# Autumn Single Homesteading



## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

It's official--it's Autumn. To me the loveliest time of the year. The air is crisp and full of prettily colored leaves that crunch under foot. The nights are very cool but the days are just right--not to hot, not too cool. 

Garden is being cleaned and tilled. Only food that needs addressing are the apples I picked a few weeks back. I'll be having a fermenting sauerkraut experiment starting soon. Would really like to try my hand at cheesemaking again. 

Around the house I plan to get to decluttering--selling, donating or just tossing unused, unwanted items.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I love Autumn also. I decorated the front step today. then I took 4 more boxes of stuff to VV. that's 2 days in a row. just stuff collecting dust. I dug over one of my beds today in order to plant a few bulbs tomorrow. frost tonight but looks good the rest of the week. ~Georgia


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

I'm winding down my canning for the year, too, just have apples left to do and not many of those. Nice to have it nearly out of the way. 

We're having a pleasant stretch of rain and cool weather. I'm enjoying that change a great deal. The rain is supposed to abate in a few days, and I'll finish up outdoor tasks before winter sets in. Gutters are cleaned and roof is treated for moss. Wood is put up for the winter and the wood burner is cleaned. Two fat hogs scheduled for a date with the big, white, 6-sided paddock at the end of the month. I'm pretty much ready.

I stopped in at the feed store today for some scratch for the chickens, and the young feller who helped load the feed said he hoped for a cold winter. I told him it could get cold enough to kill the bugs and just down to freezing, but no frozen pipes. He seemed non-committal. I thought about putting a curse on him.

(Kidding!! I had to load my own feed.  )


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Rae..you did all that? I haven't heard anyone use the word Abate in quite some time. Some of the older dwellers talk like that..I could listen to them for hours on end. What some would say is Hillbilly talk, is actually proper use of the Queens old English.

Oh, and Autumn is becoming my favorite time of the year.Other than sometimes needing to wear a hard hat while running around in the woods..lol


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

WWS... I hired someone to do the roof and clean the wood burner, friends helped with the wood. We have a routine where we all pitch in and split the spoils from my forest or someone else's. Only takes a day and we all keep a few cords ahead that way.  

So no, I'm not that ambitious... but I usually just say I know my limitations.


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

After the work is done, that's when they go to the Culvert huh? Smart..:nana:


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

WolfWalksSoftly said:


> After the work is done, that's when they go to the Culvert huh? Smart..:nana:


<hiding hands behind her back...> Why... what would make you say that? I need these people again next year!! :hobbyhors

In addition to giving away my wood, I put on a feed with libations and everything. It's a pretty impromptu gathering, because everyone is busy and schedules are tight. We just do it on a day when everyone can make it and the weather favors the work.

This year, I made a big pot of chili with cornbread and salad and we called it good. Kind of like the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles. :huh:


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

a bit of decorating for autumn. the straw bale looks really good but I couldn't get a pic. front on because of the sun. got that under my tree. the little metal basket my brother and I found when he was up last time. picked it up for 50 cents. the leaves are also metal. when I was downsizing last week that was one of the things I chose to keep. ~Georgia


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## dorner (Oct 30, 2012)

Your porch looks so pretty. Very nicely decorated.


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## Litlbits (Jan 6, 2014)

Love the door mat and your fall display is very pretty.


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Go away..lmao.....I saw one once that said something to the effect of, go away and bring back a Warrant.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

remember last week girls when I put up the mini blinds I said I thought it needed something? my son put up rods today and I added valances. red ones are in this room with the sage green walls and the other ones are in the den. looks a lot better in person. sets everything off anyway. that's all I've got. mostly homey stuff until I get out to the country Friday and start painting and spreading the load of soil that's been waiting for 2 weeks while I shake off this cold. driveway still not finished. Fred got held up today. hopefully be finished tomorrow. ~Georgia


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm finishing off my vacation time by working 3 days a week this month.

Riding, horse camping, hunting and splitting wood top the list of things to do. One of my favorite things to do is horseback squirrel hunting.

One project - putting a frost free spigot in the pasture - should be done next weekend.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Who's on horseback?

