Again the sun has risen above the little valley below where looking from my hillside I see the mornings haze from the dust of the morning traffic on the long bumpy dirt road. I feel so lucky to have the leisure to soak up the morning, and a good cup of coffee, before having to descend to the city and enter the haste and demands of the day. Only if that were the norm rather than the usual scramble to get everyone (myself included) off to school or work...........
The equinox is almost here - I can tell because the morning sun is almost perfectly aligned down the staircase at the precise time as I designed. It will be fall in just a few days and the suns alignment will swing again toward winter. The preparations for next years growing season and the winter in between must begin. The garden tools handles are all re-oiled. Finishing this years oiling of the exterior woodwork on the house and barn is next but that will wait until later this fall after preparing the gardens.
Oiling woodwork is another annual task that is often forgotten in an age of plastic and refined petroleum chemistry. I do it to insure the longevity of my wood handle tools, and what I have built. Weatherproofing the exposed woodwork with a natural linseed oil finish for winter, brings out the warmth of the wood that only an aged natural finish can. Neglected wood does not last very long in any environment. Dried out, cracked, slivering wood seems a waste. Shovel, axe, and hammer handles last for years longer with just a tiny bit of attention after the polyurethane goes....
Next week will be tilling the new garden areas to expand the production of beans and squash for next year. Planting a garlic hedgerow is also on the list. Soon a part of this years garden will need to be cleared and the cold frames set for fall. Plans are in place to create a hoop green house over part of the existing plot, before the first frost, to see if the beans, corn, and squash can be extended further into the early winter with out too much effort.
The manure pile from this year needs to be rotated and the mulch and compost from last years pile are now ready to be spread and tilled in, I know it will be nourishing for the vegetable beds because it looks, feels, and smells like potting soil. The composted soil from the pile that I've spread in other areas has already brought the starts of a green grassy meadow to life below the garden where I've scattered wild flower seed in hope of splashy color next year. The compost applied last winter brought up a green grassy area with scattered wild flowers in the back yard where there was only dusty brown and tumbleweed before.
The remains of the hay burners daily meals seems to really hold the moisture where the native grasses can benefit and the nutrients are promoting an exceptionally obvious greenness as compared with adjacent areas...... I feel satisfied this morning with my little spot and what I've been able to do. Ah and the list readying for fall continues......
Another fall tradition.........
I've readied the equipment and am prepared to do the other seasonal task - going in to the forest to make meat. I've practiced and zeroed the rifle that I've decided to use this year - the light weight 30-06. I've practiced the alchemy of reloading to find the perfect load and the accuracy that I need to do the job and then some....... The combination of shell, powder, bullet, and primer has been carefully tested and retested. The last result being the most accurate yet in any shooting position even at 500 yds. I've finished the the final group of loads this evening and they are now safely waiting for the the expedition.
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