October days

Well, that lovely month just flew by! We've been busy with our barn project (photos to come soon), so we spent lots of days outside in the waning sun watching the leaves change.

We've noticed so many caterpillars inching their way through the yard, presumably searching for our mythic basement "where all insects go to die." We're making an official prediction here at 1.7 that we'll have a drier and milder winter than usual. It's all very scientific...based on the width of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar's orange stripe.

There was mushroom hunting as well. I was tickled watching Ole search through the woods with a mushroom ID book tucked under his arm. This beaut is some sort of Russula, maybe. I feel pretty safe letting him pick mushrooms as the chance of him eating one are truly nil--you can see it on his face.

I trudged out to the garden in rain and gathered one last harvest, enough to put up a batch of salsa and enjoy carrot sticks all week.

And then there was Halloween. We carved a few homegrown pumpkins and enjoyed a bit of trick-or-treating.

After a giant rainstorm. That fellow on the right sure has a good attitude!

This fall weather has me reminiscing about our trip to Turkey four years ago this October. Of the many great memories are the smells and tastes of their cuisine. Apple tea is the customary drink hosts or shop owners offer to guests in Turkey, so I've been including tea with Ole's afternoon snack on cold days in lieu of hot cocoa. In addition to apple tea, he's sampled Good Earth, ginger-green, peppermint, and that delicious Aveda blend so far. As we toasted the other day, he tried to pronounce a new word.

 

 

 Salud!

Punkins

We harvested the pumpkins last week, taking advantage of a long string of nice sunny October days. I saved and planted seeds from last year's best pumpkins, and in addition to great classic pumpkins, we ended up with a few funky zucchini/pumpkin hybrids. So we learned a lesson in cross pollination, which is apparently common in squash, pumpkins, and gourds.

 

And then it was more fall fun with a visit to Bi-Zi Farms with Ole's preschool class. He had his first ride in a school bus and a fun morning in the hay bale maze, petting zoo, straw bale pyramid, and shuffling around a muddy field choosing his own pumpkin ("The child must be able to carry their own pumpkin!" shouted a farm employee. Apparently lots of parents must be scamming their kids into choosing the biggest pumpkins or something.)

Ole and the corn stalk.

Three-year-olds and a random hand.

Ole braving the tunnels. I offered to go with him, then chickened out when I saw how cramped they were. Instead, I ran around to the other side each time and called to him.



The loneliest boy on the pyramid.

 

Happy October!

All this pumpkin fun has us in the mood for fall and Halloween. Ole's still deciding on his costume choice, wavering daily between robot, pumpkin and tiger.

 

Closer to home

Fall is officially here and I've been busy this week putting up our harvest of apples, sweet corn, and so so many tomatoes. It's always a big undertaking, but there they sit on the kitchen counter staring at me, awaiting their turn. Clearly the pressure is getting to me!

Oh, how I love my apple peeler corer slicer!

Unhusked tomatillos destined for a big batch of salsa verde.

My first time growing cannellini beans. After shucking, I gave them a few hours in the food dehydrator to be sure they're ready for the long haul. I think they're so pretty, they may not ever get eaten.

One of our hens hatched a baby chick a while back and we set them up with their own little coop near the house. It has been fun seeing it grow and interact with mama. Plus, with the hen raising it, we have less work! I noticed the other evening that the hen was roosting about 4 feet off the ground outside the coop, so I started looking for her chick. I looked in, under, and all around the coop beginning to worry. Then I spotted it. Aww!

Ole started preschool again this fall, surely a relief for both of us. He has enjoyed it right from the start.

And more than a month after Ole's birthday, the balloons are still floating in the sun room. It just seems joyless to slash them, but when the heck are they going to sink?

South Beach

We capped off a wonderful summer with a camping trip to South Beach State Park on the coast near Newport. We've been camping nearly annually with this same group of friends since the 90's and long ago we dubbed it EcoVillage. It has changed over the years to include our growing families, but at its core, it's about gathering around the campfire, drinking beer, and laughing. Ole biked, rode his scooter, ran around, and had such a fun time playing with all the kids.

Being three: A study in two photos

Growing like crazy

There have been some early mornings here at One Point Seven lately as I try to fit in garden work before the hot summer sun and the wandering boy make it impossible. This morning I jolted awake before 6 wondering aloud if I'd left the sprinkler running all night. One trip out to the garden in my pajamas later...no, it was off. It's lovely out there early, though, and worth the extra effort it takes to get up early. Plus those green beans aren't going to pick themselves.

Sunrise! Do they have one of these every morning?

Bean pride.

Then I put my new pressure canner to work, putting up many jars of green beans. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of plain canned green beans, but I'm willing to change.

Dilly beans are more my style.

My little green bean is growing like crazy, too, turning three this month. We celebrated with a pizza party on Sunday at the pub. I somehow managed to not take one decent photo at his party (I think there was frosting on my lens!), but he had a great time. He was showered with lots of fun new toys and felt the love of his friends and family...success!

Opening gifts with the help of his buddy Wes.

The bean bag toss game I made in a fit of craftiness.

His first razor scooter ride on birthday morning.

Happy birthday, buddy! 



 

Ride, Baby, Ride!

With his prowess on the balance bike, Alex and I predicted last year that our little guy would be riding a big boy bike this summer, even though he's not yet 3. Well, we tried removing the training wheels this week and we were blown away--he rode across the yard on his very first try!

We clapped! We cheered! After a few more rides in the grass and on the driveway, he seemed pretty squared away. But he woke up the next morning and exercised another new skill, "I'm not going to ride that bike," he said, "put the training wheels back on." So now we're in bike limbo, trying not to push, but eager for awesome family bike rides. Maybe our three year old will be less fickle!