The Wheel Turns

Fiesta of Birches, by Leonid Afremov

I love this time of year.  Summer is slowly sliding into fall, every day new changes show themselves: the hint of red on a once-green leaf, ripe orange berries of mountain ash winking into life, and the constant sound of distant geese, moving south to warmer climes.  Two days ago, I was treated to the sight of a dozen large sandhill cranes milling about in a field, taking a break from their long flight to their winter's rest.  Yesterday, I drove past a small pond that was serving as temporary food & lodging for six white trumpeter swans as the evening settled in.

I've been working on stripping the garden of the last of the tender crops.  We're in an early cold spell here, with evening temperatures dropping rapidly into the lower 30's overnight.  My tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and chard have all been collected.  I figure the root vegetables can handle a top frost, and I can harvest the potatoes when I have more time this weekend.  My kitchen table is covered in green tomatoes working toward ripeness.  If I get nothing else done this weekend, I'm hoping to make some more Bruchetta in a Jar or salsa (I can't really decide which I need more).  The green beans and borlotti beans have been left to dry down for seed, and the pea seed is about ready to harvest and thresh.  I should have a good supply for next year's garden, as well as to share.  I measured one of the vines, and it was nearly 12 feet long!  I love this variety, it is perfect for a small garden where vertical space is more available than horizontal. (It's called Champion of England, and I originally got it from Seed Savers Exchange.  I've grown my own seed crop for the past four years now, and it is a great producer!)

This time of year, I don't mind too much that I am driving hundreds of miles a day for work.  I get to see all the changes in the world, which last for only a moment before they are gone, lost to winter.