First Frost

"Autumn begins with a subtle change in the light, with skies a deeper blue, and nights that become suddenly clear and chilled. The season comes full with the first frost, the disappearance of migrant birds, and the harvesting of the season's last crops."- Glenn Wolff and Jerry Dennis

Saturday dawned with fog hovering in the valley.  

The flowers were blooming

 and it was a wonderful day.

Sunday dawned like this...my car

the Brussel sprouts...

and the beans....

which were still producing. 

The tomatoes, basil and peppers look okay so I might continue to harvest small amounts from them until I finally get out there to clean out the garden.

The man and I had some errands to run, one stop was to the cider mill.  Years ago we had hauled our own apples up here to have them pressed but they don't allow that any more.  You are still allowed to purchase unpasteurized cider from apples they bought.  #1 daughter had requested some homemade apple cider but I don't have enough apples to warrant pulling out our small press so I went to get her the next best thing.  The quilt hanging proclaims the virtues of cider and who am I to disagree. 

I would like at least that many more years.  We stood and watched the press

and the scraps getting dumped

and then I bought eight gallons so we can can some for her to take home. 

Back out on the roads my knitting was ignored while I admired the scenery.  

Then we stopped to see #1 son.  He was at the house A is having built.  He had some more trees to cut down.   It is a big house, the front...

and the back...

glad I don't have their heating bill!  Can't wait to see the finished product and neither can they.  They hope to move in next April or May.

Then it was home to cook up a pot of chili for dinner.  Afterwards I rested as today I have a list a mile long.

I bought some big pumpkins for $3 each!!  I have pumpkin butter on cooking now.  Then I have to can the cider, make some hot pepper mustard or cowboy candied jalapenos to use up the rest of the peppers.  When that's all done and cleaned up I have to make an early dinner because #2 son has a home football game tonight. 

Of course it has dawned on me if I didn't buy the cider or pumpkins my work load would have been significantly smaller...I must have been high on autumn!