The last of my summer visitors has gone home. Yesterday Megan’s family had the tour then packed her into the car and off she went. I have been so lucky with my summer visitors this year. You met them all – some have become and will remain very good friends.
So now it is only Hugo and I for a while, we have visitors coming during the Autumn months but no more workers which is just as well because Hugo and I can easily cover the last of the work together and the food that I plant and freeze for our summer volunteers is about all gone. The gardens are almost bare.
The weather is so mild and lovely, and will be for a few weeks yet, so I hope to be able to harvest the last of the tomatoes, there will be no green ones hanging on the vines this year. By the time winter comes Hugo and I will have the whole farm, both barns and all the gardens tidied and squared away ready for the cold.
The Plonkers are getting fat, laying about in the late summer sunshine, Sheila and Poppy have been let out into the field again, Sheila took being locked in very hard and would not go to the toilet until I let her out, so my hand was forced really. I hope they have calmed down enough to stay in their own field but who knows. The chooks are wandering about doing what chooks do. 
Today we are working on the compost piles, and the wood heap and giving the West Barn it’s weekly clean up. Megan helped plant new trees in the Fellowship Forest and these need watering so this will be on our list until the freeze. In this environment it is a good idea to have a new tree well watered for when the freeze finally comes, this (and the mulch) helps insulate the roots against temperature fluctuations. I need to keep thinking ahead to the winter now so I am prepared – in case it is another bad one.
Life is all about preparation isn’t. It is a good thing to be well prepared then we can handle any surprises with a certain amount of grace. I hate Chasing the ball, I prefer to be be Holding it, preferably tucked under my arm like a fat hen.
Almost time to start filling my bird feeder again.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
38 responses to “The Last of the Summer People”
This autumn is going quickly, time for settling in and preparing for the cold. I hope this winter doesn’t hit you too hard Miss C.
I hope so too Deb.. but I always prepare for the worst.. that way there are no nasty surprises.. c
Much better to have the ball in hand than chasing after it! I love the balance of your days.
“It is a good thing to be well prepared then we can handle any surprises with a certain amount of grace. I hate Chasing the ball, I prefer to be be Holding it, preferably tucked under my arm like a fat hen.” I ❤ you and your lovely disposition. You bring peace and inspiration to my mornings. Thank you!
Oh Kim what a lovely thing to say.. thank you.. c
I’m going through my to do list as well. It’s part of fall and the rhythm of the seasons. Hope your plans go smoothly so everyone and everything is snug for the brrr winter.
If your gardens are nearly empty, do you have your freezer full for winter? I enjoy hearing about how you don’t need to go to the grocery store very often wish I had the room for more garden boxes where I am . Enjoy your day
No, putting up vegetables this summer was such a disaster – even my beans let me down – all that rain out me so far behind that really I only grew enough to eat.very well though – . next year i will grow more and hope for a better start.. we basically lost about 6 weeks of food due to the incessant flooding.. c
We are enjoying some warmth for a few days anyway. Supposed to be 80 degrees today. Is this Indian Summer we were hoping for? Guess so. Oh I hope Sheila didn’t get constipated!
Nope! Everything was in working order as she was very fast to show me! c
Sheila has a character all of her own and she knows how to use it ( are you sure that she is a pig and not a human in disguise)
We have had a few wicked days of 37*C(98F) hot sunshine and no rain – melting here 😦 Harvest done and the rhythm of autumn running along, I hope the coming winter on the farmy isn’t going to be bad. Laura
Sounds like a lovely quiet and refreshing day on the farm — Enjoy! ~ Mame 🙂
Your winter-thoughts give me the feeling of a farewell situation: The bare fields – what a difference. The stockpiling, the cleaning, insulating, all that preparing is kind of saying good bye. Do we ever welcome winter? – Except the ski freaks of course…
Just three but beautiful pics today and all with a deep meaning…. – I very much like your bird feeder! It’s a beautiful one.
Were you a Girl Guide? I’m so glad you are well prepared. The weather has a nasty habit of springing surprises on us.
love,
ViV xox
I was never a Girl Guide – mores the pity – I bet i could have used much of what they learn.. c
The days do all seem to go rather quickly 🙂
We must be getting old Mad!! c
I think so – if only I could have a nice barn and some hay 😉
Oh my, that does sound nice. And Shelia to cuddle up with.
Ha ha – yes!
I find this is the busiest time of the year. As you say, being prepared for winter is top of the list. getting the old out of the ground, planting things like garlic ready for next year. I know the more I do now, the more I clean up/clear out, the easier my spring will be! But so much to do and so little time LOL Green house and Shed to clean, chicken hut to get ready for winter. Old veggies to dig up (tomatoes, oh how I am going to miss the tomatoes!). I even planted 220 daffodil bulbs in my front garden. Wish I had some helping visitors like you!
Daffodils! Thank you for the reminder – yes! c
May the winter be long in coming and sppn tp pass!
I need to get my fingers sorted! I;ll try again. May the winter be long in coming and soon to pass!
Hmm… ball tucked under your arm like a fat hen or an All Black’s rugby player making ground towards the try line 🙂 I hate playing catch-up as it always seems to take longer, cost more than playing to the few steps in front of me with my eye to the longer term.
It’s great that you’ve had a lovely people summer, the food cupboards bare and now the ‘after party’ clean up to do! It’s a wonderful way to really share the Farmy’s ideology.