u/pinethree777

A newer acquaintance of ours dropped off a birthday present at our gate. When my sweetheart asked how they knew that it was our place, they said "we could tell because of the skull at the gate." Year by year, for each Hallowe'en, we add new indoor/outdoor decor but we can't bring ourselves to take much of it down.

From a latex mold of a clay model. Of course, my reinforced plaster backer started cracking after the 2nd casting. Maybe I can make one from spray foam or something.

Someone recently asked me why I use so many containers when we have plenty of space. The main reason is that I want plants to be relocatable. Being in the South, tomatoes and peppers can't take direct summer sun, but they love the shade under an oak tree. And then when a freeze comes our way, they can ride it out in the garage after a bit of trimming. I am even thinking of using a flatbed trailer for many of my containers so I can move them around in one shot. Anyone here do that sort of thing?

I caught this cutie on two legs munching a green bean. I let her chow while I went to water the peppers and she followed me and mowed some grass while we chatted a bit. She senses that she is safe around me. I also decided just because I can grow okra, that doesn't mean I should. It's like oysters for vegetarians or something. I know many people love it, but around here not so much.

Life "goes on" during war, plagues, and other dark times. Especially the very necessary Fall harvest. I was wondering if people celebrated Hallowe'en during the Civil War. It seems they did. I found this interesting short article that provided some examples. https://emergingcivilwar.com/2013/10/31/all-hallows-eve/

A particularly gruesome drawing in October 1863's edition of "Harper’s Weekly" was entitled: 'Jefferson Davis “Reaping the Harvest”'.

Halloween legend gives us a short window of time each year when the wall between the living and the death dissolves. I do not believe in the supernatural, yet somehow Halloween still raises the hair on the back of my neck while helping me accept that death is part of life.

This thing is a party in a box...

I can't possibly use all the fresh herbs we grow so we have been drying herbs in the sun (or in an air fry oven with a dehydrator setting) for years. Then I put them in a coffee grinder to make a fine powder. Lemongrass powder is great for teas or on pasta dishes. The mixed herb powder takes on different flavors with each season as various herbs come and go in the garden. I often use it instead of reaching for the saltshaker.

With all the varieties of basil we grow such as cinnamon, lime, lemon, Thai (aka licorice) I often have a lineup of small jars ready to make any dish really pop.

...mostly unattended, yet surprising. I have to move fast when harvesting to outrun the skeeters (that stick me right through my shirt), so I'll sometimes miss things that end up compost.

A little surprised how well the peppers and tomatoes bounced back after dragging them under a tree last month. The peppers are Marconi and banana peppers and toms are everglades and some unknown volunteer from compost.

We seem to make a distinction between Autumn decor and Halloween decor nowadays. Ever notice that it is not just pumpkins on old Halloween postcards (even though they are the main character)? Watermelon, corn, onions carrots, apples and other groceries frequented Halloween memorabilia and decorations.

During the late 1800's half of US workers were employed in agriculture. Even at the turn of the century over 40% still worked farms. I bet when the harvest was bountiful, Halloween was just that much bigger and better. It makes sense that as Americans moved into cities and the 'burbs, Halloween was less about the harvest and more about the contents of cemeteries and such.

I especially like the remnants of old Hallowe'en. The dried cornstalks, straw bales and apple cider. I like my scarecrows, candy corn and straw brooms mixed in with my witches, monsters, bats, and zombies.

Never been a flower gardener. Never paid much attention to them, however I did want to bring in more pollinators for our veggies. This past spring I planted a few native flowers, but I also planted marigolds and zinnias from some $1.98 variety packs. I gotta say, we were specially taken aback by the beauty of zinnias. I started putting some around our front porch. Some were 4 footers, some were more like ground cover, all sorts of colors and flower variations. I have flower plans for this Autumn, LOL. I finally get it. Now I grow flowers too.

This first of about a dozen other nice Seminole pumpkins will serve to remind us that Autumn is not that far away...and I need that.

There is only so much salad and salsa you can eat. In East Central, we need rain. Our tomato plants look like dried sticks, but they keep setting fruit. The banana peppers look better.