Mon


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I thought he meant himself. my son squirrel hunts every year with his friends. only time they see each other now is once a year. soon be coming up. I bake for them but my property is off limits for squirrel hunting. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

I kid you not, Michigan has some of the most beautiful squirrels I have ever seen. Long black coat, and they are large animals. It is worth going to Michigan just to see the squirrels.

Around here, we have gray squirrels that get into, and onto, just EVERYTHING, so I would not be at all surprised to see one on a horse. The horse might be though.

Mon


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

frogmammy said:


> Who's on horseback?
> 
> Mon


LOL, with any luck both myself and the squirrel are on horseback. :cowboy:

Heard about them, but have never seen any of those big squirrels.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Maybe those long haired black squirrels are just in the LP? They are absolutely beautiful, about the size of a small cat. One place I've seen them is Indian River.

Mon


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

spent a couple hours out in the country today. spread a little soil then walked in the woods checking out tracks etc. my son has half the floor done in the workshop. all those blobs are foam he's spraying where mice might possibly get in.

I came back then and Fred and Dave were finishing up the driveway so I went to the hardware and got 15 bags of soil and 5 sod (2 trips)and used up all that. the space between the fence and the driveway is larger now so needed more soil. 3 more bags should do it. I didn't get pics of the driveway. too dark when I finished. i'll get one tomorrow .it looks lovely! they are doing the front step after they finish another job.

I know what I'm doing thanksgiving. planting bulbs in the country.just went across to the mail box and my bulbs were in. that's them on the table. 150 of them. if they all grow i'll have my perennial bed back in shape next spring. ~Georgia


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

Pretty porch!

I'm actually picking away at planting a small fall garden here in Texas. So far I have 18 broccoli plants and one pea, lol. I planted an old packet to see what happened. Well, what happens is you get one pea. So I am going to use another old packet and try for 2. I still have a couple of tomatoes, squash and peppers in it too, may try to greenhouse off that part. I like to experiment and the garden itself was all made out of repurposed stuff I gathered from around my place, so it's not an expensive toy at all so far. 

I also want to build another hoophouse and see if I can stay in it for awhile. I think it would be a fun thing to try, and I need experience with building. Also need to work on some kind of storage shed. 

hollym


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Let's hear it for the Pea's for avoiding a shutout!


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

So good to have you back again Holly! hope you stay a bit! ~Georgia


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## Truckinguy (Mar 8, 2008)

I just brought home a car load of cardboard to cover the garden then put a layer of compost on top of it. That should empty two or three compost bins which will give me room for a winter's worth of straw and shavings from the chickens and rabbits plus butchering offal produced through the winter. I got 22 turkeys this year with 11 in the freezer or sold and I want the final 11 done before the end of October so gotta get going on that. That will empty the turkey shed and allow me to separate the young roosters from the flock that hatched this year until I can send them to freezer camp.

I'll have to do a final walk around the property and clean up any leftover branches and mess from the ice storm last winter which should give me a bit more firewood for the fire pit in the back yard. After most of the leaves have fallen I'll do a thorough cleanout of the gutters, get the snow blower oil changed and cables adjusted and find my snow shovels. I"m told we'll really need them this year.

Gotta put a gas tank in the truck and buy snow tires ($$$!) for it this year. The car is starting to get pretty rough but I hope it will get me through this winter. Fortunately it's only 15 minutes to work so it should be ok.

The leaves are changing and fall is looking beautiful here now. Not looking forward to winter.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

it's lovely here also. and out at my country place. I'm trying to get things straightened up at both places. everyone is talking about the bad winter coming.

I'm okay for grub but still have tons of work to do. brought in anything that could freeze a couple days ago. my brother is coming to visit on Saturday. i'm not worried about that though. he wont hold me back. i'll just tell him what needs doing . first off he can start on that truckload of soil. he's a hard working Newfoundlander like me. (I hope I'm half as active as he is when I'm 85)he even does dishes. wish he's stay a month or 2. 

hope we get this rain they're predicting from the hurricane. people are desperate around here. wells gone dry. rivers are drying up etc. ~Georgia


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Closed the cabin up last weekend. Now that I'm home I finally tackled those apples--4 pints of apple butter and 15 pints of apple pie filling. Yes I said pints not quarts. Dad makes the pies and informed me that a quart is not enough for a deep dish but 2 quarts is too much. The pints also will ensure that it's not too much filling if I want to make turnovers. There's still plenty of apples left though. One day later in the week Dad will start another batch of apple butter in the slow cooker and I'll can it up after work. I'll do the next batch in half pints though. I hate having large jars of stuff open for long in the fridge.

