The afternoon sun was shining down. A light breeze was pushing a few dry leaves across the lawn. Fall was here and Marsha and I were in the garden. We’d run our hands through fine dry soil, pushing and digging. When we’d feel something we’d work it up and out of earth where it would break out into the sunlight. Of all things to come out of the depths of the cold dark ground, this was the last thing you would expect; food. Big round perfect red potatoes, one after another after another until we had a big bucket full of them. Just when we thought we’d gotten the last of them our fingers would feel one more hiding in the dark mould. A jewell from the earth. A treasure covered with dirt. The first two plants yielded enough beautiful potatoes to fill a large bucket. Each day we’d dig another plant or two. By the end of the week we had a decent pile of perfect washed red potatoes in the kitchen. Fall is harvest time and our harvest is going well. In addition to the potatoes we have three gallons of tomatoes, vine ripened to perfection, and many more on the way. We’ve also eaten several cucumbers, zucchini, and bell peppers as soon as they were retrieved from the garden. That all is in addition to the berries, peas and lettuce from earlier in the summer. Our freezer is filling up.

There is something amazing about turning dirt and water into food. Something magical about tilling the soil, planting, watering, weeding, and after months have gone by seeing bright, perfect, red potatoes come up into the sunlight. Having food just grow on the vine, ready to be pulled off and eaten. Eating something that you grew yourself. Each evening I walk down to the garden plot and check what’s ready. Some I pick immediately, some I wait another day until they are perfect. Then there are the surprises. Cucumbers that grew unseen under the leaves. The zucchini hiding under the vine. The bell pepper plant that produced one all season and now suddenly has six that appeared in the last week. 

It must be why farmers keep doing what they do and why farming is such an honoured tradition. It’s magical.

The house project is going well. Construction, electrical, and plumbing are all nearly done. Landscaping is the primary thing left. However before they finish that there is some trim brickwork that needs to be finished in front. On the front, our house has a mix of red, black and white that look like recycled brick. We wanted to match what we already have with the new, but they were surprisingly hard to find. As a result that part is a little behind schedule. Strange thing about our bricks. Rather than being called ‘Recycled Look” or “Old Factory” or something that makes some sense, this pattern is called Dutch Mold. Dutch Mold? When our contractor told us we had Dutch Mold we assumed that it was a problem. Some horrible house disease that would have to be removed by guys in HazMat suits. We were very relieved to find the truth. It is an odd name though.

And sometimes things just happen. On Saturday we went to Home Depot to get some paint. Green paint for the exterior siding. We placed the order and, having five minutes to kill wandered around. As it happened we wandered into Appliances and there, right in front, was a perfect, white, front loading, high efficiency, GE washer and dryer set. The floor model was on sale for around 30% off. OK so we hadn’t planned on getting a new washer and dryer until the project was a bit further along. However Home Depot is giving us 18 months no interest, and we’ll find somewhere to stash them for a couple of months. They were that good a deal.

Marsha & Doug
PIX: Some of our harvest. Fall Foliage