Everyone looks forward to the cooler temperatures and fall leaves. I first notice fall coming by the lack of my favorite birds singing in the early morning hours. Through the summer, my husband and I both love the sound of them waking us up and in the evening before they go to sleep. The sounds and sights of this summer will stay with us through out the winter. We will be saying things like, "Remember those first robins who appeared in the cherry trees out back?" They were with us all summer. Following my husband as he cut the lawn. This last time he cut it, there wasn't even one. That is my first sign.
I have seen the other signs now. Getting dark earlier is one. I see it happening already. So time to get in the mode for fall. Autumn. The one thing I love about it is the pretty colors of the trees once it has started. Another thing is it is the time of the harvest. The time to pick and harvest the food that is growing in your gardens. To preserve it by canning, storing or dehydrating it. The beautiful pumpkins all over the fields waiting to be harvested. I have plans for canning much pumpkin and winter squash. I have more that is growing and isn't mature enough to be picked yet. Soon though.
I will be canning what I have in my garden and some that I already picked and is in the pantry. But I have plans of buying more at local farmers' markets to add to our food supply for winter. I will can more meats but also make stews, soups, chili and some other dishes that I will can so they can be our "fast foods". Sometimes what leads to running to buy a pizza or whatever is the fact that I do not have time to make a big meal from scratch. But if I have these quick meals canned in my jars in the pantry then there is no work involved other than pouring into a pan to heat. Love those fast foods!
Getting the house prepared for our winter job of firewood work. Firewood and kindling stacked and stored, ready to use. Cleaning of the wood stoves, so they are ready to be lit, and warm our house in the cold weather. I will take apart my wood cook stove as soon a I get a brief break from the harvesting and canning, and clean it thoroughly. It is a job I will be grateful I took the time to do when the really cold weather hits. Though we used this stove through out the summer too, not to the extent we will be using it in the winter.
My Jewel Wood Cook Stove
I have plans to try to get into the forest and pick up the pine cones. They are a good fire starter and there are a lot of them. I don't know how well I will be able to gather them this year due to the worsening of my knees. They have gotten to the point that I sometimes need to use my walker. But if I keep active I think they will be tolerable. I have started back on my low carb food plan and already feeling a little better. It is so weird how eating white flour products and anything with sugar makes you feel so bad. Maybe they should outlaw that poison like they do some of the wild medicinal plants instead!
Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
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6 comments:
Hewy Kat! We've been missing you on blog frog! It sounds like you've been pretty busy! I can't imagine doing all that you do. I am too spoiled to modern conveniences, I guess. I do however love the country type living, out away from the sounds of traffic, so I can hear the goats, horses and birds.
God Bless!
PJ
Fall is a beautiful season, and I appreciate it even more after living in Florida for over 5 years. The one thing I don't look forward to is the cold.
Oh my comment didn't go through, attempt # 2. Love the stove and I am now following your lovely blog. Thank you for stopping by for a visit. I love the ideas you share about canning.
It is so interesting and can't be pure coincidence that I chose this post to read today. Not only is autumn/fall my favorite time of the year, but your note about white flour and sugar aggravating your pain really hit home. I keep trying to avoid them too and definitely notice a significant flareup (arthritis and fibromyalgia) when I eat them. Thank you for the reminder that it's not all in my head, but there's really something to it. One of these days I'll get all caught up on reading your other posts. Thanks for sharing!
Kat, I love your new button!!! I wonder if I should make one for my blog?
I love autumn, but I'm not quite ready for it yet. Thinking about your knees, I wonder if the anwer for you is the storekeepers helper, it's a pair of tongs on a long stick, with a thingie you squeez to close the prongs. It would help you to pick up the pinecones. Pinecones make a house look more homey, don't you think?
Mary
marynate.blogspot.com
Thank you Mary! I love pinecones too. The smell of pine is one of my favorites. That is why we like pine needle tea. Makes the house smell homey.
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