Beautiful October

The new fireplace is just wonderful. Having a fire on chilly evenings . . . there's something magical about it. A fire offers much more than simply warming an area. It whispers, "Relax. Slow down." The next few evenings and mornings are supposed to be much cooler, so I'm stocking up on kindling and firewood. I have several books stacked on the side table, just waiting to be selected and enjoyed. This time of year is my favorite because it's like I'm given permission to wile away the hours without feeling any guilt whatsoever, and now I can do it in front of a lovely wood fire.

Today I cleaned the garden of the tomato, green pepper, and poblano pepper plants. And the basil. I clipped the basil stalk at its base then brought the bushy plant into the kitchen. Its aroma filled the whole house. 

I left the lettuce, spinach, and kale in their bed as they are still going strong. Some carrots and beets remain as well. This weekend, I'll sow more carrots and beets just to see what happens through the colder weather. 

I'm curious, too, about what might happen if I put seeds into pots in the greenhouse. This is the first fall and winter for the greenhouse. While I have no expectations, I'm hoping something good happens. I have a lot to learn about growing in a greenhouse, a really small greenhouse, in Illinois in freezing weather. It might not even be possible, so I guess I'll find out.



Nature is just so beautiful!



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