Last -- We've eaten up the last of the carrots & nearly all our potatoes, but still have kale & swiss chard standing ready to plant. Still have tiny dried chili peppers left, but they're not too hot this year, so won't last long. Sweet peppers went into the freezer after cutting in strips & add them at the end of cooking to keep their color & taste. Long gone are the chives & I didn't preserve any this year, but did dig a clump divide & pot it up for the porch for earlier chives in spring (I hope. I may need to bring inside instead.) I saw some ripening alpine strawberries in a protected pot near the shed last week that I'm keeping my eye on. I can't believe that plant because we've had freezing nights for over a month with a low of 18 degrees. First -- Self sown arugula is almost ready for some snipping, but not quite yet. If we get some good days of sunshine & less fog we might have some for Christmas morning greenies added to scrambled eggs or in a Christmas eve chowder. Otherwise, we'll harvest in the new year.

I laughed so hard reading this my husband woke-up in the other room and thought I went crasy(I don't laugh much) When I first started reading I thought well this must be someone who doesn't have to get up and out and gone by 6am. I don't, not because I'm a work at home or retired,but I work seasonaly.But still sorry to say I love to shovel snow.My husband says when I shovel I'm a loly-gager.I don't push my self to huffing and puffing but I do get over heated.I'II even go out at midnight if its piling-up and shovel.It's amazing at night.When I look out at 5pm and see the rest of the neibours coming home and can't get into their drive ways I smile.But I do remind my husband how good he has it.Our driveway is 400 ft and has four parking spots and a turn -around. Plus I shovel a path to the garbage can,the propane tank and a path to the barn. I make sure the out door plug-in cord is visable and easy for him to get at too.I don't want a hero cookie.But I bet the guys down the street wish I belonged to them ,at least during the winter. Thanks for the laughs.Purple

Definitely a beautiful fall! Winter came SO abruptly last year, that it was nice to have some time to kind of wind down this year. I don't have any bushes to provide color, but the long, warm fall has turned my 'Heavy Metal' Panicum, switch grass, a nice bronzy red this year, and some of the leaves on my Bergenia are a wonderful fiery red--I'm hoping a few more still turn red since they're evergreen and will be out there like that all winter. It really has been a wonderful fall for color. When I've been out around town for the last couple weeks, the maples and other trees and bushes are amazing this year. In anticipation of the cold, I got my couple tomatoes cut down and hung in the garage yesterday, and today I cut the remaining cukes, and the three--very small--acorn squash I got. Leaving the second batch of potatoes out there for now. Assuming the foliage freezes in the next couple nites, I'll dig them up when we get the next nice, warm day. I have one dahlia and one geranium (Pelargonium) that I covered with big pots for the next couple nites, and will be digging the dahlia root soon, and am still deciding if I want to dig the geranium to keep inside over winter or not. Oops! Need to run back outside! Just remembered I forgot to cover the one purple fountain grass that I want to bring in so I don't have to buy more of those unbelievably expensive things next spring! Got some cuttings of the 'Blackie' sweet potato vine yesterday, and brought my Perilla in since it's in a pot and easy to "transport." Will probably just make some cuttings rather than trying to keep the whole thing alive over winter since the pot it's in is so big. That's another expensive thing to replace in spring! Today I cut down the basil plants, washed them off, snipped the nicest leaves off and spun them in the salad spinner to dry them, and now they're laying on paper towels to dry. The parsley and cutting celery are still out there and should both do just fine with the cold temps, so time to deal with them later. The wind was blowing so hard here most of the day that the backyard is covered with (small) cottonwood branches! Oh, how I wish those trees would die! No snow here, Bonnie, and I didn't even score any rain! I keep hoping--and hoping and hoping............ It's wonderful that you and your daughter got to take the fresh veggies to the shelter, Dan. I think I remember your saying you were planning to do that this spring sometime. I can just about imagine the faces of the women when they saw home grown veggies. And congratulations on your daughter, too, Barb! It's nice to know there are still some generous and caring kids in the world. One does wonder at times! Time to get the bird bath heater out soon---and the suet feeder. Yesterday I had THREE robins in the birdbath at the same time--with a couple more waiting "in the wings!" I've never, ever had even two in there at the same time before! The birdbath was FULL, and it was fun to watch. There's wasn't much water left when they all got done! The days are getting short! I think that's the thing I like the least about winter! Dreaming of seed catalogs and spring, Skybird

Hi all, Just found this forum. Just took some pics of my Icicle pansies being deluged by our first snowfall yesterday. Will have to develop then scan them--they were troopers for sure. We were well overdue for winter, but it is still sad....However, I think I've planned my best "winter interest" garden so far, so have something to look forward to (besides spring that is)... Taryn