brr!

[songbird]

snow already. was hoping to get more work done on this project and i may be able to tomorrow and the next day, but then next week we're getting temperatures in the teens overnight and no days above freezing so this may be the end of it until spring.

i'm still hoping we get a warmer snap in the next few weeks though. it would be nice to stop what i'm working on at a better breaking point than now.

i have one and a half of drain tubes to lift out of a garden and get them moved and then all the pea gravel scraped up and put on top of the drain tubes along with all the pea gravel dredged out of the trenches too so i can fill those trenches back in and get that garden ready for winter.

otherwise things going pretty good here. most of the gardens are ready for winter.

might get a new camera today - gotta get some bean pictures taken! :)

songbird

[Frank]

Our gardening was a few tomatoes and my chestnut crop. Now most of the leaves I need to rake are gone, gutters cleaned, and I told the lawn crew I no longer needed them for the year.

[songbird]

Frank wrote: ...

we are the lawn crew, not much lawn left and the leaves that fall can mostly stay where they land.

sun is out now, but it was cold overnight.

songbird

[Terry Coombs]

  Sunny here now too , after a couple of days of soaking rain . Last night's low was in the mid-20's here , pretty frosty ! I just calculated how much firewood I have now , with what I just split and stacked I'm right at 5 cords now . Hope that's enough , they say mild temps and wet winter here but I don't believe them ... Time to plant some garlic !

[Frank]

I was too up until a couple of years ago. We live in a hilly area. My lot drops about 40 feet from highest part above to lowest below. I had to use a self propelled mower as a rider could turn over on the down slope. Worst was back yard where neighbors on both sides do not cut but my wife wanted ours cut. So I got a lawn crew as do half my neighborhood. I still do leaves and clean gutters.

[derald]

So far this fall, we've had pleasant-enough weather, even a bit too warm for some folks. Despite a few cooler nights, days have been in or very near low-to-mid 80's. Today, though, a so-called "cold front" is slowly passing through, bringing intermittently overcast skies, slightly increased chances for rain and a vague hint of cooler temperatures for the weekend and/or early next week

We're still a couple of months from freezing temperatures, although, much to our surprise, they have come as early as December. No fall garden in yet, although, there's still time for spinach, turnips, mustard, carrots, onions and (maybe) peas. I'll probably plant the peas, anyway, despite the "maybe. The yield will be determined, in no small part, by the onset of freezing overnight temperatures. In that department not even The Shadow knows. Clearing the area and preparing the beds has become a (I hope) surmountable obstacle. Not to place inordinate emphasis on one's infirmities but much of the time my left arm, hand and fingers seem to be wired into someone else's nervous system. Dr. Strangelove, indeed....

[songbird]

Terry Coombs wrote: ...

we have next Tues evening forecast to get down to 11F.

today is supposed to be around 40F and partly sunny later. windy. ugh.

i don't think i'm going to get work done on the project as i'd like because it is snowing out at the moment. just a little dusting, but that makes it too slippery out there and dangerous as i have to walk along a sloped edge of weed barrier and black plastic to wheel the barrow.

it would be nice to get the project further along but i'm just not in the mood for fighting the cold and the wind.

songbird

[songbird]

Frank wrote: ...

not much for hills here unless they are man-made. that is true of our property too. the change in elevation for most of it is about a foot or two but we had to bring in some fill when building for the septic drain field (clay doesn't drain very fast) so that is the highest part.

we are not too far in elevation above the level of Lake Huron/Michigan and we lose about half of the difference within half a mile. so that means for the next 29 miles the land only drops another 15 feet.

this area used to be an inland sea/swampy area. there is coal and salt veins under us among the glacial till. flat and mundane agricultural area with some forest lands that have regrown since they were initially cleared.

songbird

[songbird]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

i'm not sure if any of this coming cold snap will make it all the way down there, but 11F is pretty cold this early here. ah, i see, you'll have a 42F degree difference between us and down there. no frost in that forecast for that night.

i hope you can manage it no matter what. :) nothing i'm doing is critical now but it would be nice to have more of the project done before winter sets in.

i did get a new camera at last so that will be something to work with this winter. i even splurged for a macro lens so i can get pics of tiny things if i want. much to learn and have fun with along with getting things set up so i can get decent pictures of the beanos. :)

songbird

[Terry Coombs]

 Can't say as I blame you ... as soon as the frost melts I'll be heading out to load up my trailer with more fire wood . This gig has been very very good for my wood pile , gotten around 2 cords from this lady's property and a lot easier than from my woods . The final tree was a monster white oak , 30+" at the base . Not real tall but very full since it was out alone . By the time I finish this one I'll be well over my goal of 5 cords by Thanksgiving .

[Frank]

Most of Delaware is near sea level but in the northern part where I live maximum elevation is about 450 ft. I think we are about 350. Not mountainous but hilly. My two septic fields are evaporation beds as there are probably clay layers limiting the perk. Probably a good thing as two neighbors had to shell out $25,000 each when they sold their houses to put in grey water treatment tanks to remove metals and bacteria before going to their drain fields where the perk was probably too good.

Funny in my front yard the perk must be good compared to the back because I needed a new well dug this year and it was all porous rock.

I had a friend heavily into gardening and he said were were at about the best climate for growing a large variety of things.

[Pavel314]

We're in Maryland about five miles in from the western shore of northern Ch esapeake Bay; we get a pretty good growing season here for a large variety also. It's gotten cold recently but the relatively warm water in the Bay he lps moderate things a bit for us.

[Frank]

Stats in Delaware show temperature is more moderate near the coast too, cooler summers and warmer winters.

[T]

Hi Songbird,

So cold here at night that even the weeds are dying! But, oh my gosh, the pollen!!!! (I finally found something that works on the hay fever: Seven Forest Xanthium 12.)

We have hit single digits already.

And zero rain/snow. I water my garlic and berries once a week.

Day time gets in the sixties (F)

-T

[songbird]

T wrote: ...

tonight's forecast is for 5F with windchill below zero.

i'd love it to see those temperatures again as then i could get those projects moved further along.

songbird