11/11/26  Veterans:  Thank you for the family life missed,  the challenges faced, and the sacrifices made in service to  the United States.

Sunshine, calm, 36 degrees.  A few clouds today, a stiff WNW breeze, high 45, low 30.  Cloudy tomorrow, a light WNW breeze, high 46, low 31.  Cloudy Friday and Saturday, highs 42, lows 32.  A brisk NNE breeze Friday, a brisk NNW breeze Saturday.  Some forecasts say snow and rain Friday, Friday night and Saturday morning.  We can look out the window Friday.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a stiff NW breeze, high 45, low 32. Mostly sunny next Monday through next Thursday with NW breezes, highs 33 to 55 on Thursday.  Lows 26 on Monday, then about 30.  Partly cloudy next Friday and the weekend, with WNW breezes. Friday's high 54, 50 on Saturday and Sunday.  Lows 37, 31, and 37.  A few showers Monday the 23d, a west breeze, high 53, low 36. Some showers Tuesday the 24th, a WNW breeze, high 51, low 35.  Snow to rain Wednesday the 25th.

   Every day the nor'easter seems to drift further south.  It would be nice to get more rain but I'm fine with no rain mixed with snow.  With the warmer forecast I didn't pick up the house hose.  There are plenty of other things to do.  I read a weather article early in the fall saying the northeast was going to be the hardest area in the country to forecast the winter of 26/27.

   If you decide you need to cut down coneflower stems please pile them in a sheltered area until late next spring.  Pollinators/good bugs have laid eggs and made a winter home in some of those stems.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

   

 11/10/26  You know, there is something important between Halloween and Christmas.  It is called Thanksgiving.

Sunshine, light south breeze, 36 degrees. Partly cloudy today, possible late day shower, a WSW breeze, high 47, low 37.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a stiff WNW breeze, high 46, low 29. Cloudy Thursday, a light NNW breeze, high 46, low 31.  Friday the 13th PM rain/snow showers, a brisk NNE breeze, high 41, low 34.  Rain/snow showers Saturday, a strong north breeze, high 44, low 31.  Mostly cloudy Sunday, a strong NNW breeze, high 44. low 31. Partly cloudy next Monday and Tuesday, NW breezes, highs about 47, lows about 28.  Mostly sunny next Wednesday and Thursday, NW breezes, highs 51 and 54, lows 30.  Partly cloudy Friday the 20th, WNW breezes, high 51, low 29.  Mostly cloudy the next four days, highs about 50, lows about 35.

   We are busy getting ready for winter.  And the Bradford Craft Fair on the 21st.  And wreath making season.  There is a dump truck load of shavings in the yard that needs to  go in the barn.  It is this winter's bedding.  There are still some apples we'd like to find time for. And there are still things I'd like to do in the flower gardens.  Everyone is feeling a bit overwhelmed.  Maybe we need to put a "thankful" list next to the "to do" list.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/9/26  Corinthians 6:12 says, “All things are lawful unto me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Including screens!

The soil soaked up the rain, the sump pump only came on a few times.  I am thankful the ground wasn't frozen yet. I'm glad our Christmas trees haven't been cut yet!   A few years back Gilbert and Barbie gave me flannel sheets for Christmas and Andrew and Gayle gave me an electric blanket.  About three weeks ago I put on the flannel sheets.  Today I'll add the blanket and take up the hoses around the house.  The kitchen pond is full, the perennials and shrubs are watered.  The Northeast Weather Alert headline this morning is " A Colder and Stormier Pattern Taking Shape Toward Thanksgiving?"

    More and more forecasters are talking about the north pole snow pack.  They think the patterns that are showing may mean that we are going to have a cold late winter despite the strong El Nino.  Jay is going to put foam boards under the beehive cover.  They have built a maternity pen in the barn so Mabel will have her calf inside.  My flannel nightgowns have gotten so thin I wore them all summer.  A cold new year means new ones will be needed.

