Happy Fall Y’all: September Update

I still share my garden with unsavory company and I am still pregnant. But the weather flipped a switch, just as it did from Spring to Summer. Fall is thick in the air. We haven’t had frosts in our favorably warm microclimate, yet, but the crisp bite dialing down the temperatures of sunny days is trademark High Desert Fall. A little freeze and fry to say goodbye to the steady summer swelter.

The change was so abrupt the trees are primarily blissfully unaware their impending change is due to come, now. They haven’t seemed to notice we’ve busted out layers for ‘sweater weather’.

Despite fall being officially here this week, the garden is still producing. With the waning light, it has slowed down and certain plants have given up the ghost, like my brown cucumber plants and yellowing green bean plants. When we walk in, the rows still bounce with tiny frogs dodging for cover. Everything is still so vibrant, it is hard to believe I need to be clearing space for the winter gardening season.

Actually, I am behind on getting it planted. I had so wanted to plant late season carrots of a cold weather hardy variety I picked out this spring. I will still plant them and see, but I have a feeling I should have had them in the last week of august. I’ve been neglectful of the garden with how hot it has been, how many appointments I have every week, and how cumbersome it is for me to navigate and work in the garden.

With the impending home birth of our baby girl, I’ve been tracking down everything on the midwife’s list and getting it all washed up and ready for whenever she decides to come. Now that I have enough of the baby stuff squared away, I feel like it is time to put the garden in order.

I’ve tried planting successions of beets, lettuce, kale, spinach, radish, carrots, and have had very little luck with any of it making it or actually doing anything if it doesn’t get nipped off by rats or mice or whatever else. They seem to have a special affinity for kale, so we have sadly done without it this summer but I refuse to go without all winter as it thrives here in a high tunnel. My plan is to plant the seeds and then use a small tunnel system to keep them netted. I will have to be very thorough in securing it.

The beautiful artichoke I let bloom for future seeds ended up getting chopped and dropped. Something ate at the primary roots at the surface and fell the massive stalk, so the glory of the artichoke bloom won’t reach full glory… or supply us with seeds next year! Eggplants in a greenhouse turn out to be rather prolific here. Unfortunately, we aren’t really fans of eggplant, but I did roast and vacuum seal about 8 cups of it chopped and cooked for adding into spaghetti this winter. Maybe we won’t notice it, haha! I also vacuum-sealed 13 bags of shredded zucchini for adding to savory meals, muffins, and quinoa or turkey fritters! If the frosts hold off I may get to add more to the freezer yet. I’ve been freezing whole tomatoes in gallon bags and basil chopped with oil in 2tbs portions bagged in the freezer too.

I am really glad that I didn’t have a bigger garden, it would have been a waste since I can only devote so much time and energy to preserving food when I have a baby that could arrive literally anytime during high harvest/preserving season. It has been just enough to have a little extra but not feel guilty about too much going to waste.

On September 18th, we had a baby celebration at the ranch. The theme was ‘Big Rock in the Fall with a Rainbow’. We made candles by rolling sheets of beeswax to light as ‘Labor Lights’ when she decides to come. We also painted little banners to hang over her crib. I made chili using ground beef from George(the steer we slaughtered in June) and our own tomato sauce and green peppers. I also made my Cordelia Sourdough, and gluten-free banana muffins with strawberry pink frosting. We also had other yummy foods and desserts prepared by my many mothers!

On and off rain and wind led up to the afternoon, so it was quite a beautiful evening to have the fire lit and the desert-scape bright from the little hydration it had received.

There is finally enough of a nip in the air to inspire me to have yarn in my hands again! My friend, who is due with her second a month after me, and I found a sock pattern to do together. I made my very first sock! The second is almost done. I am also working on making a newborn cocoon for her which will be very cozy and double as her Hungry Caterpillar Halloween costume. Both projects are made from really lovely superwash wool.

Here is the baby sock pattern and the Hungry Caterpillar costume pattern.

I’ve felt quite sturdy and at home in the saddle but riding at 37.5 weeks was a different story. My time in the saddle is done until after the baby. I felt like a sack of bones attached together with bungees, at the walk. Nathaniel had to give me a significant amount of asssiatance getting down, onto the mounting block.

I feel so grateful for all the rides I did get during this pregnancy and I know I will feel more confident getting back in the saddle, where I need to be to stay grounded, postpartum. I know I will mentally have a lot of fear and anxiety riding once I have a newborn that is nutritionally entirely dependent on me for the next six months. It will also be a whole new home life to balance to even get chances to ride.

I imagine the next post/newsletter will be after our daughter arrives. As soon as I finish this sock, she can come! Although I do feel greedy in wanting to finish the cocoon first too. Not that whatever force deciding when she comes cares about my crochet projects.