Some changes around here...

For the last 3 mornings I have gotten out of bed and immediately started a fire in the woodstove. It is downright chilly, folks!

I don't know how it happened but summer is long gone! It really feels like it just started. In addition to the cool air, the leaves are changing quickly and dramatically. I was sitting on my couch yesterday, looking out the window, and all I could see was yellow against a bright blue sky. I love the crispness and colors of fall!

Another sign that the seasons are changing is that the days have gotten so much shorter. It is getting dark around here by 7:30. I keep thinking it's bedtime for the kids and then realize there's lots of time still left! But, because it stays dark longer in the morning, Addy has been sleeping until about 7:30 every morning. Now, that's a good thing for a tired mama!

Here's what's left of my garden:

Tomatoes to the far left (we are getting some beautiful ones this year!), green beans, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Our corn was a bust this year...the beetles and chickens got to it before it could flourish. The pumpkins and squash also died out during the driest part of summer. We just don't have enough spring water, so we have to rely on rain solely. We're thinking about putting in a catchwater for the garden next year.

Here's what we've been getting out of the garden, and we started getting some eggs from the chickens:

Unfortunately, it's been about a week now since we've found an egg. They seem to be laying them in the woods instead of their pen. We might have to start fencing in the hens instead of free-ranging them.

I like to harvest my tomatoes before they ripen and then I leave them on my potting table until they turn red and ready to eat. Aren't they pretty? I'll have to take some pics of them when they're ripe. They have such a pretty color this year!

Next year, I'm hoping to grow many more green bean and tomato plants. Those are the veggies we eat the most, so I'd like to can a bunch. My mother-in-law gave me a recipe for salsa I'd like to try as well.

I hope you are all enjoying the change to fall. It's really beautiful here in WV and I'm looking forward to the slower pace that winter brings!

'Til next time...

Brandi