october is sliding by

Well then!

Our busy house guest season has come to a close. We had visitors from Mount Desert Island, ME, from Massachusetts, from Alabama and from Cape Cod (also MA). Activities included the Vermont Sheep and Wool Fest, leaf peeping, a bonfire, hiking at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Historic Park,  chatting around the dinner table long into the night, eating dinners produced from the garden and root cellar, celebrating my Mumsie's 87th birthday (!) and watching a few movies at home. A neighborhood cider pressing and goat visiting topped things off.

The prepping in the kitchen, the towel and sheet swapping, the vacuuming and sweeping became a mediation of sorts. Anticipating guests and then remembering fun times drifted in and out of the housekeeping.

There is such a satisfying quiet that has draped itself around the house today and the late afternoon sunshine slants into the living room in such a gracious way.

We have shared a deep exhale, and now we look forward to getting the last few chores and projects done before the real cold sets in.

And just look at how the hoop house is holding up! We have greens, beets and leeks growing under the plastic tunnel. The madder is still looking good in the dye garden. We have straw to spread on the garlic bulbs and the madder...maybe tomorrow. Batman planted Chinese forget-me-not seeds under the hedge of sunflowers and they surprised us with their hardiness. They are still growing strong out there!

Birds are flocking, getting ready to migrate. We had a group of about a dozen bluebirds gorging on the mountain ash berries last week.  This afternoon we saw a murmuration of birds that flew by so fast that we couldn't identify them, but they were magical!