10/2/25We sing  the old hymn: "Let there be Peace on earth", lets let it begin with us, in our homes and places of work.

Clear, calm, 37 degrees.  Sunshine today, a gentle NNW breeze, high 62.  Clear tonight, low 38.  Sunshine  tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 71, low 49. Partly cloudy Saturday, a NW breeze, high 75, low 47.  Sunshine Sunday, a SSW breeze, high 77, low 53. Partly cloudy Monday and Tuesday, SW breezes, highs 83.  Lows 51 and 58.  Rain Wednesday, a strong WSW breeze, high 65, low 41.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a stiff NNW breeze, high 58, low 33.  Sunshine next Friday, a WNW breeze, high 60, low 37. Partly cloudy next weekend and Monday the 11th, NW breezes, highs 64, lows 40. Partly cloudy the week of the 13th, possible showers Tuesday and Wednesday.  Brisk NW breezes, highs in the low to mid sixties, lows about 40.

    The snowpack in Siberia and Northern Canada is larger than it has been in several years and it is getting larger every day. There will be lots of cold, moist air for north breezes to bring us this winter.  Frost has been spotty here, low spots in the gardens and field.  No frost by the house. Next Thursday may be a different story.

  Ezekial got so much done yesterday.  He got the raised beds weeded and covered with a layer of chicken manure.  I'm going to mow the lawn around them,  blowing the grass clippings onto the beds.  Jay has put aside enough soil to cover the clippings with a thin layer.  Enough soil to plant a cover crop of winter rye.  

The worms will have a warm place to spend the winter and plenty to eat.  I will have good soil to plant in come spring.  Just planting the rye cover crops improves the soil.  The year we got rye seed that didn't germinate made us strong believers in cover crops.  Jay spent the spring moaning about how poor the soil was compared to other years when a good crop of rye grew in the fall.  We've had enough rain this fall to germinate the rye he has planted.  He's pleased with the covering of green. He and Maegin spent yesterday getting another large part of the garden ready to plant rye seed.  It was cooler yesterday, so it wasn't so hot in the greenhouse.  Bekah spent   the day getting it cleaned, ready to wash  and then spray with hydrogen peroxide.  Two greenhouses to do now!

    One of the Traditional  Skills classes I am taking is on building "hugelkultur" beds.  Using machinery people have turned arid land into verdant gardens using the hugelkultur method. Others have made unused parts of their land into productive raised beds. Yesterday Ezekial pruned the winterberry bushes, cleaning out the last of the damage from last winter's storm.  The brush became the base. Along with some prunings from the rose bush.  If we didn't burn every bit of wood that had any size to it that could have gone in the base too.  He emptied several hanging baskets, the boxes that were lined up along the barn filled with flowers and some other containers on top of the brush.  On top of that went a tractor bucket of chicken manure.  Over the next week I will add more to the pile, it is already 3 feet high.  I will top the pile with some used soil and plant a cover crop.  Next spring I plan to plant blue hubbard squash in the top.  I'm looking forward to seeing how it works out.

    It is time to collect the eggs, may your day be blessed. Sally

 10/1/25  "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can...to all the people you can, as long as you can."John Wesley (1703-1791).

Clear, calm, 40 degrees.  Sun and clouds today with a north wind, high 60, low 36.   Clear tonight, low 36.  A FROST ADVISORY between 2am and 8am tomorrowmorning. Sunshine tomorrow, a light north breeze, high 62, low 39.  Partly cloudy Friday and Saturday.  A SW breeze Friday, high 71, low 48.  A NW breeze Saturday, high 77, low 49.  A SSW breeze Sunday,and Monday with lots of Sunshine.  Sunday's high 79. low 51.  Monday's high 84, low 53. Partly cloudy Tuesday a SW breeze, high 82, low 53.  Rain next Wednesday, a brisk west breeze, high 65, low 40.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a brisk NNW breeze, high 59, low 34. Sunshine next Friday, a WSW breeze, high 63, low 44.  Rain Saturday the 11th, a brisk SSW breeze, high 66, low 44.  Morning showers , some afternoon sun Sunday the 12th, a west breeze, high 62, low 42.  Partly cloudy the next three days, west breezes, highs in the low sixties, lows in the low 40s.

