Who likes apples??

 September 27, 2026

 A number of apple lovers showed up when we took a trailer load of dead fall apples and dumped it in front of a camera along the trails.

Lots and lots of deer.

 

The camera had close to 2000 pictures. As you click through them, the deer heads appear to be on swivels, constantly looking around, alert to any sound or movement. The same individuals came back over and over.

A family of raccoons appeared often.

They are sure fat and healthy looking.

A Fisher showed up and checked out the pile,

and then it's small relative, an American Martin.

He's hard to spot, the dark lump in the lower left quadrant.

Foxy checked out the pile a couple of times. We have watched him eating apples under the trees in the yard.

We were expecting to see a bear, but so far, no luck. As of yesterday, that pile of apples is pretty much decimated, and someone not knowing the spot could well walk through without noticing any residuals              

The leaves on the trees around the clearing are really starting to show their true colours. Most of September here has been without rain, and things are very dry. The nights are cool, but days are sunny and warm. In the garden, I'm keeping up the watering on the fall greens and the carrot patch. The broccoli patch has been producing side shoots almost constantly until just recently, when they are getting  small and scarce, so the chore of pulling/digging those monster stems out is nearing the top of the list before the deer discover them, as the plants have been un-caged for a while.  
The large rutabaga harvested a week or so ago, 

was perfectly sound throughout when cut open.

Onions and garlic are cleaned and stored, a few potatoes dug, but most will safely stay in the ground until the root cellar cools down. The processing and canning is slowing, the shelves are as full as we need them to be. I have a couple of boxes of tomatoes ripening, and when they are ready, that will probably be the last filling of the canner this fall. 

The chimney was cleaned yesterday, the wood boxes are full, and we are very thankful for our good fortune.