11/8/25  To belittle is to be little.

 Cloudy, calm, 45 degrees.  Partly cloudy this afternoon, a stiff west breeze, high 55.  Clear tonight, low 27.  Cloudy tomorrow, light ENE breeze, high 42.  Rain tomorrow night, low 33.  Rain Monday, a NE breeze, high 48.   Rain early Sunday night, low 33.  Cloudy Tuesday, a stiff west breeze, high 38, low 28. Partly cloudy Wednesday, a stiff SW breeze, high 41, low 29.  Cloudy Thursday, a brisk WNW breeze, high 43, low 29.  Partly cloudy Friday and next Saturday, brisk WNW breezes, highs 39, lows 26 and 30.  An inch of snow Saturday night.  Rain/snow showers next Sunday, a SW breeze, high 41, low 34.  Morning clouds/afternoon sun Monday the 17th, partly cloudy the 18th and 19th, Stiff WNW breezes, highs 41, lows 30.  Morning rain/snow showers Thursday the 20, showers the 21st and 22ed, NW breezes, highs about 41, lows 30.

    Yesterday I put some miles on  the truck.  I made my regular feed store run I make  every few months for chicken feed. I came home, the truck was unloaded and I went to another feed store twenty miles further away.  That feed store sells bulk grain at a much cheaper price for cows.  Mabel is already giving three and a half gallons of milk a day.  Bekah will supplement her hay with grain so she doesn't lose weight.

      I came home and started deep cleaning the large refrigerator, the one we call my refrigerator.  For months I've been promising myself I'd deep clean it as I was spot cleaning it.  Now one large shelf will be dedicated to the large beverage containers Bekah is using for milk.  Today I will finish cleaning it so it will be ready on Monday when we start saving the milk for us.

     Jay didn't get a deer even though they hunted all day.  Still hunters they are not!  They did find the remains of an old foundry.  Large stoves of rock with big iron rollers.  They are thinking of hiking back in tomorrow after church to get more and better pictures.  Neighbors who are active in the Historical Society are trying asking around, trying to find their history.

    The girls worked on wreath orders most of the day.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/7/25 Choose to find the joy in this journey the Lord has given us.

Clear, calm. 28 degrees.  Sun and clouds this morning, clouds this afternoon.  A SW breeze, high 41.  Rain tonight, low 37.  Morning clouds, afternoon sun tomorrow, a brisk west breeze, high 56, low 28.  Partly cloudy Sunday, a light ESE breeze, high 43.  Rain Sunday night, low 36.  Rain Monday, a strong NE breeze, high 48, low 31. Partly cloudy Tuesday, a strong west breeze, high 37, low 29. Cloudy Wednesday, a strong SW breeze, high 44, low 31.Partly cloudy Thursday, next Friday and next Saturday, stiff WNW breezes, highs 42 to 38, lows 28 to 26.  Rain/ snow Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th, stiff NW breezes, highs 39, lows 29.  Partly cloudy the 18th and 19th, brisk NW breezes, hghs 40, lows 28.  Rain/snow showers the next two days.

   Mabel calved, milking twice a day is back on the farm.  Bekah, new to milking, and Mabel new to milking are doing very well.  Mabel stood quietly why Bekah got the hang of getting all four teat cups on her udder.  The new milking machine worked like a charm.

   The winds didn't do any damage and we never lost powder.  We will be taking advantage of the few quiet days to finish buttoning up.  The chimney will be cleaned.  The pellet stove in the front room is burning.  Wreath making will be on the back burner for a few days.  Today and tomorrow they will finish putting a roof on Maegin's trailer.  Hopefully the power company will hook up the power soon.

    No deer yet.  May your day be blessed, Sally

11/6/25  Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart.

Clouds, calm, 40 degrees.  Sun and clouds today with strong, gusty NW winds, high 44.  Clear tonight, a brisk west breeze, low 28.  Cloudy tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 42.  Rain tomorrow night, low 37.  Sunshine Saturday, a stiff west breeze, high 56, low 28.  PM showers Sunday, rain/snow showers Sunday night.  A NE breeze, high 43, low 36.  Rain showers Monday, snow showers Monday night.  A NNE breeze, high 44, low 30.  Mostly cloudy Tuesday, a light west wind, high 36, low 28. Mostly cloudy Wednesday, a strong SW breeze, high 44, low 31. Mostly cloudy next Thursday, a strong west breeze, high 43, low 27.  Partly cloudy next Friday, a strong WNW breeze, high 39, low 27.  Partly cloudy next Saturday, a stiff NW breeze, high 39, low 29.  Rain/ snow showers Saturday  night through Tuesday morning. A brisk west breeze Sunday the 16th, high 42, low

36.A stiff west breeze Monday, the 11th, high 43. low 31.  A brisk WNW beeze the next three days, highs about 42, lows about 31.  Partly cloudy Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, rain/ snow showers Thursday.

