Collecting seeds

Here Jason is harvesting Prizehead Lettuce seeds. Knowing how to properly save seeds has got to be one of the most useful and important skills, really. Each different plant/flower/vegetable may need to be harvested or the seed collected in a unique manner. We save all our own seeds at this point, but still order heirloom varieties from organic sources if we want to try growing something new :) We have quite a few new ideas brewing for next spring's garden actually! It's only seven months away so we had better get planning! ;)

We discovered the gnome village!

These photos are from a few weeks ago - maybe a month. We went for a family walk in the forest and before you know it we found ourselves in a gnome village! Everywhere we turned we saw a tree with a cute little moss-covered doorway! We are not strangers to the world of gnomes, so straightaway Jude and Ollie commenced to decorating the doorways with twigs and ferns in the hopes that the gnomes would return the favour by offering their friendship. We are set to return, bringing cookies, berries or home-baked muffins to tuck inside the little gnome houses. We are sure they would love that! :)

Faces on the tree!

Another friendly (fungus) face

The most peaceful of boys :)

Ah, but we do love the month of October..!

In the past week we have seen poppies in bloom by our bean trellis, walked in sweaters outside while leaves danced and swooped above our heads, lit our very first fire of the season in the woodstove, and marveled at the first snowfall. Summer, autumn and winter are all very close together this October, which is rather disconcerting! Luckily, we managed to harvest the gardens, save for the dinosaur kale still sticking it out despite the frost and snow. The smell of autumn wood smoke does bring about a genuine feeling of cozy joy, and as I am compelled to do every time a season changes, I have been thoughtfully rearranging the furniture, and letting go of things we no longer need. I know we will be spending more time indoors now, so I want our home to reflect and support the crazy rhythm that is our life! I love autumn, so much. It is so fleeting that I am really trying my best to take it in, smell it in, feel it in..

Here Jude is sweeping through the house with a broom he made for himself.

He used pine boughs to make it, and it was the best smelling broom I have ever encountered :)

The black sheep is Turnip, and I think the white one is Noble. Hard to see from way down the road!

Red pants! My boys love their red pants! 

Isabella has been taking a creative makeup class at school and she's enjoying it immensely!

Our barn from the road.

Jason has been busy, sawing and chopping and stacking. 

Tomatillos! Jason made a DELICIOUS salsa with this batch.

This was the morning we had pumpkin pie for breakfast! With whipped cream on top!

October Poppy!

Autumn walk down our road.

Ollie working at his little desk by the woodstove :)

On October the 17th, it snowed! And it was so pretty.

Jude and Bella. Ollie is there too, hiding behind Jude's hand ;)

 ^__^

The farm, the garden, this life!

Ollie, drawing! He'll draw all day if left undisturbed :)

Enjoying the last of summer's flower offerings!

Isabella arm-knitting herself an infinity scarf. It looks awesome!

Ollie loves to help me harvest, using little baskets.

Tomatoes waiting to be roasted into sauce.

Here are some of our 37 white rock chickens, feathering out in the barn.

A new chicken coop in the making! Jason is building in inside the barn.

Our house from the hill behind. How I love it here!

Jason and Jude walking on the hill, and munching on snacks.

These pictures are from 1-2 weeks ago. In that time much has changed, as it always does! The white rock chickens are getting huge and will go in to be processed in four weeks, the new coop has a stud frame and some walls up, and the weather has shifted from summery to freezing cold! We are scurrying around harvesting the last of the gardens' offerings and currently have pumpkins, tomatoes, butternut squash, beans, and herbs in the living room, mudroom and kitchen. It is a beautiful time of year, autumn. My favorite.