Autumn is here!

Anyone else feel surprised by the weather shift this year? I thought I would be ready for it, but I was left shaking my head and wearing birkenstocks- another summer gone by.

This summer has been very busy work-wise, although very enjoyable! I haven't got to do all of the canning I'd like to though- when I get a few free hours, going out and picking raspberries is no longer sounding as relaxing as it once did.

My garden did fairly well this year- I had a good harvest of potatoes, and the small experimental things I planted very fairly productive- a jalepeno plant, a green pepper, and an eggplant. Growing bush beans for the first time went well, and I have a fall crop that should hopefully carry through. Carrots did surprisingly well this year, and again, I should have a lot to pick in another couple of days and then a fall/winter crop too. It was a weird year for tomatoes overall. Onions too- all the onions I started indoors did NOT do well. I'm thinking I'll go with onion sets this year, and not start onions from seed.

I have gotten to freeze some of the goodies from my garden: bell peppers, jalepenos, corn (can't take credit for growing that!), raspberries, green beans. I'd like to put up some more corn and some more bell peppers- I see a lot of vegetable stir-frys in our future!

I would still like to can sliced peaches, freeze some more raspberries, pick apples and can some applesauce. Maybe next year will be the year for a pressure canner?

I'm trying to enjoy the weather while its still warm(ish). 13 mile bike ride yesterday, Band Alumni event this weekend, Country Living Fair, hopefully some biking and outside maintenance next week. Soon it will be time to put away the sandals for the year.