crazy.

I did bring in a couple begonia plants. They manage to survive the winter usually, and are such cheerful little plants.

So I brought in the best of the blooms. They won't last long in the house but will probably fare better than they would outside tonight.

I've spent my day cleaning up in my eBay room, which has been badly neglected for the past few months. No one but me would know I'd made a dent but I can see progress. I've had time to do listings again and it's paying off in sales. I also worked on the bedroom, sorting and cleaning, and got the first coat of paint on a small dresser. Oh, and made a venison stew that is still cooking and smelling very good. 

Larry and I had to pull the dryer out and re-attach the vent line. When he put the dryer in last August, he didn't level it very well so it's been out of balance, which caused the line to come loose. I noticed an awful lot of dust around the top of the dryer, a giveaway to the problem. Hopefully that's fixed now.

So nothing exciting here. We had a very quiet Halloween, and I worked at the antique mall Sunday. Just normal, boring stuff but it certainly keeps us busy. 

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