   I changed the containers of coleus and impatiens under the church carport for mums yesterday.  I may bring the containers in the house, but I know they won't like the frosty forecast.  

   Ezekiel called this morning.  He can come help me today. I want to finish getting my raised beds ready for spring.  I want the area we cleaned the bamboo out ready for spring planting too.   We've collected more cardboard and hay that can be put down.  I have to go plug in the tractor.  It's getting old and doesn't like to start chilly mornings.

    Still no bluejays eating the acorns but there was a blue jay and a cardinal at the feeders yesterday. May your day be blessed, Sally

9 /30/25“Don’t rush through life waiting for the big moments. The little ones are what make you rich.”

Some clouds, calm, 50 degrees. Sunshine today, a strong NNW breeze, high 69.  Clear tonight, low 42.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a north wind, high 60, low 37.  Sunshine Thursday and Friday.  A NNW breeze Thursday, high 62, low 29.  A WSW breeze Friday, high 72, low 47.  Partly cloudy Saturday through next Tuesday.  A west breeze Saturday, high 76, low 51. A SW breeze Sunday, high 79, low 53.  A SW breeze Monday, high 84, low 54.  A WSW breeze Tuesday, high 76. low 48. Showers next Wednesday, a NW breeze, high 63, low 38.  Mostly sunny next Thursday, a WNW breeze, high 63, low 40.  Partly cloudy Friday the 10th and the weekend of the 11th and 12th. Mostly west breezes, highs about 66, lows in the low forties, Showers Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th.

    Yesterday was another beautiful fall day.  perfect for drying heavy blankets.  Today will be a good drying day too.  More vegetables were harvested.  The girls made jam to put in the stand.  Gilbert bought me some pie pumpkins.  It is cool enough today to start the cook range.  I'll cook the pumpkins and package them in sandwich bags.  Enough pumpkin in each bag for a 9 inch pie.  Half the pumpkin for Gilbert's freezer, half for ours.

    The stove polish I had ordered came.  I took advantage of the cold stove to put on a couple of coats.  The forecast says we'll be letting the stove go out again next Monday.  I'll polish it again.  I probably won't have another chance until we have to clean the chimney.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 9/29/25  An important part of communication is hearing what isn't said.

Calm, sunny. 52 degrees  Sunshine today, a stiff WSW breeze, high 80.Some clouds tonight, low 52.  Sunshine tomorrow, a strong WNW breeze, high 70, low 43.

Partly cloudy Wednesday, a north wind, high 60, low 38. Sunshine Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  A WNW breeze Thursday, high 63, low 39. A WSW breeze Friday and Saturday.  Friday's high 71, low 45.  Saturday's high 77, low 49.  Partly cloudy days Sunday through Friday the 10th. SW breezes through Tuesday the 7th.  Sunday's high 8,  low 52.  Monday's high 79, low 54.  Tuesday's high 80, low 49. NW breezes Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th. Wednesday's high 68, low 44.  Thursday's high 67, low 45.  A west breeze Friday the 10th, high 67. low 45. Possible showers Saturday the 11th, high 66, low 43.  Partly cloudy the 12th and 13th with west breezes, highs about 65, lows 41 and 44.

   A pleasant Sunday.  Church in the morning, a small birthday party for Azalea.  A couple of her friends, Doug and Nicole and Jay's parents.  I spent some time on the computer watching replays of some of the Traditional Skills classes I took last week.  Erin bought us his apple picker so they can pick the apples from the tree tops.  Gilbert bought down more pumpkins.

    Bekah and Doug are delivering hay.  Maegin is making baked goods to put on the stand.  I'm doing laundry.  A stiff breeze, sunshine, and eighty degrees, a good day to wash blankets.  When I go out to collect eggs I need to water the flowers.  Jay will be watering too.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 9/28/25   "it's only by surrender to God that God's power can flow into our lives and make us effective human beings."