Still happily playing with the spinning wheel. I have found that I need to put a post-it note on it reminding me to do things around the house before I start to play with it. It's very addicting. LOL


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Apple Butter. One of life's little pleasures...ooh..Apple Pie with a scoop of vanilla Ice Cream and a bit of Apple Butter on top...I might have to give myself a shot just thinking about it... lol


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Dinner was pancakes topped with apple butter. I'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm thinking of crepes filled with apple butter and topped with a smidge of creme fraiche.


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Tommyice said:


> D I'll be hosting Thanksgiving this year and I'm thinking of crepes filled with apple butter and topped with a smidge of creme fraiche.


Awesome! What should I bring?:huh:


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

apple pie for wolf. just out of the oven. lots of ice cream also. no apple butter though. ~Georgia


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

hopefully it's here now.


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Thank You!


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## Pyrpup2016 (Sep 11, 2016)

As of two days ago, the leaves are falling like a blizzard - one Ash tree just lets them all go at once. I rake them for putting flower and veg beds to bed for the winter. Not hard work, but seems endless. A neighbor called to ask if she can bring over the summers collection of horse manure -that with the leaves and the summers lawn clippings will make a great compost pile. I'll let it heat up, then feed to the worms in my big in-the-barn worm bin. Today, for the first time, all the pasture grass and lawn look brown, rather than green. I guess winter is here!


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

WolfWalksSoftly said:


> Let's hear it for the Pea's for avoiding a shutout!


Shhhhh, I think there might be more. I can't tell yet if they are peas or weeds. Fingers crossed.


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

newfieannie said:


> So good to have you back again Holly! hope you stay a bit! ~Georgia



Thank you! Nice to 'see' you again! Looks like you are getting all kinds of good stuff done. I admire that.


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## hollym (Feb 18, 2005)

Wow all that apple stuff sounds and looks so good! The crepes idea sounds amazing. I haven't made apple butter in years, but have always liked it. I actually made pear butter one time from these trees we had in Houston. I have no idea what kind they were, I think they were meant to be ornamental because the fruit was kind of woody? But after I squished it and strained it a few times it turned out very well.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Got my back deck fixed, furniture put up, branches cut and hauled to the burn pile. Just have to finish deadheading plants, make sure the raccoons can't get under the house this winter, cover faucets, and put the canners and dehydrators up. Getting close, unless I think of more.. lol


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

went out to the country today and planted over 100 bulbs. still got a cold so didn't do any shovelling. no damage out there either from the storm. flower pots still sitting on the deck.we walked s bit with the dog and checked the trail cam. lots of deer but he hasn't gotten one yet. 

I always thought that was an old crab apple tree I had there what drops a ton of apples every year. never even bothered to check until today.been there 30 years! not sure what they are but definitely not crab apples. they are so sweet. it's too late this year but i'll probably make butter and whatnot next year. ~Georgia


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

I finished up the apples into butter last night. Put it up in half pint jars and got 12 of them.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Those apples look a lot like Macintosh! Grab a few and do a pie, see how they do with that!

Mon


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## Clem (Apr 12, 2016)

LOL, I replied to one thread, and it posted in another!! Sorry.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

went to a tea and flea market today. first time in my entire life I had ever been inside a Catholic church. (I was brought up by a father who was totally against catholisism. )(SP) and it was ingrained in me so much that even at this late stage I almost didn't go in when I got to the door.

it was so lovely! the people were so kind. I made some friends who are coming to have tea with me .I met them because they saw I was at a table alone and invited me to sit at theirs. I ended up with a bunch of pickles,jams etc. I hadn't made any this year. no garden to speak of. ~Georgia


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

We're finally in the midst of a good soaking rain spell and the fire danger is past for 2016. Whew!

I gave permission to a young couple to hunt my land and they took out a nice young buck Wednesday evening. It was the wife's first buck and she was so tickled! She did a great job. They also have a doe tag and will be back in a couple weeks, in the hope of taking out the lead doe who brings her herd to savage my orchard and garden. I haven't seen the herd since they took the buck, but I'm sure they'll be back in a few days. Too many apples left on the trees for them to ignore.

