When I started this post, there were literally only a few hours left of summer. It is now the first day of autumn. I need to burn a candle. I decorated for fall last week, seemed early but didn’t feel early. Still not ready for Hocus Pocus or Practical Magic.

August was a blur, so was most of September for that matter. I feel like I now have my head above water, “my list” is  shrinking by the day. It is such a good feeling…

I was going to name this post, F You Aphids… All six of my beautiful brussels are covered with the little bastards.  How do you compete with something that sticks to the leaf, reproduces asexually and has a million babies…?

Other than that, things are good.

Wags, Mrs. Wags, Becca and Bove.

(My mother likes to know who’s in pictures…)

Pants and Frank.

Care package for some of my favorites…

I made concord grape jam! It was fantastic, it made me want to make sourdough bread. I sent the only jar to my pops. (Of course before I took a picture.)

The people who get my house are going to love it…. The grape vine will most likely collapse the garage in another five years, they will be able to make kickass jam until then.

I love pattypan squash, I will grow them always.

How did I ever not love onions…? Since the ones I grew this year are mostly the size of golf balls, I have been throwing them into whatever onion-loving dish whole. Pure heaven after two hours in a dutch oven.

I have made a root cellar out of a rubbermaid tote and four bags of sand.

Thank goodness, that’s a shit-ton of beets.

I learned this year that watermelon plants can not dry out, if they do, the flowers dry up and NEVER come back.

I got these two beauties though.

My favorite Mr. turned 40 since last we chatted. I had every intention of writing a post for him that day, we did this instead.

Good birthday party group…

Kristy, Andee and Melissa

Rudy, Mike (J’s cousin) Kristy (Mike).

Matt (legs), Becca, Michelle, J, Dante (Michelle).

I get a handful of these gems every morning. They are big and perfect and remind me of the ones we used to pick off Marie’s bushes on the way to and from the swimming pool when we were kids.

Good times…

Ha! My carrots might be a bit more on the less fruitful side. I didn’t thin them like I should have. They still taste like heaven.

These are my favorite tomatoes. I will always grow them. I say that every year.

Ground cherries are a hit! I’m going to make jam as soon as they all have fallen. They’re still going strong.

My habaneros are the most beautiful color this year. They are a deep, deep orange, almost red.

We tried to view the northern lights… no go.  The moon was too bright and the clouds rolled in.

Looks like the old westerns that were filmed during the day with a dark filter.

I learned an important zen lesson during this picture.

I have mastered blanching kale… I would have left it up since its fine in the cold but those aphids were traveling over from the brussels.

Throw a metal colander in a canning pot, strain the water off after two minutes in a salad spinner and freeze. wa la

Happy first day of Autumn, Loves!!

It’s going to be a great fall… New beginnings are so refreshing.