... to stave off the frost.

I've never quite understood the difference between "frost" and "freeze." Yes, I know that there may be evidence of frost on rooftops but garden plants near ground level are not killed. Yes, I understand that some plants can withstand 32° , 30° , 28° , even much cold but not typical wintertime overnight temperatures. Still, frost is ice and many sensitive plants are damaged or killed when frost forms on their surface.

And, it doesn't even require that level of cold to kill some plants. And, many plants cease their development, either growth or maturing, several degrees above freezing. Some begin to show a slow slide downhill with persistent cold.

Arid, rather wind-swept, somewhat high country, several hundred miles from saltwater -- this area is still considered part of the Pacific Northwest. One characteristic that I see is the slow slides in temperatures. I suppose that's because there may be thousands of square miles of land to the west, there are many, many more thousands of square miles of ocean, beyond.

Moderating. So, the big daily dives of 40° through this drought plagued summer are somewhat unusual. It can be somewhat common in our dry September afternoons to mornings before rainstorms arrive and while he last acres of grain are being harvested. We are more than a week into October, though.

I've fought off the frost in one garden by running sprinklers on several mornings. The big veggie garden is toast. It was a problem of not being in two places at the same time. Some plants out there were already in bad shape from morning after September morning in the 30's.

I try to watch carefully. There is a school not too far from that garden and their weather station is connected to the Weather Underground. This was about the first year in many that I haven't jumped in the pickup and driven out to turn on sprinklers in the morning darkness.

I haven't been 100% successful at protecting the nearer garden. Frost damage occurred on the perimeter, several days ago. Just not enough water droplets and mist out that far.

There had been clouds over the weekend and t rained, yesterday. I'd hoped for more than the less-than 1/4" but it was welcomed. Snow fell at 5,000 feet. The late afternoon wind must have blown the snow off the trees. It blew much of the moisture away down here. At 4am, the overcast was gone. I don't suppose that there was ever fog ... altho the wind has fortunately stopped. Now, at 5:30, I will get some sprinklers on. I felt so lucky not to find any frost when I checked at 4 but my fingers were moving something other than liquid when I ran them across the top of the pickup 30 minutes later. Yeah, I'd better give the garden about 15 minutes of sprinkler time. Right now!

Got the timer set and I will have the water off and the timer changed to 30 minutes, soon. Then, it will alternate back on for another 15 ... by 7:30, there will be puddles with these sprinklers. But, this is IT! Any colder, any more freezing hours -- it just becomes impossible. Final harvest in final garden is scheduled for this afternoon ...

Steve