     Mabel had her calf.  Milking will now be folded into Bekah's routine.  It will be colstrom milk for a few days, then milk for us.  And our own butter, whipping cream and yogurt.  It depends on  the volume of milk if Bekah branches into cheeses.

     Only a few more pumpkins to process, then butternut squash.  There are lots of ways to cook with pumpkin but so far everyone wants pumpkin pie.  Pumpkins and winter squash can be washed with one part bleach to nine parts water, dried and then stored in a cool, dry place.  A lot of our pumpkins and squash had small blemishes so I wasn't sure how long they would keep.  Plus toys have taken over the place I usually store squash.

   A few days ago I wrote about cutting back phlox.  I should have said tall summer phlox, not the spring creeping phlox.

   May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/5/25  Happiness If you look for perfection, you will never be satisfied. Leo Tolstoy

Sunshine, 34  degrees.  afternoon clouds, possible showers.  High 47 with a SW breeze.  Rain tonight, some snow mixing in, a strong NNE breeze, low 37.  Mostly cloudy tomorrow, strong, gusty NW winds, high 44, low 29.  Cloudy Friday, a SW breeze, high 41, low 36.  Occasional rain Friday night.  Morning showers Saturday, a west breeze, high 55, low 32. Afternoon rain Sunday and Sunday night.  An ENE breeze, high 45, low 40.  Rain/snow showers Monday, a brisk WNW breeze, high 43.  Low 28 Monday night with snow showers. Partly cloudy Tuesday, a west wind, high 34, low 28.  Mostly cloudy next Wednesday and Thursday, west breezes, highs about 40, lows 31 and 28.  Partly cloudy next Friday and Saturday, brisk west breezes, highs about 40.  Lows 29 and 33.  Rain showers Saturday night. Rain/snow showers Sunday the 16th, a brisk west breeze, high 44, low 32. Rain showers Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th. Stiff WNW breezes, highs about 42, lows about 30.  Freezing rain Tuesday night.  Showers Wednesday the 19th, rain/snow showers Wednesday night.

   Yesterday was windy, I had to brace myself against it when I walked out to care for the hens.   But not as bad as forecast, the straw stayed on the garlic.  Jay walked up and down the rows packing the straw down, thankful for the little rain we had.

   After delivering hay Bekah worked on wreaths.  A lovely one is on my door.  Early but it shows the quality of the wreaths the girls make  .Mostly they take orders.

   The flag can't stay up until Veteran's Day.  All this wind is tearing it up.  Lots of last minute things to do as winter approaches.

May your day be blessed, Sally

 11/4/25  Many plants say, "Mulch me thick, mulch me warm—I’ll be dreaming under the soil till the thaw."

 .04 overnight rain.  Cloudy, a WNW wind, 43 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, strong, gusty WNW winds, high 49.  A strong WNW breeze tonight, clear, low 34.  Cloudy tomorrow, a SW breeze, high 47.  Rain tomorrow night, a strong NE breeze, low 38.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong NW wind, high 44.  A brisk west breeze Thursday night, low 28.  Mostly cloudy Friday, a SW breeze, high 41, low 37. Rain Friday night.  Shower Saturday, a west breeze, high 52, low 31.  Mostly cloudy Sunday with a WSW breeze, high 45.   Rain Sunday night.  Showers Monday, a stiff NNW breeze, high 43, low 24.  Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a west wind, high 35, low 27.  Partly cloudy next Wednesday, a stiff WSW breeze, high 40 low 30.  Partly cloudy next Thursday, a stiff WNW breeze, high 41, low 27,  Partly cloudy Friday the 14th, a stiff WNW breeze, high 40, low 27.  Mostly cloudy Saturday the 15th, a sw breeze, high 43, low 34.  Showers Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th, rain/snow showers Tuesday the 18th.