   "Collecting any donations of new or gently used adult warm clothing, (socks, thermals, sweatshirts,jackets etc) sleeping bags, backpacks, hats and gloves. For the Bread of Life Ministry."     That is copied from Maegin's facebook page. Donations may be dropped off here. They served breakfast to 85 people last week, 25 this week.  As soon as they got there Saturday they were told there wouldn't be many.  The homeless stay in their tents when it rains.  If they get wet they have no way to get dry.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/7/26  Homemaking is holy work,  why does seem that the world tries to convince us our time is better spent elsewhere.

     Rain, a north breeze, 45 degrees.  Rain today, tonight and tomorrow, ending late in the day tomorrow.  A light NNE wind today, high 48, low 42.  A strong NW breeze tomorrow, high 44, low 36.  Cloudy Monday with a west breeze, high 50, low 35.  Mostly cloudy Tuesday, WNW breeze, high 47, low 35.  Partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday, a WNW breeze, highs 49 and 44, lows 31 and 29.  Showers Friday, a north breeze, high 43, low  31.  Cloudy next weekend, strong NW breezes, highs about 43, lows about 44.  Partly cloudy the week of the 16th with NW breezes, highs in the upper forties Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Lows 28, 30 and 34.  Highs about 50, lows about 31 Thursday and Friday.  Mostly cloudy Saturday the 21st, a WSW breeze, high 50, low 32.            

     Maegin and Bekah are in Bangor serving a free hot breakfast to the homeless, as they plan to do every Saturday morning this winter.

      It's time to think about mulching  your strawberries!    Strawberry plants need protection once the temperature drops into the low 20s. By then, they should be dormant, and it’s time to tuck them in with a thick layer of mulch.  The School of Traditional Skills says don’t jump the gun! Let your plants harden off with a few light frosts first. If you mulch too early, the plants keep growing underneath, and those tender new shoots can be damaged by a sudden, severe cold snap.

   So watch for two signs: several nights in the 20s, and leaves that have gone from bright green to a dull grayish or reddish color and started flopping toward the ground. Then get the mulch on before the first night that dips into the teens.
    Spread clean straw loosely over the bed, 3 to 5 inches deep (6 to 8 inches for raised beds, which run colder). Skip hay, which brings weed seeds, and skip fallen leaves, which mat down and trap ice. (Save those for composting!)

     What does a plant contribute once it reaches the garden? How does it support wildlife, benefit the soil, or help  make better use of the garden space?   “Plants with a purpose” Is this plant for beauty, pollinators, creating habitat, or to eat.  How many of these things can one plant do?  Will the plant grow well here?  These things are part of our conversations as we look at seed catalogs. Any suggestions?

     May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/6/26  Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earthare never alone or weary of life.

Rachel Carson

Sun is shining through the clouds, it's calm, 55 degrees.  Mostly cloudy today, chance of late day showers, rain tonight.  A light NW breeze, high 66, low 47.  Rain tomorrow and tomorrow night.  a light NNE wind, high 49, low 40.    Rain Sunday morning, a strong NW breeze, high 43, low 38.  Cloudy Tuesday and Wednesday, west breezes, highs about 50, lows about 35.  Partly cloudy Wednesday through Thursday the 19th.  Highs in the low forties, lows in the upper twenties with brisk NW breezes Wednesday through Sunday the 15th.  NW breezes , highs around 50, lows around 32 the week of the 16th.

    The garlic is all planted and mulched.  The gardens are ready to soak up this weekend's rain.  We just wish there was more in the forecast.

     The girls took inventory of their jars of jam for the craft fair, 175 jars of jams and jellies.  All the fruit came from here.  Except for the blueberries  Birds ate our blueberries.  Boxes of handmade Christmas decorations are sitting everywhere.  The craft fair is at Bradford Townhall Saturday, November 21st.

     A couple of juvenile grackles showed up at the feeders four or five days ago,  I quickly bought in the easy to get to suet feeder and stopped putting seeds on the platform feeders.  Grackles are lazy, they leave if getting food isn't easy.  If food is easy they go get their friends.  I haven't seen them for at least three days so I'll put the suet feeder back out and fill all the feeders.  There was an upside down feeder with suet in it.  They were very frustrated because they couldn't get to the suet.  We usually aren't bothered by grackles in November.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

11/5/26   We must never become so consumed with politics that we forget  we’ve been called to share Christ's love with others. 

