Well, here we are, solidly into autumn!
We haven’t had frost, nor even a frost warning yet. One morning the temperature went down to 3C, with heavy dew, and Attila had arisen at 4 a.m. to cover the garden with plastic sheets just in case. It was a false alarm on our part, but better safe than sorry. There is a lot of produce that can yet be ripened and harvested out in the garden at this point.
Things have begun to slow down now though. The cucumbers are done for the season, the beans are producing only a few new blooms and will soon stop altogether. There is some potential growth with the peppers and basil, so they are well worth protecting as long as is possible.
The brassicas are thriving. Kale and Swiss Chard are doing well, and the cabbages continue to thrive, we will probably have another batch of Coleslaw in the weeks to come. But canning is slowing down now.
What might be the last three zucchini are harvested and waiting in the cooler in the basement for their turn on the dinner plate. I have been sauteing them with onions and tomatoes from the garden, all diced. I had been using a garlic and herb salt free spice mixture I got from the grocery store, but that is all used up now. Attila found a garlic and herb copy cat recipe that is very similar, and quite a good substitute we have found. Attila adds salty condiments to his food at the table, I do not, and that works for both of us.
Really, the only big preservation projects left are our tomatoes and apples. The tomatoes will be milled, the flesh made into pizza sauce, and the seeds and skins dehydrated for tomato powder. The apples will be canned as applesauce.
I know that I will feel all at loose ends when the preservation season comes to a close!
The weather is cooler now, no heat waves, and I don’t miss them at all. This morning it was 5C outside the kitchen window. The thermometer on the thermostat told me that it is 23.5 inside the house, it was 24 when we went to bed last night. This is new, this maintaining of a comfortable temperature in the house over an extended period of cooler, sometimes downright cold, days and nights. The heat is not turned on yet.
We were chatting about the warm temperature maintained in the house overnight, and surmise that it just might be because the now redundant chimney in the basement was sealed up, when the new furnace was installed. When we had the energy audit for the house, the auditor did say that the chimney was a big source of heat loss. This is such happy news, that the house is now even more energy efficient as a result of the new heating system. All this and there is little to no insulation in the exterior walls! We hope to someday get to the point where we insulate the exterior walls, but it is not project near the top of the list of urgency.
Sometimes we look longingly at larger homes, envisioning all that extra space in which to pursue our projects. But then we look at how warm and cozy we are, and appreciate the fact that we can still afford to stay warm and cozy, because our house is so small and efficient. We know that few homes that we could afford would offer us this comfort, and we would not want to start all over again bringing an older home up the level of affordable comfort we now enjoy as a result of all our hard work.
Attila had a bad cold earlier this week, just achy and tired, which lasted about 24 hours. Now I have it. Rats! Hopefully it will only be with me for 24 hours. We are laying low until it has passed through the household.
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Thu, Sep 29, 6:25 PM
(and still 23.5 in the house with the heat turned off!)
13 °C
FEELS LIKE 13
Clear
Wind 4 S km/h
Humidity 61 %
Visibility 25 km
Sunrise 7:02 AM
Wind gust 6 km/h
Pressure 102.8 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 6:52 PM
Quote
“While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till it be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it.”
Samuel Johnson
1709 – 1784
Something to remember if one would try to “help” someone experiencing grief. Follow their lead and need.
When we moved, I opted for a singlewide manufactured home, as opposed to a double wide, for just that reason. I had no idea in 2013 what electricity would cost in years to come, and I wanted the most affordable comfort. (Get well soon! <3 )
Joan, great choice! I’ve had access to electricity all of my life, take it for granted really, but I don’t like paying so much for it, and the costs in Canada for electricity are very high and rising. Same everywhere I think.
Thanks for the good wishes, I have just started the feverish phase of this cold, yuck!
Hooray for closing up the redundant chimney! I think you’re going to be much happier and warmer this winter.
Hope your cold only lasts 24 hours, just like Atilla.
Thanks Teri, I am amazed at how the house is holding the heat, still 23.5C today, despite very cool nights and not so warm days. Who knew!
The cold is hanging on a bit, yesterday was really rough, today has been better but towards evening I tired, and the fever came back, and I feel like crap again. I anticipate tomorrow will be even better for me!
Hmmm… Colds don’t usually have fevers associated with them, or low fevers at best. If you’re still not feeling well tomorrow maybe you should take a covid test?
Teri, good points, colds can present with low fevers, and my fever was low, but still unpleasant. We did not test for Covid, the symptoms we have are the same as dozens of other people at Attila’s workplace, some of whom have been tested, negative. It is a cold.
I am recovering, my energy returned on Sunday afternoon, and today I’ve been busy again. My voice is deep and rumbling, I cough frequently, and am still feeling the virus, but every day there is improvement, and I can function normally now.