10/6/26  There is something beautiful about slowing down, enjoying what is already here, and finding joy in ordinary moments.  

   It is cloudy, windy and 43 degrees.  It will be sunny today but chilly with a high of 54 and a strong WNW wind.  The wind will die down tonight, the low will be 33 under clear skies.  Frosty!  Cloudy tomorrow, a stiff SW breeze, high 60, low 46.  Some showers Thursday, a SW breeze, high 68, low 43.  Mostly sunny Friday and Saturday, strong WNW breezes, highs about 61, lows 38.  Partly cloudy Sunday a strong SSW breeze, high 69, low 52.  Partly cloudy Monday, a NW breeze, high 71, low 40.  Cloudy next Tuesday, a NE breeze, high 56, low 45.  Some showers next Wednesday, a brisk NNW breeze, high 56, low 44.  Partly cloudy the 15th and 16th, brisk  NW breezes, highs 56, lows 38 and 41.  Possible showers Saturday the 17th, a brisk NW breeze, high 55, low 40.  Partly cloudy the next three days, brisk NW breezes, highs 56, lows in the upper thirties.

     The front room pellet stove is on a thermostat.  It has kicked on occasionally to take the chill off, I've not paid much attention to it.  This morning I not only dumped the ashes but I gave it a good cleaning.  Cooler temperatures mean it will get more attention.  Cooler temperatures mean the stoves will be running more and the house plants will need more water.

    Our fall order of straw hasn't come yet but this wind is blowing the dead pine needles off the pine tree.  Dead pine needles are good winter plant protection.  Dead pine needles don't affect the ph of the soil.

     We have large vegetable gardens so sometimes we till the soil to till in the weeds but usually we clean out the weeds  and vines by hand.  The less the soil is disturbed the better.  Tilling the soil kills some earth worms and disrupts the good bacteria..  We don't want any cucumber beetles or squash bugs overwintering in the vines so we don't till them in, they are removed..  After the weeds and vines are gone Jay gives the garden a good raking to prepare the soil for planting the cover crop. Sometimes we spread manure in the fall, we never spread fresh manure in the spring.sometimes we have a big compost pile going and spread it before we till in the spring.  We never leave the soil bare, we mostly plant winter rye for a cover crop.  This year Jay is planting clover along the edges.

     Yesterday Lynne and I planted mums in the sign box at church.  She dug out the geraniums that have been blooming so beautifully all summer.  She potted them up, two are for her daughter-in-law..  She is bringing the rest to Bible study tomorrow for anyone who wants some color this winter.  I cut my geraniums back when I pot them up,  that way they are usually budding out in January when we take the Christmas decorations down.  They are sitting here waiting for me to get the windows washed before they get lined up in the sun.

     May your day be blessed, Sally