The young feller mentioned the land to the south of me had been leased for hunting for $3,500 this year. I already knew that, because it's Weyerhaeuser land and they had told me. But I teased the kid and told him not to give me any ideas.  I was happy to help provide meat to a young couple who needed it while they helped to solve my deer overpopulation problem.


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

I spent some time last evening starting six slabs of pork belly on their way to bacon. I have lost the recipe I used to use when I raised pigs so I had to look up some recipes on the 'net and try to remember if they sounded any kind of familiar. Oh, well. Time will tell.


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

Today is the day.
Reflective bubble wrap around the trailer to form skirting to help keep things warmer.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I might look into that to put around mine. I've had the furnace on in mine for 3 nights. went out this morning and it was lovely and warm. we worked on trimming the trees going up the driveway. what a tangled mess. 

I thought I had a pic. of me with the bucksaw while my son used the chainsaw. doesn't seem to be here. we made quite a difference in a short time. opened up good now for the sun to get at it I planted those in 1972 when I didn't have a clue and they were too close together. I did take 2 out altogether and it made no difference to the top. might get a few more.

got my son to knock down some apples.found out I had 2 apple trees . decided to bring a few home to try. definitely not crab apples. so sweet and didn't require much sugar. they are small but my son said everybody is having trouble with smaller apples this year because of the drought.made up a pie for my bro for when he gets here in the morning. where there's 2 there might be more on the land somewhere. ~Georgia


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Onna the things I miss. Apple pie made from Delicious Apples


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

Yesterday and today I set a frost free hydrant and a light pole 65' from the house.


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Today was laundry day, but I had forgotten that I was all but out of laundry detergent, so I had to make a new batch. I had all the ingredients, so it was only a question of spending less than half an hour to make 2 gallons or so. Enough to last quite some time.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

still got a bit of color left in the garden. I was also able to get a better pic. of my straw bale before the sun was in my eyes. it is a glorious day here. my brother should be around any minute. he has called me 4 times since he got across on the ship early morning. hope he doesn't get lost this time. ~Georgia . heavens to betsy he's lost again I have to go after him! he's likely to get mugged this time because he talks to everyone


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I got him! he's safely tucked up in bed for a few hours. beat to a snot! he is after all going on 86. he ended up at the worst place in the city. happen he found a kindly soul to direct him to the mall around the corner and I picked him up there. ~Georgia


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

LOL! I love your brother already!

Beautiful yellow rose. It is difficult around here to find yellow roses, or rose bushes. Maybe they don't do well in Missouri? 

Oh, and congrats on the second apple tree!! Maybe you have a few other fruit trees around. Will be easier to find in the spring when everything flowers.

Have fun with your brother!

Mon


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm sitting pretty good for winter I feel. Last winter I had raccoons get under my house.. Been working on fixing their access under. Found an opening where I expect it and was a easy fix. BUT the known opening was more difficult. The first night all my hard work was torn out but for the last several nights I've been successful. So keeping the fingers crossed.

Snow is only a couple hundred feet above my elevation. Probably won't be long until we wake up to a dusting.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

put both of them to work yesterday. cleaned up all the brush. had our lunch. then my son took off to the waste disposal site and I got my bro to drag some more stuff from the shed up top while I spread some soil. my burning bush out there is lovely . only thing I saved from the original perennial garden. 

we sat on the deck and just enjoyed the day for a couple hours. then came back and cooked up some moose meat. another couple hours and we'll be on the go again.as I've mentioned before I do hope I have his energy when I reach 86. yes, I'm in excellent shape now but I'm not 86. ~Georgia


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## WolfWalksSoftly (Aug 13, 2004)

What a slave driver..notice no pic's of her with a Whip?..lol


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

that's what they call me alright! I wanted to get them to take a pic. of me but I was too busy driving. been out all morning trying to find a church that he can attend on sunday which is close to the house. I haven't been to church for services in 14 years! got to check out my "sunday go to meeting clothes" and see if anything still fits. I'm from the old school where you don't go to church in ripped jeans!~Georgia


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