Countdown to Autumn

The golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
Make asters in the brook,

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer....- Helen Hunt Jackson, September

The countdown to Autumn is now 3 days....the countdown to Christmas is 96 days. I need time to knit and spin but there is still so much to do. The temperatures are in the 40's at night and low 70's during the day. This is perfect weather to try finishing off the list of chores. Last night I caught the first wisp of woodsmoke in the air so it won't be much longer. The town up the mountain from us got a frost last week. Setting in the river valley saved us once again.

In fiber news....I had a problem on the Hemlock this weekend and didn't get anything done on it but I worked on it on Monday and last night and now I am binding off. I have seen pictures of it without the edging but I like it better with it so even though it is going to take a lot more time I am binding off with the edging. Hopefully I will finish it today. Tomorrow I have a guilt free knitting time so I hope to start on #2 daughters stocking.

This weekend while the guys were out having fun, #2 and I cut out this years canes from 1/2 the blackberry patch. We cleaned out the chicken coop preparing for winter. We finished pulling everything except some marigolds from the greenhouse garden and started working on the larger one . We picked up all the butternuts and black walnuts that had fallen. And we canned the rest of the pears. But it wasn't all work and no play -we treated ourselves to a chinese dinner while out shopping.

I have been dehydrating the apples which are falling off the tree. I am trying to ease into the applebutter, apple sauce and apple cider making time! I had previously hung the lima bean plants to dry so Monday night I finished picking all of them. Oh and look what I found crawling across the road Monday afternoon...
He/She is very active and didn't really go into the usual ball when touched. If the legend were true it looks like we would be in for a mild winter.

With the thoughts of fall comes the thoughts of shearing. I would like to do it this weekend if the man is going to be around to help or at least do one a night...which would be way easier on my back. I saw the Dr. yesterday and he still wants me to go to PT and gave me some muscle relaxers. If you know me you will know that I did not fill the prescription!

The guys did not produce anything but dirty laundry from their salmon fishing trip. They want to wait a couple of weeks and go back again. Upstate NY has been having a drought and between that and the warmer temps the salmon have not really started to run yet.

So now I am off to knit a little and then get motivated to work on that list of chores! Hope all are enjoying this marvelous weather.