Frost, drought, and a to-do list...




"Now Close the Windows"

Robert Frost

Now close the windows and hush all the fields;
     If the trees must, let them silently toss;
No bird is singing now, and if there is,
     Be it my loss.

It will be long ere the marshes resume,
     It will be long ere the earliest bird:
So close the windows and not hear the wind,
     But see all wind-stirred. 

OK, friends, it's time. We had a frost last night (we covered things, but still). G started the pellet stove (which he cleaned and prepped well a few days ago), and yeah-- autumn is fully present. 
Today, I have a friend coming to pick tomatoes-- I may strip the vines, too, and bag up the green ones. They'll ripen slowly that way, enough to use for cooking anyhow. Or freezing. Heaven knows I have frozen a lot of them this year. So many people's gardens were stunted and slow-- this ongoing severe drought is no joke. Many people I know have no water, have not had for around five weeks, some of them. We had about ten minutes of mist yesterday morning, but then the weather cleared up yet again. The sunshine is lovely, the temps are moderate (high 60s, mostly), but it sort of feels malevolent now. Like a steady diet of marshmallow-- pretty enough to start, but there is a dire situation brewing. Or not brewing-- that would take water. 
I'll wander among the frozen plants later on today-- we only covered squash and tomatoes-- and see if there are any beans left to rescue. I have big plans to clear out the garden boxes tomorrow, but it may have to wait a little bit. I have a pretty large to-do list this weekend, capped by two sets of essays that will need my full attention. 
But right now, I'm being a little lazy-- I had a nice breakfast, two cups of excellent coffee, and I'm enjoying the quiet ticking and tiny cascades of the pellets dropping into the hopper, the blower humming along, and being warm. Soon enough, I'll go fold laundry, go to the grocery, and all that. But for a few minutes, I'm enjoying my little domestic sphere. 
I hope you have a good day. Hug the ones you love. No day is guaranteed.
C

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