Cooler

Sunday 26th October

An early morning call from Alvin has me rising at 7-30am.

It's a cool start to the day.................

........but forecast to warm up later. Having said that, I think the balmy days of Summer are well behind us, BBQing will probably be over for this year.
I straighten up the sagging woodpile...................

.......and bring a little into the garage just in case.
This is Oklahoma, "Expect the Unexpected". You can be wearing shorts and sleeveless shirt in the morning, jeans and woolly sweater in the afternoon.
In Plot 1 the first few of the new Winter Onion bulbs I planted a couple of weeks ago.........

... ..are peeping through the straw mulch. Most of those I planted seem to be coming up.
Plot 2 and the Brussel Sprout plants...............

......seem to be enjoying this cooler spell.
Grasshopper damage.............

.......is a nuisance but the colder weather should see these pests off soon.
Plot 3 Yolo Bell Peppers are still growing but are reducing in size.
The size of the main plant stem.....................

......is quite impressive. These were as thin as matchsticks when I first planted them, I was afraid the breezes would snap them in two.
Plot 5 has also had Grasshopper activity but things still seem to be growing well.

The Swiss Chard has more than made up for the amount I harvested the other week. These plants look really healthy and have surprisingly little insect damage.

This cabbage has the start of a head forming.
It seems I failed to get all the potatoes out of here when I dug this plot over.
Here's one that got away and is making a comeback. It's not in the way so I'll leave it to it's own devices and see what happens.
Plot 6. My once tidy, erect and nicely pruned Tomato plants are now a tangled mess. It really looks untidy but I still keep picking the occasional fruit.

The African Blue Basil companion plants are covered with Honey Bees so everything is staying in place, no matter how it looks. The welfare of these tiny, busy little insects is far more important to me than a tidy looking plot.
The basil from the vase on the dining room table is still growing at the front of the house.

This too is a popular Honey Bee stopping off point.
Some of our trees have already lost their leaves.............

.......strong winds helping them on their way.
The Persimmons may be lacking in foliage..........................

............but not in fruit.

These will sustain many wild birds through the winter. I gather up some which fall and put them in with the compost. But I always ensure that the majority is left for those who need it more.
The hedgerow at the back of our property..............

.......is now starting to take on a browner and thinner look.
Our flag reveals....................

....that the wind is now blowing from the North. A sign of colder weather to come, perhaps?
Maybe I should order more firewood.