I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.
John Burroughs

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

The old, the new, and the growing...

 August 19, 2025

This is the old picnic table outside the back door, near the well top, my go-to spot for cleaning vegetables, re-potting plants etc. It is a firm, flat surface at working height, for any outside chore that needs doing.

It is pretty weathered and rickety, with rotten spots here and there. So...

Hubby has built a new one to replace it out of lumber he milled from a cedar tree from our property. It is in the process of being stained and weather-proofed. I think I'll have to cover it whenever I have a chore to do on it. It would be a shame to mess up that beauty!

Some corn got processed for the freezer, and I plan on picking up a few more dozen. Setting up my cutting boards as a splatter screen worked beautifully, and kept the mess contained. 

These fellows were hiding. There is always one or two that get away.


Thinnings from my fall greens patch. 

They are coming along nicely, are secure in their screened enclosure and are loving the cooler temperatures we are having at present.

 A cool front moved in Sunday, pushing out the heat and humidity, and brought a dribble of rain with it, but the rain didn't do much more than temporarily lay the dust. The overnight temperature dropped to 7C (45F) Monday night, the coolest overnight for quite a while. Although nights are now cool, it is a treat to have warm, sunny days with no humidity. 

The on-going drought is causing trees to colour prematurely, and drop their leaves, especially noticeable in areas where the soil is thin over bedrock.

A Buttercup squash.

Finally, I am seeing some Butternut squash growing. They always seem to be the last to show themselves.
A visitor to the zinnias.

6 comments:

  1. I think you are right about it not likely being the most glorious fall colour this year, but your garden has been prodigious. The weather change has been a wonderful. We did get more rain today in the west Ottawa region.

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    1. Just under 3/16th of an inch over yesterday and last night. We could use a lot more, but the cool down is welcome.

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  2. The picnic table is a double wow! It's beautifully handmade plus it's made from home milled cedar. Nice to see your garden doing well.

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    1. I'll be hesitant to use the table! He is a handy guy, like someone I think you know!!
      The garden is doing well this year. Just battling some powdery mildew on the squash leaves, and only a few expected potato bugs showed up. The tomatoes do seem to be taking forever to ripen. Some say it is caused by the heat we have experienced this summer.

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  3. Kudos to your husband for making a thing of beauty cunningly camouflaged as a picnic table. Enjoy it in health!

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    1. Hubby keeps things working around here, a handy dude to have around!
      The table was our visiting place during Covid when visitors came, and we use it in all seasons, even winter when we keep one side clear of snow to sit on to don the snowshoes.

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