    Some plants, especially herbs, come from dry countries.  They don't like their roots wet.  I only put a light covering of straw on tender herbs like sage.  Others I don't cover at all.  I don't cut back the purple cone flowers until spring.  Birds eat the seeds, pollinators winter in the stems, the dead plant protects the roots.  I cut back peonies, hosta, and phlox, then I put some compost on them.  I cut back my hibiscus and buried it with straw.  I leave the stems 4 or 5 inches tall because hibiscus doesn't start growing until June even though I uncover the plant in May.  Sometimes we have some potted mums left.  Bekah either plants them or puts them down cellars.  The ones she plants she mulches well.  Lots of times she winds up with beautiful plants in the spring.

     Yesterday they planted garlic.  They mulched it with straw.  It was supposed to rain last night.  I'm afraid it didn't rain enough to keep the mulch from blowing.  They have put the hoses away.  Jay may be getting them back out to wet the straw.  Bekah has left to deliver a load of hay.  She checked Mabel about four this morning, no calf yet.

     May your day be blessed, Sally

    

 10/3/25 Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Clouds and sun this morning will give way to afternoon clouds.30 degrees this am,  Today's high 54 with a brisk south breeze.  occasional rain this evening, rain overnight, low of 42.  Partly cloudy tomorrow with strong WNW winds, high 49, low 34.  PM showers Wednesday, a SW breeze, high 48.  Rain Wednesday night, a brisk NNE breeze, low 37.  Partly cloudy Thursday with a brisk SSW breeze, high 44, low 28.  Mostly cloudy Friday, a stiff SSW breeze, high 44.  Light rain Friday night. Showers Saturday, a stiff WNW breeze, high 50, low 29. PM showers Sunday, rain/snow overnight. Rai/snow showers next Monday morning, a strong WNW breeze, high 40, low 24.  Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a strong WNW breeze, high 38, low 25.   Partly cloudy next Wednesday, a stiff west breeze, high 40, low 30.  Snow showers at night.  Snow to rain Thursday the 13th, a stiff WNW breeze, high 41, low 29.  Partly cloudy Friday the 14th, a stiff WNW breeze, high 40, low 31. Showers the next three days, brisk WNW breezes, highs about 45, lows about 33.

    Church yesterday morning, a quiet afternoon.  One of my grandsons is a preacher, he has a church in Lewiston.  Yesterday was his birthday.  Three of his  siblings and their families  got up early and went to his church.  He had no idea they were coming.  He was very surprised and pleased.

   Yesterday tufted titmouse, chickadees and the female cardinal were back at the feeders.  Today I will set up the heated water fountain so they have water these chilly mornings.  Frost got the morning glories last night.

   A busy day today, cold is settling in fast.  They will plant garlic. My thyroid prescription finally got called at 7:30 Saturday night.  I'll plug in the tractor before I go get it so I can haul mulch to the kitchen garden when I get home.

   May your day be blessed, Sally.

 11/1/25  Each day can be a holiday when you cherish simple things, discovering the delight that sharing pleasure brings.  

Sun and clouds, breezy, 47 degrees.  Mostly sunny today, strong, gusty WNW winds.  High 49.  Mostly clear tonight a strong WNW breeze, low 33.  Sunshine tomorrow, a stiff WNW breeze, high 48, low 28.  Sunshine Monday, a stiff SSW breeze, high 55, low 42. Sunshine Tuesday, a WNW wind, high 51, low 35.  Partly cloudy Wednesday, a stiff WSW breeze, high 51, low 34.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a strong NW breeze, high 47, low 27.  Partly cloudy Friday, a stiff SW breeze, high 46, low 38.  Rain after midnight.  Light rain next Saturday morning, a stiff WSW breeze, high 52, low 33.  Showers next Sunday with a stiff SE breeze, high 51, low 35.  Showers, rain/snow showers the week of the 10th. Brisk WNW breezes, highs in the mid 40, lows in the low 30s.

    The storm moved away early afternoon so the trick or treaters stayed dry.  Our kids went to my sister's street in Dover.  Some of my other grandchildren went to the town hall where the rec department had set up some halloween fun.  Heather and Mike came out to go trick or treating with the kids.  Why Mike was here he put new sliders on my computer desk drawers.  It is so nice to have drawers that work again!

   The other day they built a new bracket for the new greenhouse inflation fan.  The windy forecast makes me thankful to look out and see tight plastic on the greenhouse.  I think winter jackets will be coming out.

   No birds this morning.  Why?  Windy or not they need to eat.  The feeders are somewhat sheltered.  I don't even see the squirrels.  No new calf either.

    May your day be blessed, Sally