i've run out of excuses, reasons and justifications...

if it weren't for my unexpected fore site in pre-uploading all the nativity posts last December, my blog would be sparse, indeed!

with the arrival of a frost this morning (and right on time, according to our preacher) the garden can almost be declared officially done.

however, the work cannot quite be declared done.

but we're getting there.

there are still plants, row covers and bulbs to pull and store or compost.

we still need to plant garlic.

and the high tunnel needs to be cleaned out, tilled and re-planted. as do the cold frames.

we still need to dig potatoes- white and sweet.

there are still peppers to process.

and a few scraggly chickens to butcher. (the old laying hens are not earning their keep- by any stretch of the imagination. and the new flock is still some weeks away from beginning to lay.)

and turkeys to butcher on the 23 of November. (fresh turkey for Thanksgiving, anyone? )

and don't forget the 2 pigs. they will be ready to butcher in December.

but the pace is definitely slowing down.

there is time to snuggle with the girls in the morning, time to linger over coffee, time to read books and wander to the playground. even time to clean and do laundry!

i, for one, am glad for the slower pace. it was a full and busy summer- and we sure learned alot! at our peak, we had 7 families for our CSA. i also was a grower/seller for the weekly farmer's market, and did tolerably well there, also. we sold over 120 chickens, with 7 turkeys pre-ordered for Thanksgiving.

it was about late July/early August that the garden reached its peak, and it truly took all 8 families to keep up with the relentless produce! there were days and weeks in a row where i was overwhelmed with all the produce to freeze or can for our family.

but our pantry and freezers are full, and despite the hard work that never seemed to end, we plan to continue and expand for next year.

this winter will be spend reading, researching and planning. we have lots of resources lined up, and even though i was just as weary as every one else, I'm looking forward with anticipation and growing excitement to next year's growing season.

i guess you can say I've officially got the disease.

farming !