Frost has fallen

Yesterday, upon arriving home with the kids from school, the sky was angrily spitting wet snow at us...but, of course, this being Vermont, this weather changed in less than five minutes as the sun shone and the blue sky tried to beckon us outside. And, of course, no sooner had I contemplated heading outside did everything change and rain began to fall.  Such is Fall in Vermont.

And this morning, frost has fallen....in crusty, crunchy coatings upon each blend of grass.  Early this morning, I was was trekking to the side yard in order to compost the guinea pig bedding, and felt each individual strand break under foot.  I nearly stopped in place, not wanting to cause any more damage...but remembering my seven year old, guarding the laundry basket that was temporary housing for her tiny fuzzy friends, defending against possible attacks of the feline inhabitants of our house...I trekked on.

The chickens were none to pleased by the frost either.  In the midst of their molting season, most are half naked and exposed to the cold.  I hope their downy winter feathers arrive soon....for I know that snow is just around the corner.

So, we are inside for now, and being inside brings a certain comfort.  The kids are currently hard at work on floor puzzles, and none of us have changed out of our sleepwear.  I may cuddle under a blanket for a spell, and continue work on some handicrafts... Such will be our morning. 

I hope you all are enjoying a slice of the same :)

A family day....

The day started late, and is still going at full steam.....

That is said with the understanding that late is 6:15am.  Which is really late for this family....

Saturday is the day that I give myself off from the office work.  I don't get up early to dial in, and I don't stay up late working the spreadsheets.  Saturday is all about home and family.

So, it made sense to sleep in...and be woken by the cuddly kiddos.  While the husband escaped downstairs to start the coffee, I stayed put and rejoiced in the moment....until the fighting began...

The fighting aways amazed me...they just got up - what is there to fight about?  And how do they have the energy to fight first thing in the morning?  I can scarcely open my eyes without coffee, much less engage in a heated debate over who has more room in the bed, who got up first, and who gets claim on the blue cup....

But either way, the morning had begun.  I escaped the room, and headed out to the feathered ladies.  Frost had fallen, and lay on grass in a multitude of beautiful crystals.  I was very thankful that I took the time yesterday evening to harvest many of the pumpkins so that they could hide in the safety of the garage.  Frost on pumpkin skin weakens and lead to early rot...something we learned last year and were not anxious to experience again.  And the frost, albit beautiful, made certain the knowledge that the sweet potatoes would need to harvested.

Once the ladies were dealt with and freed for a day of free ranging, it was back in for the breakfast and cleaning segments of the day.  While anxious to get out to the garden, those duties could not be escaped....and the harvest would come soon enough....

And come it did, with a fierce hardiness.....we had planted the sweet potato slips in previously unbroken ground, which made freeing them that much more difficult.  Add this to the fact this was the first time for us with that crop, and I was just pleased to have any harvest.  The bounty filled one small reuseable grocery bag, and I felt satisfied.  These would have to rest in the warmth and sun to help the skins to cure, much like the pumpkins and the winter squash.  At the moment, they are all resting together in the tractor wagon, which will be hidden away from the frost each night, and dragged back out to the sun each morning....

And seeing that frost had fallen this early in September, we have come to terms with the fact our time on the land this fall may be limited.  Therefore, every moment that we can travel cross town to work on our soon-to-be camp site needs to be take advantage of.  And so, we did....for many hours, to the chagrin of our children.  They were nicely self entertained for a good hour, building forts from fallen pine branches, and trying to make a teeter-totter from a dropped tree...but soon became a bit on the bored side....and were happy when we tired as well and decided it was time to head out. 

We had wanted to travel into town afterwards for some grocery shopping, but, honestly, we were so tired and so filthy from the work.  Instead, we traveled to the local small store to get the supplies that we needed for dinner....the big store could wait for another day.

And now, we are here.  I have water simmering for spaghetti, and meatballs are browning.  It would be a hardy, family dinner together - something that doesn't happen nearly as often as it should.

So, we will enjoy this moment, and rest up for another day.  For, tomorrow will be another one, chock full of work to do, fun to have, and family time to spend. 

We hope everyone is having a joyful Saturday as well...

Friday morning....

Well, we got here.  It is finally Friday morning.

It was the first full week of school for the kids....starting the year with a week of 3 days, then a week of 4, warming up to this week.  School definitely in session.

And with school, comes our new routine.  And we are beginning to settle into it.  The mornings go by fast....getting up early to work from home, then breakfast for the husband before he runs out the door, followed by caring for the chickens and the cats.  At 6:15 am, bright and early, I am rousing the kids with a wake up call, as we leave for school an hour later.  Come 9am, I am settling in to the office, having already been up for 6 hours, and ready for yet another cup of coffee. 

This is oddly comfortable.

What is missing, however, is time in the garden.  I am a mix of emotions as we work to close down the garden...sad that summer as passed and the cool weather is rushing in, but content in knowing the harvest is nearly done.  The freezer and pantry (although small) are close to bursting with frozen and canned goods from the garden's bounty, and I am welcoming the break.  Only a few crops are still left out - mainly the rest of the butternut squash, pumpkins, a few late edamame plants, and the sweet potatoes.  Many of these will be coming out in the next few days.

I have been spending much for time crafting, as you may have noticed from past posts....crochet has caught my attention again, and while I wish I could knit with the best of them....I can't deny that I love the ease of handling only one needle at a time.  And there are very few things better than having cozy family time indoors crocheting a warm gift for another, while the brisk, and often rainy, weather carries on out of doors.

And I feel more prepared for this coming winter than last.  This will be our second winter with the chickens, and we have made some good decisions to handle it well.  The coup built by the husband is holding strong, and we have downsized from a count in the 20's last winter, to only 16 feathered ladies this time around.  Everyone fits in the large coop together, and we have the heated mat, heat lamp, and heated water dish ready for the frosty weather.  That being said, I do so hope that such temperatures are still far off.

But, for now....it is time to continue on with this morning.  Chickens, cats, kids....here we go again ;)