Weather See-saw

Today I raked the barn in a T-shirt, no jacket.  It is 68 degrees F. and the weather will be mild for the next week.  It's overcast, but there hasn't been much rain since last week, when it was also much colder.  We are on the weather see-saw for now, so I'll try to take advantage of the milder temps.

The cows moved to the next pasture, fence repaired.

There are less and less leaves visible on the trees.

Golden Days

This is one of those posts made to tuck away for frigid winter days or blazing hot summertime.

These Autumn days are golden, with warm, sunny daytime temperatures and cool nights. 

The goats race out of the barn in the mornings to see what yummy leaves have fallen since yesterday.  The views are spectacular and it is possible to do as much physical work as I can in a day.  The cows seem content to graze and rest with their little calves.  They need to be moved to the next pasture soon, but some fence repairs need to get done before that.  I'm confident that this will get done this coming weekend.

Crisp and Cool

Click on photo to enlarge.

Rain last night and cooler temperatures this morning -- I pulled out my camera to capture some of the views from my window.  It was almost impossible to take a bad picture.

We've made some progress repairing a couple of old outbuildings this past week, getting the foundations re-poured in preparation for shoring up the walls and re-roofing to keep out the rain and snow.  This will provide more efficient animal housing and storage space.

Dinky, our little Hereford cow had a calf a few days ago.  We drove the mule out into the field to check on cows and came upon the newborn snoozing in the sunshine.  The first day or so, newborn calves do not run away, so we were able to pet and admire her.  I looked up to see Dinky steaming over.  If I hadn't noticed her, she surely would have knocked me over -- she was that agitated over our handling of the new baby!  She's moved the baby into the high brush and is hiding with her for now.  I expect we'll see the baby running with the other calves in a few more days.  There are three others frolicing in the crisp Autumn weather.

Autumn

The Autumn Equinox occurred on September 23rd this year.  We've turned a corner.  It's been raining a lot, thankfully, although it's more humid than cool.

Leaves are just beginning to turn color.  It's a very subtle change.

We have a bumper crop of figs ripening.  I picked a big bowl today and am looking around for recipes on the Internet.  There are quite a lot of intriguing ones.  For today, I'll peel and cut up the last of the apples and mix in some chopped figs, cinnamon, and maybe a little sweetener with vanilla, although the figs will likely add all the sweetness you'd want.  The mix will go into a casserole and in the microwave for as long as it takes to soften up the apples.  After it cools, I'll freeze it in pint sized containers.  It will be a lovely applesauce for wintertime or an ingredient for cakes and other desserts or an accompaniment for pork or chicken.

Something tells me I'll also be canning some fig chutney during the cold months, as there are many containers of dried and fresh figs in the freezer.

We said goodbye to six prime young breeding goat does today.  They will be the start of a new herd for someone in the area.  Our herd is getting thinned out a bit before winter sets in.

Cool and Gray

It barely got up into the 60s yesterday.  Today looks like it will be rainy.  It will warm up a little next week, but I'm enjoying the cooler weather.  I can get more physical work done.

Fat green walnut pods are dropping onto the ground in all the pastures.  The goats are munching some acorns and we are mowing and cutting the stupid, useless stickweed that is taking over.

I'm picking the last of the apples and lots of nice red tomatoes.

We are definitely on the last days of summer.

It's Been an Interesting Year

Yesterday afternoon, I drove through a pasture to our cabin to do some general clean-up outside and pick up a load of old wood. 

Overgrown bushes beckoned.  I was pruning a forsythia when something caught my eye.  I turned and looked at the path to the cabin and saw what I first thought was a black heifer ambling up the path.

"What the h...?" I said aloud when I realized this was not a heifer.

The big black bear looked startled to see me and turned to run into the woods.

Another first.

September -- Relief!

Today is the first cool day we've had for months.  I wore a sweater all day.  It's been raining pretty much steadily since yesterday.  The parched earth is absorbing all the moisture and things are already greener and less crunchy.

The cows seem relieved.  The goats are bummed because they do not like to get their feet wet.  Some of the braver ones were on the hillside this afternoon.

Our ponds are getting refilled, which, naturally made the geese happy.  I am happy, too.

Whew! Ahem.

So, we had an earthquake and a hurricane all in one week.  Well done.

Actually, although the kitchen shook a bit, it wasn't a big deal.  I was listening to my Ipod with earphones while cutting up apples, and stopped momentarily when it happened.  I did make a mental note to call the FAA about the MedEvac helicopter flying too close to our house, however.

It wasn't until my mother called from New York State that I learned that it was "the" East Coast earthquake centered in a small town in the general area.  There's been a lot of talk about it since, so I thought I should mention it.

Hurricane Irene barely caused some wind and, unfortunately, very little rain.  We were at the outer edge of the path.  I'd say that New York and Vermont got much more effect than we did.

That's the big news.

The little news:  sizeable flocks of birds touch down to rest and refuel on their way to somewhere.  The daytime temperatures are now in the low eighties.  The late-planted red tomatoes are starting to ripen.  A bumper crop of figs have eluded consumption by critters, so I'm drying and freezing them.  There is a cow nursing twins -- a first for us. 

Nooks and Crannies

I heard a radio announcer refer to "late summer" and I became aware that we are nearly through the sweaty time of year.

There have been some lower humidity days, but it's up and down.  I'm waiting for weather conducive to weeding and pruning.  Rain has been elusive for us.  It's evidently soaking nearby areas, but we are either in a nook or a crannie of the Blueridge which is being overlooked by the rain fairy.  The lawn crunches when you walk over it.

If you go down the hill early enough, there is a contingent of wild turkey that walks the lower hay field.  They are pretty bold, knowing that it's off-season for hunters.  A gray crane flies to the goose pond each morning.  There is so little water that frog gigging must be a breeze.

The geese, who ate little feed during the mating and nesting season, now wait expectantly at the gate in the late afternoon.  They are fattening up for winter already.

Apples and figs are ripening quickly and I am straining to keep up with the processing.

August

Today is the day the heat and humidity is supposed to break.

We got a little rain over the weekend, which was most welcome.  Many July Bugs are lying on their backs with their legs up in the air.  Is their life cycle over for this year?  The blackberry bushes have suffered from the intense heat and lack of rain.  Most are browned with shriveled berries.

I've got two carboys of blackberry wine brewing.  There are enough berries in the freezer to prepare a third.  'Not bad, considering that there was NO blackberry wine at all last year.

I planted three cucumber seeds in July and have picked far more cucumbers than we really need.  I hope to restrain myself from trying to make cucumber wine!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to more rain, reduced humidity, and lower temperatures.  I've got plans for outdoor jobs that need attention.