Odds and Ends...for October

I had fun carving my first pumpkin in years! I don't know why I haven't done one recently; (probably because no one comes trick or treating all the way up to the farmhouse) but I found a kit that we used when my daughter was little, so I decided to make a "Pumpkin Moonshine" as Tasha Tudor called them. Now mine, is not really a Pumpkin Moonshine, as that name reflects the man-in-the-moon face. Ours was a flying witch...! What fun...it took 4 lights to get enough to show up in the picture...but it was entertaining even for my husband!..I hope to do another one this weekend.

Speaking of my daughter, I found our two cats (Gold Nugget and Gussie) getting quite cozy on her chair! They fight mostly when my husband and I are around. As I was heading to bed...they both settled down for a long nap...at least till I took their picture! (I think they were upset that I caught them in a compromising position!!!)




I found this visitor to the farm the other morning! It has been a long time since I have seen a 'stick' bug or as my parents generation called them, "Walking Sticks". These bugs can actually re-grow a leg if it is lost or damaged! And...some varieties can reproduce without a male! This one made it all the way into our kitchen...but was safely escorted outside.



The farm survived the lowest pressure 'perfect' storm (according to all meteorologists) this past week. Lots of limbs and twigs down and some minor damage to the house. We got over an inch of rain...much appreciated, but we need so much more. Our pond is down by at least 4 or 5 feet. It is the dark of the moon, so time to go plant more bulbs. Also had our hardest freeze this morning, so it is time to clean up the annuals and cut back, put the garden to bed. Don't forget to add some color to your garden by adding some pansies.

As the English say "No flowers, no leaves, no bees, no birds - No vember"