Change in Weather

We had our first hard frost the last week in October.  That  brought with it some extra work.  I harvested the last of the green beans and peppers.  I didn't plant a fall crop this year so all I had to do was get in the last of the summer veggies.  I will still have the watercress that grows wild in the stream for salads.  It adds a wonderful peppery taste to dishes, almost like radishes only not as harsh.

I had one of my hens go "broody".  She is setting on 6 eggs but after candeling them it looks like there are only 3 eggs with chicks in them.  Anyway I had to clean the coop, seperate the hen setting on the eggs and finish the chicken yard.  Normally I have a section of land about the size of a football field fenced with 8' high deer fence.  In this area I have some fruit trees, my garden(with a smaller fence around it), and the chickens who free range.  But in the winter time the Bald Eagles like to nest in this area and when the fishing is no good on the river they start eye-balling my chickens, as do the Chicken Hawks.  So, Steve and I found a lightweight netting to drape over the top of a yard we made for the chickens to keep them from becoming lunch.

Once that was finished,  I had to start looking for a formal dress for Grace.  She plays the harp and is involved with a harp ensemble called String of Pearls.  They are performing two concerts in December and a recital for parents and relatives.  Not only that the film she is involved in premiers in December or January and she has to have a dress to wear.  Anyway,  we went looking and she is at that age where it is hard to find annything.  It's either too little girlish or too grown up.  It has to be tea length or longer because of how she holds the harp.  Well, after looking all over town we went to the fabric stores to see if we could make something.  We didn't have much luck.  When I started getting winter clothes out and putting summer clothes away  I found a dress that both of her older sisters wore when they were about her age.  It fit the bill but it was all black (which I think looks very chic but she thinks looks depressing).  Anyway,  after some minor alterations and showing her some colorful embelishments we could add she liked it.  (When I do this project I will take pictures and post.)

We have also done some deep cleaning.  Like moving furniture and cleaning under everything etc.  I like having everything clean and neat for the holidays. 

Even though I haven't posted in a while I have been able to find time to read your posts and have enjoyed them all.