October 22
Full up is how Paige says the cows have gotten their fill. To be full up is a blessed thing, implying nourishment, satisfaction, and preparedness. The silos are well on their way to being full up with corn and grass. The barn and greenhouses have been full up with curing storage vegetables, and soon the basement will, in it's turn, be full up with the squash, onions, and sweet potatoes we are so happy to have. The freezers are full up with meat, berries, and tomatoes. The world seems full up with this lovely, mild fall we are having. Our chickens are still, thankfully, full up with eggs and great enthusiasm for laying them. I am full up with baby. Andy and I are full up with anticipation of his arrival, and all its accompanying unknowable details. We are full up with this year's season and pleasure already in its bounty. That bounty which will carry us through the winter.
Shuffling our storage vegetables before the freeze we'll have before the week is out is one of the last of this season's tasks. The moment I write this I know it's not true. There is still digging the beets, carrots and celeriac from the garden, continuing to market all storage vegetables, shoring up the greenhouses for our winter pigs, continuing to shore up our own home, and, of course, the ever present yogurt making. And then what stands, for me, as the true symbol of a season's end: the planting of the garlic. We'd like to accomplish all of these things, and go to the final Lincolnville Farmer's Market this coming Saturday, before this baby joins us in the air and light of the world outside the womb. However, we're prepared to roll with whatever comes our way. We've had some practice along those lines, what with all sorts of plants and animals demanding our ever nimble efforts and attention on the daily.
There are photographs here in relatively chronological order, starting from the beginning of September. This is always my best beloved time of year and this year's season is a particularly dear time of my own life. The following collection of pictures is my over zealous documentation of it all.
October 31
I wrote the above a week ago and again, didn't publish in a timely fashion. So since writing the above bit we had our final farmer's market in Lincolnville. I will miss Saturday mornings in the center, delicious baked goods from Rose, coffee made by Mike, Sheila holding down the library, and the company of all the other regulars who we depended on to keep the market going. Thank you all!
The vegetable shuffling has happened, we've experienced a few hard frosts, and are working on getting the last of the storage crops out of the ground: carrots are washed and bagged, leaving the walk in cooler with a lovely carroty smell, and the beets and celeriac are still hanging in the ever colder ground. We're still rolling in kale and are newly rolling in brussels sprouts. Ive been breaking ice on the chicken's water for the past few mornings. And so the cold takes hold.
My due date came and went yesterday and I am still mondo pregnant, which is a new favorite term for my current state. My current state is not my favorite state, but I'm happy to carry this babe for a little longer yet. November is a good month to be born. Its a good month to wrap up, nest, hunker down, continue the day to day goings on of our wee farm operation. I do find myself missing our summer abundance of creatures! But we'll soon have our own babe, and a mess of piglets to keep us quite busy this winter. So I'll savor the quiet of this Hallow's Eve night and wait patiently for November and all the cozy bustle it will bring.
Matt & Andy. These guys have worked so hard this season.
So much onion love.
Help in the garden from dear friends.
Last photo of our summer pigs. Sincere gratitude to them for carrying us through the winter.
Are cows and apples not the most lovely combination?
swollen stream.
defunct.
functional. and dreamy, eh?
last of summer's lusciousness.
And the beginning of what falls gives us: Squash upon squash.
Truckloads. (Just a couple).
Lincolnville, we'll miss you!
Wall of wood. Thanks to many hours from Andy and our dear from Ben.
The green house wears fall well.
Echinacea going strong. Bumbles getting the last of the good stuff.
Lovely Two Loons Farm from the heifer pasture.
Photo credit: Scott Frame
Kathy & Scott visit!
38 weeks worth of baby. Looks smaller than it really is.
In honor of Maine Apple Day and old & new friends.
Last photo of the chickens on pasture.
Hard frost & chickens in their new spot under the apple tree.