9/26/26 A peaceful heart knows how to find joy in the little things, beauty in the ordinary, and contentment in the moment.

Mostly cloudy, a NE breeze now, becoming a NE wind later today.  High 73, low 53.  Occasional overnight showers.  Showers tomorrow morning, cloudy in the afternoon, showers tomorrow night.  A NNE wind, high 66, low 51.  Rain Monday, a  Strong NE breeze, high 58, low 52.  lighter rain Monday night.  Showers Tuesday, a NE breeze,  After Tuesday the forecast is about the same as yesterday's.  Dry with a bit of a warm up. slightly cooler than average but no frost.

   There often isn't much time between a hard frost and cold weather.  As dry as we are, we are hoping nature balances itself out with cold wet weather.  I'm making a list of what needs attention after the hard frost.  Peonies, the top jewel of the June garden,  I cut them back and clean up every bit of the foliage.  It is a good idea not to put it in the compost pile in case there are any disease spores in it.  Then mulch it with straw, shredded bark, pine needles or compost.  I use an inch of compost and  four or five inches of straw.  In spring I pull the straw back from the plant a little at a time so the new shoots can harden off.  I put organic  fertilizer around the plant, not on top of it.  My peonies are so lush with such large blooms I put a peony ring in to support them.  Usually the one I took out in the fall, they last several years.

   This afternoon is Azalea's birthday party so it is a busy morning.  May your day be blessed, Sally

 9/25/26  Wishing you a Happy Friday and a beautiful weekend.

Fair, calm, 48 degrees.  Partly cloudy today, a NNE breeze, high 75, low 53.  Cloudy tomorrow and Sunday, NNE winds, highs 72 and 64.  Lows 54 and 50.  Rain Monday (the edge of the Nor'easter), A stiff NE breeze, high 58, low 53. Showers Tuesday, a NNE breeze, high 62, low 52.  Partly cloudy Wednesday through Friday the 9th.  A NW breeze Wednesday, high 69, low 51. A WSW breeze Thursday, high 76, low 56.  A stiff west breeze next Friday, high 75, low 54.  A brisk NNW breeze next Saturday, high 69, low 47.  A NNE breeze next Sunday, high 67, low 49.  Brisk WNW breezes the next 5 days .  High Monday the 5th 65, low 43. Highs about 59 the next four days, lows about 39.

    Another beautiful fall day.  No one has to cook today.. Yesterday Maegin made two pans of lasagna for their church potluck supper.  Maegin, Bekah and Darel all go to the same church. By evening they were all too tired to go.  That gives you an idea how busy these fall days are.  Antibiotics cured what aled me and I've recovered from my reaction to the antibiotic so today I'm hoping to get back to battling creeping charlie and other weeds.  I'd like my gardens to be all ready to plant come spring.

    The storm will drop significant rain south of us.  Our forecast has dropped to a half inch from an inch and a half.  A dry weekend is good for the Common Ground Fair and for Azalea's birthday party tomorrow.  Three more great grandchildren's birthdays  in the next few weeks plus son Mike's.  I 've already got gifts, I'm wrapping them all this morning.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

    

 9/24/26  Be the reason someone smiles today.

 Low 42. Sunshine today, a NNE breeze, high 73, low 47.  Partly cloudy Friday, a stiff NNE breeze, high 75, low 51. Perhaps some afternoon showers Saturday, a NNE wind, high 70, low 53.  Showers Sunday, a NNE wind, high 64, low 50.  Rain Monday, a strong NE breeze, high 59, low 53.  Showers Tuesday, a NE breeze, high 63, low 50.  Partly cloudy Wednesday, a west breeze, high 70, low 53.  Cloudy next Thursday, a stiff WNW breeze, high 71, low 49.  Partly cloudy next Friday and next weekend, brisk WNW breezes highs about 67, lows 47.  Mostly cloudy Monday the 5th, a WNW breeze, high 65, low 45.

    Perhaps some people got a frost, there was a frost advisory.  We didn't.  There is still heat in the sun, it is 48 now.  