Clouds, gentle breeze, 55 degrees.  some sun today, brisk WSW breeze, high 8.  Clear tonight, low 50. a strong WNW breeze tomorrow, sunshine, high 79, low 5.  A strong north breeze Tuesday, sunshine, high 70, low 41.  Plentiful sunshine through next weekend.  Chilly midweek, warm next weekend.  Showers forecast the 8th through the 11th with cooler temperatures.

     Azalea had a lovely birthday even though her Dad was with his Dad.  I was able to help all the customers.  Except the ones who came to see the Sunflower Maze that no longer exists.  

     A dense fog has moved in,  I'm not sure about that high of 80.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 9/27/25Peace isn't just the absence of conflict, its also the presence of understanding.  

 Clear, calm, 5 degrees.  Sunshine today, a WNW breeze, high 71.  Cloudy tonight, low 51. Partly cloudy tomorrow, a strong WSW breeze, high 80, low 5.  Sunshine Monday, a brisk west breeze, high 78, low 51. Mostly sunny Tuesday, a NNW breeze, high 71, low 42.  Partly cloudy Wednesday, a strong NW breeze, high 60, low 38. Sunshine Thursday, Friday and next Saturday. A north breezeThursday, high 61, low 37. SW breezes Friday and Saturday,  Friday's high 69,  low 43.  Saturday's high 74, low 45. Partly  cloudy next Sunday, high 73. low 52. Possible showers Monday the 6th, south breeze, high 72, low 5. Partly cloudy Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th with SW breezes,  Tuesday's high 72, low 50  Wednesday's high 69, low 47.  Possible showers the rest of the week, highs in the mid sixties, lows in the mid forties.

      Pellets were delivered yesterday.  The price had dropped some from last year!  While they were here Jason and Steve did the yearly cleaning service on the front room stove.  Bekah and Jay had cleaned the cook range and chimney last week before we started it. Thanks to this mini heatwave we let it go back out.  We'll start it again Tuesday.  The stove polish I ordered came yesterday, the stove has to be cold to apply it.  I can do that today.

     Jay isn't here today.  He has gone with his father to his uncle's funeral.

      Every year for the past twenty years or so a flock of bluejays has shown up when the acorns fell off the oak tree.  Lots of acorns are on the ground, not one bluejay has shown up.

      Today is Azalea's birthday.  Everyone is leaving .  They are headed to an apple orchard that offers hayrides and other fun things.  With luck I'll be able to help all the customers!  May your day be blessed, Sally

9 /26/25   Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once.

Clearing, calm, 60 degrees.  1.69 inch of rain, certainly enough to help with fire danger. Partly cloudy this afternoon, a brisk WNW breeze, high 78.  Partly cloudy tonight, low 50.  Sunshine tomorrow, a WNW breeze, high 71, low 49.  Partly cloudy Sunday, WSW breeze, high 78, low 50. Sunshine Monday with a stiff west breeze, high 78, low 5. Sunshine Tuesday,  Wednesday and Thursday  with brisk NNW breezes.  Tuesday's high 69, low 41.  Wednesday and Thursday's highs 60, lows 37 and 35. Sunshine next Friday, a WSW breeze, high 68, low 41. Partly cloudy next weekend, SSW breezes, highs about 72, lows about 48.  Cloudy Monday the 5th, a north breeze, high 71, low 47. Partly cloudy the rest of the week, possible showers Thursday.  NW breezes, highs start at 70, down to 62 by Friday.  Lows 46 to 42.

    A beautiful day!  So warm this weekend that we are letting the wood cook range go out .  We'll start it up again Tuesday.  We're thankful for the rain, hoping for more.  The next hurricane is going out to sea.  The next may make landfall on the east coast.  They are just guessing now.  Today will be a good drying day but clothes have to get on the line early.  It is dark by seven, dew is falling by five.

    Bekah is working on the plug and cutting order for 2026.  February 23 or March 2ed?   She hasn't decided for sure yet.

    We were given several pounds of ripe bananas.  I froze them in packages that have enough in them for banana bread and muffins or chiffon cake.  All the muffins and breads we are making now are apple or pumpkin.  Most of the pie pumpkins aren't quite ripe so we are making applesauce and freezing apples.  We put the apples in packages for pie or muffins.  I cut up apples for muffins last night.  I'm going to make them now.

    May your day be blessed, Sally