Autumn Aroma

Since September 1, I have been teaching preschool at the sister Day Care/Preschool to the one that I used to work at and that my kids go to.  I love it!  Anyway, this week we are talking about our senses and yesterday we went on a "smelling walk."  While we were on the walk (through town) it brought me back to why I truly love Autumn, the smells. 

Growing up on a decent sized farm (in those days) in west central Wisconsin, there were so many wonderful and not so wonderful smells come autumn.  Most of what I remember are wonderful.  The most distinct is the smell of silage.  For those who aren't familiar with it, it is chopped up corn (stalks and all) and deposited into a pit silo (at least on our farm) and then covered with black plastic and old tires to hold the plastic down.  To me, that is a wonderful and inviting smell that says "home!"  My second favorite smell of autumn is of the drying and falling leaves and fortunately I can still smell that here on our little corner of the world.  There is also the smell of apples, pumpkins baking and other canning/baking that happens in the autumn.  This time of year is just so aromatically pleasing.  What are some of your favorite autumn aromas?

This fall has been busy for all of us here on our corner of the world.  Trying to get the garden put to bed, things canned and preserved, project to-do lists done, duck boat up and running, getting hunting licenses and bow target practises, getting kids to school and preschool, teaching preschool and just spending time together that I have not been on the computer.  Yikes.  I can't say that the next few months will be much different, as we are in the "hunting season" time of year that runs from Sept 1-mid December, and as our meat freezer is getting empty we have to organize our priorities.  Wish us luck in filling it.  :)

Oh - update on our lazy chickens.  Well they are still lazy as there hasn't been an egg found.  At what age do chickens usually start laying?  I thought it would be by now, but then I heard somewhere that Buffs don't lay until they are 5 months old (that isn't until November - yikes).  Anyone know about Leghorns, Dominics and Redstars?  I do know that Bumblebee won't be laying, but if he doesn't be nice, he will become dinner.  He has gotten such an attitude lately.  Boys!

Feathered Friends with Attitudes

Today our feathered friends discovered my garden! You may be wondering how said chickens would get into the Fort Knox that is my garden?  Well, let me tell you!  You see, when dh was building the fence for the garden (which he did a marvelous job on) one thing got off kilter and that the was the measurement for the door and gate.  The hole is a bit bigger than needed for our recycled gate, big enough for furry beagles and said chickens to get through.  We have talked about putting a 4x4 in there to block the gap, but we just have too many projects going and no 4x4 and no extra money so that is on the back burner.  Ugh. 

I don't mind if they are in there eating mosquitoes, as there are an abundance that call my garden home.  I was reminded of that as I was picking beans this evening to can, but I don't like the trails that they are making through my bean bed and other beds.  The pooh is great for the soil also, I just wish they would stay between the rows.  Is that too much to ask?  As long as they leave what is left of my wimpy tomatoes alone, I won't put them on the supper menu yet. 

Carrot Manicure

Today has been a day of canning.  I received a good chunk of HUGE carrots from a friend and I decided to try canning them.  My vintage pressure canner only does 4 pints at a time so this took awhile.  After a morning of cleaning, cutting and canning 11 pints of carrots my nails and hands have this strange new orange glow to them.  I must say it is different and not something I plan on sporting come Monday at the new job.

Yes, I said new job.  After a year of being an assistant teacher at the day care that my kids go to, I am moving on to the new center that my boss bought this last spring as the lead preschool teacher.  I am looking forward to this new challenge of new kids and parents, new setting and planning curriculum.  My kids are not sure they like the idea, but this means I get 40 hrs. a week and more income which helps during this very lean time.  The extra income also is a + now that our wonderful (not) Governor's budget crap has taken effect. Wonderful.  What is a family to do in their little corner of the world?  I guess I'll make some spaghetti sauce to store up and save.

Seeing as how my tomatoes that I had such high hopes for this summer have been plagued by to much rain at times, to much heat and cold at different points in there lives, blight and little chipmunks who like to each almost ripe fruit have petered out on me I am not sure how much sauce I am going to be able to put away this year.  Holy run on sentence.  My sister would be appalled.  Sorry but I don't care, I just tend to type how my brain thinks sometimes.  Anyway, I have finally been able to start my first batch of spaghetti sauce this afternoon and I am excited.  Right now it is simmering away and the house smells wonderful.  If I had access to about 16 gallons of tomatoes I would be set for spaghetti sauce for the year.  Yeah, that would be about 40 quarts of sauce when all said and done.  You would think we were Italian the way we eat spaghetti, nope, Norwegian, Danish and Chinese. 

With the last 30 minutes of simmering I am going to start warming up my BWB canner.  Happy farming, gardening, canning or what ever you do to pass the time. 

Lone Eggplant

So I tried growing Eggplants for the first year this year and I have had many beautiful blooms, but only one became an Eggplant.  It is quite nice, but now I need to know how to fix it?  Anyone out there in blogger land have any ideas?  I am not even sure if I like eggplant, but here goes.