Indian Summer...46º--75º

Herb's Sunflowers

A few days or weeks of Indian summer is common in Wallowa County...Although this year we didn't have the killing frost, that is usual, before the overly warm days arrived... Squash, pole beans and tomatoes still flourish in the vegetable garden...My flowers still in full bloom, wafting in the breeze, as the sweet fragrance of fall phlox fills the air...Larch trees are a shade lighter and will soon have a golden glow, unmatchable by evergreens nearby...Maple trees hint at turning bronze, then gold, even orange...Fall is in the air... Summer was short and cool, now fall is here warm and unseasonably dry...Herb runs sprinklers daily but with no measurable rain for nearly two months our ground has huge cracks, and is hard and unforgiving...We need moisture, but I won't wish for rain because it brings cooler temperatures, so I will bask in the sun as long as possible, keeping winter at bay.

We finished the dill pickles yesterday with a total of 19 pints and 9 quarts, some hot garlic and some just garlic dills...Roasted 3 more pans of tomatoes and still have 50#'s to go...The sweet pickles are in brine and ready to be sliced, sweetened and processed before going on the cellar shelves...Pears and peaches are slowly ripening...Maybe I will have time to do a little yard saling tomorrow and help out for a couple of hours at the "Fishtrap" cleaning out sale...Will walk with Pat again today, have sorority meeting tonight (I'm making dessert), maybe go to LaGrande on Saturday to niece Sue's big "Six OOOhhhhh", birthday celebration...Hugs to all...~OWAV:)