Sunday, Good Day

I slept in a bit this morning so didn't get as bright and early a start to the day as I had planned.  But that's okay since the day itself wasn't as bright as I had expected it to be.  Not much sunshine to speak of, but since I had Papa Pea's promise to help cleaning up the garden, out we went.

We got rained on three times, I think, before we gave it up saying we had accomplished enough for the day. 

I couldn't have done as much without his help, that's for sure.

We dug out cornstalks and laid them to rest in a compost bin.  The 10' tall sunflowers (yep, the very same ones with the huge seed heads that didn't even come close to maturing) were whacked down with a machete.  It was either that or the chainsaw.  Most of the stalks were a minimum of 3-1/2" to 4" in diameter.  I'll never plant that variety again.  Anyone in a kinder, gentler climate with a longer growing season want over half a 1 oz. packet of Mammoth Sunflower seeds?  Speak up and I'll gladly send them along to you.

We took cold frames apart and stored them until spring when we'll haul them out again to get a jump start on early planting.

Cattle panels that were used as trellises for shell peas and pole beans and sugar pod peas were untied from their supports and taken to their winter resting places.

Pumpkin and squash vines were pulled and dragged across garden and yard to be unceremoniously tossed into the compost bin.  Ever been slapped in the face with wet, half-rotted pumpkin vines while trying to manhandle them into a three foot high bin?  It's an experience to be treasured, trust me.

When we came in, I started a huge skillet full of a ground beef/noodle dish we like a lot.  I usually make it when we have company and we still have oodles for leftovers.  But with just the two of us attacking it tonight, we'll be eating it for several days!

Once I got dinner simmering, I picked up stitches for the first sleeve of this simple sweater I started quite a while ago.  I didn't have the correct sized double pointed needles and just finally got them on Friday.  I plan on wearing this sweater over a turtleneck for a little extra warmth on an every day basis this winter so with luck I may have it finished just in time.

We both really exerted in the garden today so a good dinner and laid back evening ahead of us sounds very appealing.

You would think cleaning up the garden at the end of the season would be an easy-peasy, slap-dash project, not nearly as muscle-stretching or intensive as planting in the spring, but it's not.  Anyone who pictures me working in the garden with pristine, flower-printed gardening gloves, a flowing skirt and straw hat bedecked with ribbons needs to think again.  Even though our temperature when working outside today was only in the upper 40s, we both were shedding layers of clothing, rain or no rain.  Our morning's application of deodorant disappeared somewhere between the sunflowers and cattle panels and the mud on our boots made us look like Big Foot on a rampage.  

But ya know what?  The tired we feel tonight is that good tired that will precede a sound night's sleep.  So that we can get up tomorrow morning, and rain or shine, have another good day on the homestead.