Ending the year in the garden

So, on October 28, I wandered out into the garden to see what was left.   We have had some rain in the last few weeks, so the peppers perked up, and I was able to pick some nice-sized ones.  I don't usually have any pest problems with peppers, so all they got this year was some mulch, and some fertilizer.  The tomatoes are still green, so I blended some this week and put them into chili, no one is the wiser.  I kept a few out to let turn red, but I think they get mushy.    Look at these beauties.

 We believe in recycling here, so here is some sun energy recycling happening at our house.  If you looked behind the barn, you'd think we were getting ready for armageddon, about 4 big trees have become more useful in their death by keeping my family warm in the cold months. 

 We just had a big Chinese elm cut down in the front yard, and obviously, none too soon.  This is the first big chunk of trunk coming from the bottom.  This sucker was ready to fall.  I kept some hollowed out branch pieces to use for compostable flower pots next year. We had the tree guy cut the tree, mulch up the junky branches and twigs, and leave us the rest.  Bill cuts everything to useable size, and we all get to work on upper body strength hauling it to the wood pile. 

 THEN,  ta da!  The new burr oak has appeared.  That's one of my coerced yard workers, "College Boy" as I like to call him.  He and his friend, Big Ben, (7' tall) came and helped me drag this sucker out of the trailer and into the 30" deep , x 5 ft. wide hole that I dug in the front yard.   I hope it grows and gives us many years of shade, and keeps the squirrel population fed for many generations.

 This is one of my favorite shrubs in the front yard.  It's called Beauty Bush.  It sits there all summer, and you wait for something to happen, then about late summer, it flowers and then gets covered in all these beautiful purple berries. It's a native plant, so grows like crazy here.   I have it right along the sidewalk for the walkers' viewing pleasure.  I have cut back most of the perennials in the yard, and have been planning changes for next year. 

When the tree stump guy came to grind up the elm tree stump, he made a deal with me I couldn't refuse.  He will bring me truckloads of stump grindings and dump them in the back yard.  He saves cash not having to take it to the dump.  I get all the mulch I can use.  FREE,  folks.    See if you can make a deal like that with someone in your area.    I moved a truckload BY MYSELF the other day.  I got some biceps, baby!!

 A lot of people start planting bulbs about now, but we have a high squirrel population around here, and I generally don't bother with the bulbs.    They look too much like a big box of popcorn, extra butter to the animals here.

Oh, the dogs have been howling several nights this week.  We have discovered a raccoon the size of the Titanic has been trying to eat through our garage door to get to the dog food.  We may start using Robbie's airsoft gun to discourage him.  

I have more to talk about, but gotta run.

Think about how you can get your neighbor to rake his leaves and leave them close to your yard so you don't have to work so hard to get them to your compost heap.   

Dianne,   dirt and all.