    Fog, calm, 47 degrees.  Fog this morning, showers this afternoon, overcast tonight, a brisk SSW breeze, high 68, low 57. 

Cloudy tomorrow, a gentle NW breeze, high 67, low 46.  Showers Saturday, a light NNE wind, high 49, low 47.  Showers Sunday,  stiff NW breeze, high44, low 47.   Partly cloudy Monday through Tuesday the 17th.   A strong WNW breeze Monday, high 48, low 36.  A WSW breeze Tuesday, high 52, low 33.   Brisk NW breezes Wednesday through the 17th.  Highs in the forties, lows in the upper twenties.  Clouds and fog the 18th and 19th, NW breezes, highs about 50, lows about  33.  

    I've heard some talk of rolling black outs this winter.  When I called Keith, my son who lives in Alaska, to wish him Happy Birthday he said they have been told there will be rolling black outs.  There is a shortage of natural gas.  In the north slope oil field they burn it off because there is no infrastructure to catch and process it.

   Here in Maine forecasters say there are so many variables  that an accurate winter forecast is a challenge.  We are fortunate we have generators.  If the layers of plastic covering the greenhouses aren't kept inflated the plastic is prone to tearing.  We remember the ice storm, we stay prepared.

   We are buying some fernleaf dill seed this year.  It is a flavorful dwarf dill, the perfect size for a winter window or a patio planter.  I also want to get some fennel.  I used to always grow it, I used it a lot in cooking.  The girls never have.  The bronze fennel is very pretty but the green Florence fennel produces sweet bulbs for cooking.  Fennel is  allelopathic meaning that it doesn't play nice with other plants.  It needs to have its own space. Fennel seeds are used as medicine for many things.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/4/26  Good Morning.  Today is an especially good day to be thoughtful and kind.

    Dense fog, calm, 49 degrees.  Cloudy today, showers and rain tonight. A SW breeze, high 70, low 45.  Showers tomorrow afternoon, a brisk WNW breeze, high 66, low 48.  Cloudy Friday, a light NW breeze, high 66, low 51.  Rain Saturday, a brisk NE breeze, high 55, low 44.  Partly cloudy Sunday through next Sunday, the 15th.  Brisk NW breezes Sunday and Monday, highs 49, lows 38 and 34.  A stiff west breeze Tuesday, high 53, low 33.  A strong WNW breeze next Wednesday, a high of 46, a low of 29.  Brisk, sometimes strong NW breezes next Thursday through Tuesday the 17th.  Highs about 43 next Thursday and Friday, lows about 26.  Highs 46 next weekend, lows 29.  Mostly cloudy Monday the 16 th and Tuesday the 17th, highs about 50, lows about 30.

    I made a dill bed against the back of the garage.  The dill grew fine.  But I planted it too late for it to reseed.  Today we are going to cut and dry the dill.  And add dill seed to the seed order to plant in the spring. 

     Dill belongs in the vegetable garden.  Dill attracts Beneficial Insects: Its umbrella-shaped yellow flowers (umbels) provide nectar and pollen for predatory insects like ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. Their larvae feed on soft-bodied pests like aphids and spider mites. The blooms draw in honeybees, native bees, and butterflies, helping improve pollination across neighboring vegetable crops. Dill is a primary host plant for Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars (parsley worms), providing the necessary foliage for them to feed and grow.  Its strong scent helps naturally repel or confuse garden pests like cabbage loopers, cabbageworms, and spider mites.  Dill can lure pests like aphids or tomato hornworms away from your main vegetable harvests.   It grows quickly, handles cool weather well, and readily drops seeds to return the following season.  We are establishing a bed of dill behind the garage because we use a lot of dill.  So do our customers!  Too many times we have wanted some dill and it has all been sold!   Avoid planting dill near other members of the same botanical family such as caraway, cilantro, parsley, or celery, as they risk cross-pollination.

    May your day be blessed, Sally