11 /3/26 May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity

to do what is right.  Peter Marshall

 10/31/26  May we never be so busy raising our children that we forget to enjoy them.

It's clear, calm, 33 degrees.   Sunshine today, a strong NW breeze, high 47, low 29.  Clocks fall back an hour tonight.  Sunshine tomorrow, a brisk WSW breeze, high 57, low 39. Partly cloudy Monday, a west breeze, high 64, low 45. Possible showers Tuesday, Election Day.  Please Vote!  A light ENE breeze, high 55, low 45.  Cloudy Wednesday, a south breeze, high 56, low 47.  Cloudy Thursday, a WSW breeze, high 66, low 57.  Showers Friday, a NNW breeze, high 56, low 41.  Possible showers next Saturday and Sunday, Brisk NNE breezes, highs about 51, lows 36. Partly cloudy Monday the 9th, a NNW breeze, high 51, low 33.  Possible showers Tuesday the 10th and Wednesday the 11th, brisk NW breezes, highs 49, lows 32.   Partly cloudy the next three days, brisk NW breezes, highs about 49, lows 30, 31, and 28.

   There is a place in Bangor that serves a free breakfast to the homeless.  Bekah and Maegin have volunteered to help provide it on Saturdays.  Bekah milked and they left about twenty to seven.

    There are some flower seeds you can plant this week for next year.  Black eyed susans, anise hyssop (a favorite of mine), coreopsis, calendulas, love in a mist (nigeria), snap dragons, columbine. cone flowers, liatris and sweet alyssum.  There are others, Rural Sprout has a list of thirty.  Seeds can be sown in the garden.  Heather sows hers in cut open milk jugs.  Rural sprout has articles on both ways.  Just oogle "Rural Sprout.com".

     May your day be blessed, Sally

 10/30/26  Today is a good day to have a good day.

 I spent the morning shutting my computer off and turning it on in hopes it would fix its problem.  I think it has but I've an early doctor's appointment so a short forecast.  Partly cloudy today, a strong WNW breeze, high 62, low 36.  Mostly sunny tomorrow, a stiff NW breeze, high 48, low 29.  Sunshine Sunday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 57, low 38.  Warmer temperatures next week, then it turns colder.

     A caliper on my truck is sticking.  Kaden checked it, it needs a partial brake job.  He'll do it this weekend.  I'm  thankful it was caught before I needed the brakes and didn't have any.  Sally Jo is taking me to my appointment and we'll pick up calipers and pads.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 10/29/26  Every day gives you two choices: find something to complain about, or find something to be thankful for.

 It's clear, calm, 34 degrees,  Sunshine today, a SSW breeze, high 66, low 49.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a strong WNW breeze, high 61, low 34.  Sunshine Saturday and Sunday.  A strong NW breeze Saturday, high 46, low 27.  Saturday night we set our clocks back an hour.  A strong NW breeze Saturday, high 46, low 27.  A brisk WNW breeze Sunday, high 55, low 37. Partly cloudy Monday and Tuesday, highs about 62, lows about 42.  A brisk west breeze Monday, a NE breeze Tuesday.  Cloudy Wednesday, a SSW breeze, high 59, low 41.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a south breeze, high 62, low 45.  Showers next Friday, a stiff ESE breeze, high 58, low 42.  Some showers next Saturday, a brisk NNE breeze, high 53, low 34.  Partly cloudy Sunday the 8th, a brisk NWN breeze, high 50, low 31.  Partly cloudy Monday the 8th and Tuesday the 9th with NNW breezes, high about  49, low about 28. Some rain and ice Wednesday the 11th, a NW breeze, high 47, low 30. 
     A very special day yesterday.  Neighbors who had moved to Vermont came to visit. Doug had visited them there but the rest of us hadn't seen them in several years.  Doug, Sally Jo and Matthew joined us for lunch.  Lynne had made a casserole.  Maegin sent them on their way with warm sweet rolls.
     We have about a week to get the gardens ready for winter.  I hope to get my raised beds ready for spring planting by Saturday evening.  Weeds and grass pulled, cardboard laid down and a later of manure and used potting soil.  I'm going to Lynne's for breakfast this morning and I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning .
     We bought a package of mite strips to put in the beehive.  The hive needs to be wrapped against winter cold this week.  We had to buy a package of twenty so we have some extra if  you're like us and only have one hive.
     May your day be blessed, Sally

 10/28/26  Be not sad that you cannot make others a you wish them to be since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.

 It's clear, calm and 27 degrees.  Mostly sunny today. a WSW breeze, high 50, low 33.  Sunshine tomorrow, a brisk SSW breeze, high 66, low 49.  Partly cloudy Friday,, a strong WNW breeze, high 61, low 38.  Sunshine Saturday, a stiff NW breeze, high 46, low 26.  Mostly sunny Sunday, a brisk WSW breeze, high 54, low 33.  Partly cloudy Monday, a brisk west breeze, hih 63, low 37.  Partly cloudy Tuesday, a north breeze, high 60, low 39.   Partly cloudy next Wednesday, a SW breeze, high 63, low 40.  Cloudy next Thursday, a brisk SSW breeze, high 62, low 46.  Some showers next Friday and Saturday the 7th,  A brisk SSE breeze Friday, high 58, low 39.  A brisk NNW breeze Saturday, high 55, low 36.  Partly cloudy the next four days with brisk NW breezes, highs about 59, lows about 30.

