We appreciate reaading of other's lives. Ours isn't as busy. The hills are alive with color. We have been enjoying drives thru the hills, walks in our woods, and in the park, collecting leaves, and studying nature. Here is a link to some scans I have done of leaves and natural growth. I will be adding... little by little. EP

Here is a link that might be useful: scans

Ceresone, glad you started this.

You have been busy. I love the idea of the raised beds, but it sounds like too much work to build the beds! So far, I am gardening in the old way and I, too, plan to keep on keeping on.

Loved the scans EP. I started a project last year of trying to identify all the trees on the farm, but couldn't even identify all the oaks from my book. I need a forestry expert I guess. I am not very good with trees.

I spent a couple of hours this morning removing the frosted annuals from some flower beds and it was wonderful to see the moist soil, such a change. DH just told me one of our ponds is totally dry. That is a first since 1991. We really should see about getting it cleaned out now.

I have started refinishing a desk and chair for our daughter. I used to really enjoy that sort of thing, but for some reason, am not this time. Age changes a lot of things......................Got my husband steel wooling it with me and that makes it go so much faster. He is really good at that kind of thing. He has great patience which I lack .

Ceresone, what kind of shredder/grinder do you have? I am really interested in getting one. Do you use it a lot?

Hope others join in.

gld

gld ...we haven't identified all the trees in our woods either. There are so many different kinds of oaks , hickories, and so forth and so many different leaves, compound , simple, smooth , notched, and so forth that I am thinking of scanning the leaves, pressing them, and then later, when there is more time, studying our refs for more specific identities. ceresone..we think raised beds are the way to go with our rocky soil. We have no level earth on our entire property and mowing and weed eating are challenging. We have tried tilling but the rocks keep heaving to the surface so we decided to build gardens instead. We still haven't much room for a kitchen garden but have learned to use the small spaces productively. It is interesting to read of different methods. EP

Great to see this journal back on again. Seems as everyone is busy getting ready for winter. Weather has been just perfect for the past couple of weeks and cool weather vegetables in garden are growing quite well. Have mustard greens, turnips, carrots, beets, shallots and garlic that were started recently. Still have okra and eggplant from the spring planting that are still doing well but should be coming to an end before to very long. Also have tomatoes in containers that have green toms and hope that they ripen before too very long.

Been doing alot of fall cleanup on the property and have been quite busy and still more to go.

Ceresone, I like your layout of the raised beds. You have given alot of thought to how you want it. I have a couple of raised beds that I first built back when "Squarefoot Gardening" first became popular on public tv. My beds quickly went from "one square foot to one square yard" and then to just a raised bed.

EP and gld, good to see the two of you back on and I have the same problems with leaf identification and not too good at furniture restoration.

Later.....

ceresone.. what are you making with the ceramics? I used to enjoy doing that. We are still using Christmas decorations, garden ornaments, and ceramic containers I did over 30 years ago. I go from one thing to another.. give it away.. go on to something else.. After we moved here I had the opportunity to learn Cherokee double wall basket weaving. I've made a basket for just about everybody I know. One year I grew Job's tears and strung the seed for bead necklaces. I have made toys for all the grandchildren. I dry flowers for winter decorations and wreaths. I crochet afgans for the family. They also like crocheted dish clothes. Lots of fun things to do. I have cloth, yarn, and basket reed to use up. Always something to enjoy doing. Partner works on maintaining our property and has built some of our rock walls. Our trees were choked with Virginia creeper when we moved here. We cut it off near the base and killed it with Roundup. We've taken out crowded trees, had some of them trimmed, and it has been a big improvement. Are the 'walking onions' the ones also known as 'tree onions' that get the little bulblets on top? We were given some of those when we first moved here and they have survived all this time. They are also known as perennial onions. I've been told the little bulblets are used in pickles. Do you make pickles? My mother made delicious pickles , relishes, canned fruits and veggies and jams and jellies. We were an Air Force family in 'another life' and didn't have much opportunity to garden until we came here. Have tried a little canning and preserving. I appreciate reading about farm life as my father was an excellent farmer and gardener and mother preserved our foods. We appreciate reading of different ways of life. Ours is very quiet and tranquil. We are surrounded by natural beauty here in the Oklahoma hills. EP

I am up early this Monday morning. We had both kids and families over the weekend. By the time they leave, I am pooped and go to bed very early....as a result, wake very early. We had a wonderful time and the kids love the farm. Our son drove the four grandkids all over on the ATV for two plus hours at a time. They consider it quite an adventure! We had early Thanksgiving dinner Saturday since our son will be at home for his in-laws on the actual holiday.

Our pastures have greened up considerably since our rain and I think pasture will carry the cows for a couple of more months without much hay. However, one pond went completely dry so I need to see about getting a dozer in soon to clean it out before (hopefully) we get spring rains.

The trees aren't showing quite as much color as last year, but it was a glorious weekend, light jackets in the shady areas and a good breeze. I took a long walk (following the ATV) with our daughter and SIL.

I am ready to varnish the desk and chair I am refinishing. I think it is going to look nice. It orginally belonged to my paternal grandmother.

EP, I still can like my mother taught me. I also do garlic and dill pickles, lime pickles, and home-made catsup. My favorite thing, though, is jellies and jams. This year I did strawberry jam, peach, apricot and apple jelly. I just gave our oldest gd 4 jars of apricot and peach. She won't eat it from the stores now....just gramma's. They know how to get to us, don't they?

I have a few gardening chores to complete. I have a basket of lamiums I want to plant around some hostas and hydrangeas as groundcover. I also need to pot up the seedling daylilies before they get too crowded.

We got a very light shower Sat. evening, maybe 1/8 inch. I haven't watched the weather so don't know what is coming this week.
BTW, EP, my dear husband was ready for some quiet and tranquility after the visit! Our house is so quiet with just the two of us, that we really notice it when the kids all come!
Hope you all had a great weekend.

gld