    I got the scented geraniums and Christmas cactus repoted.  Christmas cactus should be repoted after blooming or in the summer, not now.  But it wasn't doing well.

    A pair of cardinals are joining the chickadees at the feeders.  Saturday there was a Canadian jay.  None of us has seen one this far south before.  It has been dryer north of us, perhaps the seeds don't have much meat in them.  The chicadees have forgotten who fills their feeders, the scolded me when I went out to fill them this morning.

  We got three ton of pellets yesterday,  Last year's pellets from inventory at last year's price..  Lois said the first load of this season had just arrived.   She hadn't figured out the price yet but there was a significant increase, due to increase in cost of pellets and a diesel cost surcharge. I'm sure when our fall load of greenhouse supplies arrive there will be a fuel surcharge. Number 2 heating oil is $6.00.  We had a grain delivery yesterday, no price increase and no surcharge. 

   May you day be blessed, Sally

   

 9/23/26  There are three things that last forever, faith, love and home.  The greatest of them is love.Sunshine, calm, a low of 43.  High 65, low tonight 38.  A NNE breeze as a pattern begins to set up for a nor'easter this weekend and Monday.  sunshine tomorrow, high 72.  Starting tomorrow the night time lows will rise to about 50.  Partly cloudy Friday, a strong NNE breeze, high 72, low 53.  Showers after midnight.  The weekend storm will be stronger on the coast.  A slight wobble in the track can change how much rain we will get.  Once the storm moves on Monday night the forecast is about the same as yesterday's.

    It will be a beautiful fall day, a good day to have a good day.  I'm glad because the 'to do' list is long.  It is "make butter" day.  There is a load for the Community Cupboard.  When I take it I have to go to Corinth and pick up prescriptions.  And a bag of cranberries, not for eating, for the simmer pot.   A fall fragrance.

   First thing, I'm going out to see if the blossoms on the peegee hydrangea are still good enough to save.  I like to have a bowl of dried blossoms on the front room desk until Christmas.  A pretty way to hang onto summer.   There are house plants sitting everywhere. and a few outside under remay.  The ones inside need a pruning and some of that good Coast of Maine potting soil.  Some need totally fresh soil.

    May your day be blessed, Sally

 9/22/26  A falling leaf is summer waving goodby.

41, calm and clear.  Mostly sunny today, a NNE breeze, high 65, low 41.  Sunshine tomorrow, a NNE breeze, high 67, low 39.  Sunshine Thursday, a NNE breeze, high 72, low 48.  Partly cloudy Friday, a strong NNE breeze, high 72, low 53.  Showers Saturday, Sunday and Monday, NNE winds, highs about 63, lows about 50. Partly cloudy next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, brisk west breezes, highs 67 and 70, lows 50.  Possible showers Friday the 2ed, a stiff WNW breeze, high 67, low 48.  Partly cloudy the weekend of the 3rd and 4th, brisk ENE breezes, highs 66, lows 47.  Possible showers Monday the 5th, brisk WNW breezes, high 65, low 45.

    Breakfast at my sister's this morning followed by a doctor's appointment.  I'm putting 15 white painting pumpkins in my sister's car.  They are also pie pumpkins but her Sunday school class will be painting them.  October is a month of gratitude, celebrating the harvest.  Sunday they'll talk about the magic of planting a seed and reaping the harvest God has provided for us.

    Eggs anyone? the summer people have left, suddenly not only are we not running out of eggs but I'm giving eggs to the grandchildren! Hamburger sales are down too.  We've gained a few new milk customers and production drops a little when the cows switch from grass to hay  but still the hens are getting some milk.  Did you know Guernsey and Jersey milk has about 12% more protein than standard commercial milk?

    May your day be blessed.  Sally

    

 9/21/26  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:16)

A group of hummingbirds is not  called a flock, it is called a swarm.  Swarms of hummingbirds are now being reported in middle and southern states as they head to southern Mexico, central America and Northern South America  for the winter.