    With several  days that the hoses won't freeze in the forecast we didn't take up the ones we are using.  We just shut the water off, drained them and put some old rugs over the connectors and shut offs.

    They worked on planting the garlic yesterday.  Today they will finish planting it and at least get a start on mulching it.  Cardboard and straw between the rows and just straw over the garlic. Garlic doesn't like weeds!   A soaker hose is planted with the garlic.

    Mabel was dried off this morning.  Her calf is due on  Christmas Day, it is time for her to rest.   Several customers prefer her milk, until she calves they will have to drink Matilda's. Other customers can't taste any difference.   Mabel is a Guernsey, Matilda is a Jersey.  They both have the E2 protein in their milk.  

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 10/27/26"The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country  changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools."

     Sunshine today, a brisk NNW breeze, high 50, low 26.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a SSW breze, high 50, low 33.  Sunshine Thursday, a SW breeze, high 66, low 49.  Partly cloudy Friday, a strong WNW breeze, high 63, low 35.  Mostly sunny on the weekend.  A strong NW breeze Saturday, a hih of 48, low 0f 27.  A WSW breeze Sunday, high 55, low 33. Partly cloudy Monday, a west breeze, high 61, low 38.  Partly cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday, a north breeze, highs 61 and 46, lows 38.  Mostly cloudy next Thursday, a brisk east breeze, high 58, low 39.  Showers next Friday, a NNE breeze, high 56, low 37. Partly cloudy the weekend of the 7th and 8th, high Saturday 54, low 34.  Highs about 50 the next three days, lows in about 31.

    The west window in the get together room is a large window with a wooden lattice to make the large pane of glass look like twenty panes of glass.  It is full of plants including a hoya that winds through the panes.  Yesterday my sister Lynne helped me move all the plants, she washed the window while Murphy's oil soap and I cleaned the fly specks off the lattice work.   Taking the hoya down and putting it back up was a major two person undertaking.  Lynne is a cleaning whirlwind, she didn't stop at the window.  She cleaned and polished the memorial corner and front hall too.

    Bekah had been wanting to clean the shelves, they needed cleaning and she wanted a place to put the herbs she had been drying in the dehydrator.  The shelves have my cookbook and tin collection on them, children's books, crayons and papers.  One bottom shelf has childrens toys, the other has large tins of seeds and food.  Cleaning the shelves is a major job.  We were having such a good time visiting and cleaning that Sally Jo joined in and cleaned and polished the table.  It just happens that a few days ago Meagin cleaned the old red metal table that has the toaster, griddle and air fryer on it.

    I had washed the south window and filled it with plants a few days ao.  The south window is twice as large as the west window.  The room is beautiful this morning with the sun shining in the window and all the green plants. and so clean!  Now I have to clean my desk to match the rest of the room.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 10/26/26   A resilient life includes periods of recovery, reflection, and quiet enjoyment, not just constant activity.  

Clouds, calm, 37 degrees.  Cloudy today, a west breeze, high 62, low 33.  Sunshine tomorrow, a brisk NNW breeze, high 49, low 26. Sunshine Wednesday, a WSW breeze, high 52, low 33.  Mostly sunny Thursday, a SW breeze, high 68, low 48. Partly cloudy Friday, a strong WNW breeze, high 62, low 35.  Mostly sunny this weekend.  A NW breeze Saturday, high 55, low 30.  A WSW breeze Sunday, high 55, low 39.  Partly cloudy next Monday, a WSW breeze, high 60, low 42.  Mostly cloudy next Tuesday, a stiff west breeze, high 61. low 40.  Partly cloudy next Wednesday and Thursday, NW breezes, highs about 59, lows 39 and 36.  Mostly cloudy Friday the 6th, a stiff NW breeze, high 57, low 38.  Showers Saturday the 7th, a stiff NNW breeze, high 50, low 34.  A few showers Sunday the 8th, a north breeze, hih 50, low 31.

     The November forecast was posted this morning on the government weather channel.  Average temperatures, average precipitation.  Other forecasts are suggestion a roller coaster of very  warm spells and very cold spells that will be average when added together.
     Abundance isn't about squeezing every last bit of productivity out of each day. Sometimes it's the satisfaction of work well done, the promise of next year's garden, and the freedom to settle in and enjoy the quieter season ahead.  Laurie Neverman/Commonsense Home
   The kitchen countertop is a kaleidoscope of color, with a mix of fruit, flowers, and vegetables crowding the space. The  children had come with bouquets from the garden, and the harvest bounty always takes over the garage this time of year.  Constant activity seems necessary as I look around.  This week it is grapes and apples.  There are still late apples waiting to be picked.

I need to put some sunflower seeds on the platform feeders so the blue jays will leave the tube feeders for the little birds.  May your day be blessed, Sally