Rings around the Moon.

With the nights getting cooler and temperatures dropping in general, we are seeing lots of neat changes; the leaves, the yard and even in the sky. This past Monday night, we went outside to take a look at an enormous ring around the moon. Pretty intense sight and I tried my best to get a picture of it. It ends up that this
ring is a relatively common and is the result of the moonlight being refracted by upper atmospheric ice crystals. These ice crystals dissipate quickly so the rings are often only seen for a short period of time.

With a good stretch of cold nights, the garden is 90% finished for this year. I will have to start ripping out the tomato plants and pepper plants. We've harvested almost 90% of the edible radishes; with Jen's comments that they are starting to get "woody", the rest will come out as well. The only thing left will be the beets and I plan to let them go for another month or so. Once the bottom bed is cleared, I can start building the second retaining wall and replacing the broken garden gate and fence. I am still undecided on replacing the gate with a gate and arbor combination. I guess I will make that decision when I have the time to start it and the money to pay for it. It should only cost about $100 in lumber for everything.

Magnolia Tree Seed Pod (found by Jen)

I received my Seed Savers Exchange seed garlic this week. I am going to try to plant three varieties for our use but also to re-list them in the SSE 2009 yearbook. I have not a clue of what I am doing nor the best place to plant it so this is going to be one big experiment. I hope to have it in the ground this weekend. One potential place for it would be the new planting bed I am getting ready in my front side yard. I would also like to put potatoes, peppers and radishes in this bed in the spring. The only hurdle is that I need about 3 hours to finish getting the bed ready (removing the grass, adding peat and manure, top dressing it with mulch) and I am not feeling it today.

There has been a continuation of the indoor things that are happening to prepare us for winter as well as just finishing up the small started-but-unfinished projects around the house. The list of things started to get a little crazy as you can see from the picture (that is just Sunday's list). Seems that the little things sure add up quick and they also make a mess of vacation; I need a vacation from my vacation. Needless to say, 90% of the work is done, small polishing things left to finish up and we are settled in ready for the winter.

Food Harvested:
Radishes

Things Planted:
Garlic
Transplanted grasses

Seeds Saved:
Daylillies
Jen saved Magnolia...very odd looking.

Preserved/Cooked:
Whole Chicken
Repeat of the lamb shanks

Things to Remember:
1. Tomato seeds to be started inside in Feb
2. Peppers to be started with Tomatoes
3. Peppers will need small cages or support
4. Garlic to be planted in up front bed with potatoes and radishes