   Sunshine, calm, 46 degrees.  Mostly sunny today, a brisk NNW breeze, high 65, low 41.  Partly cloudy tomorrow, a brisk NNE breeze, high 65, low 40. Sunshine Wednesday and Thursday, NNE breezes.  Wednesday's high 66, low 38.  Thursday's high 70, low 46.  Cloudy Friday, a stiff NNE breeze, high 70, low 51.  Showers this weekend and next Monday with strong NNE breezes, highs about 63, lows about 49.  Partly cloudy next Tuesday, a NNE breeze, high 65, low 49.  More clouds next Wednesday, a NNW breeze, high 68, low 49.  Some showers Thursday the 1st, a WNW breeze, high 66, low 47.  Partly cloudy Friday the 2ed through the weekend and Monday the 5th with brisk WNW breezes, highs about 65 lows about 44.

   Not cutting back your black eyed susans and coneflowers or pulling your zinnas this fall isn't procrastination, it's a bird feeder you don't have to buy. Hollow stems are winter homes for pollinators. The chickadees have lived in the woods all summer.  On Friday they started coming to the sunflower seed feeders in the kitchen garden.

    Lights come on in the chicken house at four am now.  For optimal egg production, chickens should get 14-16 hours of light each day and 8-10 hours of darkness.   This helps to boost the hormones required for egg laying, while allowing them a quiet, dark space to sleep at night.  Electricity is so expensive the lights are coming on about 3 weeks later than other years.

    This weekend the cows were put in their winter pasture.  After they ate every mouthful of grass they decided that hay in the feeders was ok to eat.  The pastures need time to grow  five or more inches of grass to  winter over in good condition.  Cooler temperatures mean the grass grows slower now than it did a month ago.  A diet of hay instead of grass means the butter will be a paler yellow.

    The woodshed part of the garage is almost full of wood.  Maybe one more load will fit?  The garage is being rearranged to make room for a load of pellets.  Peak leaf color is forecast for October 4th but this first week of fall we are changing our ways in preparation for winter

    May your day be blessed, Sally.

     

9/19/26  Gratitude doesn't erase the hard days. It  helps the heart notice that  in the middle of life's challenges, beauty still remains.

Clear, calm, 44 degrees.  Sunshine today, a NNW breeze, high 65, low 40.  Afternoon showers tomorrow, a stiff south breeze, high 60, low 46.  Partly cloudy Monday and Tuesday, highs about 65, lows about 39.  The north breezes will be stiff Monday, less on Tuesday.  Sunshine Wednesday, a NNE breeze, high 67, low 38.  Partly cloudy Thursday, a NNE breeze, high 70, low 46.  More clouds Friday, a stiff NNE breeze, high 72, low 49.  Showers next Saturday, a strong NNE breeze, high 67, low 50.  Cloudy next Sunday, a stiff NNE breeze, high 66, low 50.  Possible showers next Monday, a north breeze, high  88, low 40.  Cloudy Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th, NNW breezes, highs 67, lows 49.  Possible showers on October 1st, a brisk NNW breeze, high 66, low 47.  Partly cloudy Friday the 2ed and Saturday, the 3rd, brisk NW breezes, highs 65, lows 45.

    In theory the dishwasher and washing machine get washed every three or four weeks.  The dishwasher filter gets washed more often.  Just put a tablet in and run them, making sure the washing machine is on hot.  Life has been busy and suddenly it was several weeks.  Instead of just a tablet and quick wipe washing was a job.  I did the washing machine twice.  Lesson learned, I wrote the date for washing them next time in my planner.

    Do you have hollyhocks?  They are plants that you clean up in the fall.  Cleaning up the foliage  and raking up the leaves on the ground controls hollyhock rust. We don't do well with hollyhocks because our horse chestnut tree carries the rust.   Cleaning up shasta daisy foliage helps control leaf spot.  If you notice the center of the daisy is woody and bare, fall is a good time to transplant the daisies, making a couple of new plants from the old one.

    May your day be blessed, Sally