Expectations

Today is the Autumnal equinox, the Balance part of the Year, the Harvest Moon, time of the Brown Bear, of creative curiosity. Tomorrow will start the Ducks Fly Moon. Today is when the length of the day equals the length of the night. The last day of the South, poised to move into the West.

And poised we are, here at Wolfdancer Creek. We are facing difficult times with our Kin, with all our Relations, with dignity and perseverance and patient understanding, mostly.

All of my tomatoes may not achieve ripeness. If this be the case, I will surprise a certain someone with his first taste of fried green tomatoes. Since surprises and feeding him is a delight both epicurean and emotional, I may harvest a passel of the bigger tomatoes which are not showing color for dinner this week. I have discovered that while goats do not like squash foliage, they DO like squashes. The chill is ensuring that what apples I do harvest will be sweet & delicious. I believe I found a couple of winesap apple trees in my orchard, and this Spring I will move my attentions to grooming that block of trees up, brutally if I must -- I will sacrifice a season's harvest for healthy manageable trees-- I still have to figure out an organic-yet-effective apple maggot-type buggie control.

The Woofers seem to be sensing and reacting to the change of season as well. We have grumpage happening in several areas. I think I may expound upon my theories on this here, but needs be a later date, with more references.

I have been assured by several sources that this is NOT typical Oregonian weather timing. My prognostication for this Winter in Estacada, and I'm publishing it now so's I can start a record (starting last year as none of you readers out there will remember, but you CAN verify in the archives *grin*) it's going to start early, there will be a few fairly brutal and lengthy cold snaps, it'll be wetter than normal and colder than normal and longer than normal. I haven't got a "feel" for the snow presence yet. Long & cold is what I am "feeling". Let's see what happens!

Signing off 'till later, I wish thee Balance and Peace.

>^,,^<