This week I give you 13 peeks at Autumn in NH!
All these were taken around my home. Just click on the picture to enlarge it.
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Then I looked around and saw how beautiful it is and the things we are doing to prepare for the winter.
Hubby getting the wood cut, and our golden delicious apple tree.
From my house.
I got out all my canning supplies and packed them in boxes to store over the winter. Autumn is finally upon us and soon the leaves will be at peak color and then with a good wind, the leaves will be on the ground, ushering in the start of winter.
We turned on our heat today for the first time. It’s amazing. October 13 and this is the first time we have needed the heat since last spring!
Oh I do so love Autumn!
I was walking in my yard this morning with Anneliese. As we walked the early morning silence was broken by the sounds of the Loons calling to each other on the lake below. It’s a soft, almost mournful sound that never fails to take my breath away.
I hurried Anneliese along, as I was still in my bathrobe and slippers and came in to start laundry and breakfast. So much to do on a cool, October day.
I looked at my garden and saw that it is nearly time to pull the last of my cucumber, and squash plants, while at the same time finally harvest my butternut squash. Yes, Autumn harvest is upon us.
The leaves are turning various shades of red, gold and orange, as the scenic railroad runs their sight seeing tours along the tracks below our home. It never fails to warm my heart to see the small children with their faces pressed against the glass looking out the window as the train passes by.
I am a lover of the Autumn. When there are fresh apples to eat, fires to be laid in the hearth and a sweater to wear while sipping my cup of hot tea. Life doesn’t get any better than this.
It’s our really busy time of year right now. All the fruit and vegetables are coming in and we must quickly can them. So today was a really busy day for us. I started out by making my Moon Glow pickles. We canned 12 pints! Secretly, I think this is my first really good batch. Not that the others haven’t been tasty, but today I felt the magic in my slotted spoon!
Then Emily came over and we worked on peeling peaches getting them ready for making Heavenly Jam. Hubby and I have been pleased with past batches, but we feel that something isn’t quite right with the recipe. It was his mother’s recipe and she passed away before she could tell us her secret. Maybe this year we can get it just right!
Emily left to go to her soccer practice, and so Hubby helped me peel more peaches so we could make Brandied Peaches! We put up 8 pints of them and I think that will be it for this year.
The Castleton Plums are so sweet and ripe, you could sit down and just eat one after another and probably make yourself seriously sick, but they are so good. Hubby has picked 35 pounds of them and I think tomorrow I will be making plum jam. Of all the jams and jellies we make, I think this is my favorite.
Dinner was a roasted pork loin, zucchini and summer squash and boiled new potatoes. Just as we were finishing up, Em came in and had dessert with us and then she wanted to take the dogs swimming at the beach. I was so tired, but her youthful enthusiasm got to me and soon I was pulling (and tugging and pulling some more) on my swim suit and off we went to the beach.
Four dogs and two people was a bit much, but soon Hubby came down and then I was able to relax and actually swim with the puppies. The first time I have been in the water all year.
When I got out of the water with the dogs they got completely covered with sand and so did I! When we got home Hubby took turns hosing down each dog with water and once they were all done, then I stood there and he got me as well!
Now I am in my pajamas, watching the Red Sox play baseball against the Yankees, and putting my feet up. A long day, but a very good one!
I’m really enjoying my garden. Especially the tomatoes. We have so many and I have played around with things to do to use the tomatoes up before they rot.
I have made real, from scratch, spaghetti sauce. I have sliced the tomatoes, placed fresh basil with olive oil on them and topped this with thinly sliced mozzarella cheese and broiled it. We’ve chopped them and put them into sandwiches. You name it, we have added tomatoes to it.
Am I sick of tomatoes? No. I love them. Especially home grown ones.
The Butternut squash is flourishing! We will have many very large squash to store for the winter. Butternut squash are one of my favorites, so this makes me exceptionally happy!
The corn will be ready to eat in about a week. We probably have 2-3 dozen ears of that.
Hubby had over 200 pounds of peaches from our Reliance Peach tree. Yes a truly banner year for peaches.
Even the cucumbers are doing well. I can see another batch of Moon Glow pickles coming up.
The only thing that hasn’t thrived are the Eggplant, and I suspect that I started them too late. Next year I will start them inside and early. Very early. What I would not give to grow my own eggplant!
Yes, I love this time of year. Harvest time. I love eating the fresh vegetables and it’s about this time of year when I begin to plan my next garden.
Next year I will be doing…
It’s August. In the past I remember Augusts filled with high temperatures and many days spent playing in the surf at the beaches of my childhood.
As I have grown older I see the seasons in a different light. The light of the sunsets. Tonight was a good example. We had the most beautiful sunset. Pink and coral and yellow. The only problem? This really resembles an Autumn sunset, not an August sunset.
I’m actually ready for summer to end and Autumn to come to us. I look forward to the first day I can wear one of my sweaters, or light a fire in our hearth.
Meanwhile, I’ll just keep enjoying the sunsets and watch as the seasons pass us, one by one.
Have you ever opened up your refrigerator and cupboards and discovered that overnight, all the food in your house has disappeared?
That’s what happened this morning to me. I had one egg, some bread and two hungry people. I thought for a moment and remembered freezing some leftover blueberry pancakes a while back, so Hubby’s breakfast was the one egg, and three blueberry pancakes with sausage. I had toast with liver wurst on it.
Then it was time to make up a list and actually go to the shops. The usual things were put on the list. Milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, some vegetables and meats. However this time I also included things to make my Heavenly Jam (Peach) and more Moon Glow pickles.
It was also doggy food stock up time and fill the car with gasoline. For the first time in weeks we paid less than $279.9 for fuel per gallon. The price today $2.69!!!
Yes, it was a good day at the market for the Dackel Princess family.
We then came home and Hubby picked more of our peaches. They are ripening and are beautiful. I wish more people could see and taste them. They are truly awesome!
Tomorrow we will be selling more of our peaches to a woman who will sell them at a local Farmer’s Market. Yes, seeing our product go to Market makes us pretty proud!
It was harvest day here at the Dackel Princess Orchard for our Reliance peaches. Hubby picked 70 pounds of the sweet, ripe, juicy fruit. This first picking will go to local farm stands and merchants.
There are about 4 peaches in a pound! They are that juicy!!!
The next ones to ripen, in a few days, will be the ones I make my jam out of and some brandied peaches. Oh I sure do love peach season!
We made our first batch of Moon Glow pickles yesterday. I had previously cut up and set to soak the 6 quarts of pickling cucumbers, and yesterday we decided to do the actual cooking and canning of the batch.
I measured out the vinegar and spices and simmered it until the cucumbers were done. By then the canning jars were sterilized and we got down to work.
I already have another group of cucumbers that will be ready for pickling early next week. Suddenly, with a little bit of rain, the cucumbers and squash are growing like crazy!