Dressed to Impress

Fall is rolling in fast. Even though today (Tuesday), by the numbers, was warm, it didn’t feel like summer. Not at all. At 80 degrees, it still felt like autumn. Maybe it was the assist of the hazy, smoky sky blocking out the suns additions. Maybe it’s the shortened days, where even though we get that high, it’s only a tease before the sun hits the horizon on almost due West.

It might be the changing of the trees that has started here breaking up any illusion of a second summer. For better or for worse, I keep seeing the vibrant oranges and reds of the changing tree colors and think of the skies recently over San Fransisco. It brings me no comfort or meaningful analogy to have this similarity be so piercing in my mind. Maybe I should not glance at the news, but only at trees. It does bring me a sense of feeling lucky if not guilty. The orange here is where it should be. The orange here is normal. One that is the harbinger of the end, but only of a season. The apocalypse of summer, but nothing else. One that is a reminder of what should remain normal if we try.

I predict that the tree colors will be dressed to impress this season. As amazing as they want to be, and for no one. We’re just lucky enough to be around when they do.

This week will be some of our last weeding. We might have one more round of salad and spinach to weed, but depending on the weather, we might not. Shallots and onions are all prepped for the coming markets. We have yet to wash up the winter squash that is curing in the greenhouse. That will be a project for next week I reckon and we’ll start brining it to market then. I need to make a hike around the farm and make a big fall to-do list. The projects need to be lined up, if for no other reason than to temporarily feel like it can all get done. The fix it list too. After a season of running well and hard, all the machines need a little tune up.

As the season changes, so do the people making the daily rounds for the work here! This is the last week for Natalie on the farm. Natalie came on as a late addition and I’ve been lucky to have her here for the summer! She’ll be moving on to work for Reading Corp helping Minneapolis elementary students learn reading comprehension skills. That sounds like meaningful gig to have. Good luck Natalie!! And Thank You!!

Mar, Molly, Chris and I will carry on for another month or so before we go firmly into winter mode and then it’ll be mostly veggies out of storage.

But we’re not quite there yet. The leaves have yet to really change and shed. We’ll keep this train going a little longer.