We're having a wonderful Fall

WOW - the time has gone by since my last writing. Since then (August) the temperatures have dropped to the 40's overnight and we are having high temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's during the day. This past weekend was beautiful. We had rain on Friday, so that didn't interfere with our weekend activities. We had a great visit with our friends Chuck and Danielle from Dallas. We grilled steaks and roasted broccali with garlic, and had leftover birthday cake for dessert. On Saturday, we got the Desoto out and drove to Canton Lake, and then had a bonfire after dark up by the barn. Even the animals had a good time, sitting on laps, chasing grasshoppers, and begging for scraps. It was a lovely clear evening and we watched the moon rise behind the trees. I am always inspired when friends come to visit and we talk about different ideas for things we can do on the property.

Watonga held its 34th annual Cheese Festival over the second weekend in October. Andy and I were both very involved and the weekend went well. We even had "Watonga cheese" though it's not made here in town anymore. But it is the same family of owners using the same recipe. Andy was the Entertainment Commmittee chairman and arranged for two stages to be going all weekend. I was the Art Show Committee chairman and had approx 16 booths, with a wide range of art, from oil paintings, turned wood bowls, photography, pottery, basket weaving, and glass jewelry. I am eager for next year's show and hope to get more native american artists to participate.

The vegetable garden is still producing peppers, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes, and a cucumber here and there. I have some parsley and spinach growing, but the grasshoppers have destroyed the okra, though we did get enough to pickle a few jars. Local farmers tell me that some years are bad with grasshoppers and some years aren't so bad -- I am hoping next year will be "not so bad", as this year they were like a plague. And they are still feasting, this late in the year. They don't go for the herbs, but they have definitely eaten a lot of the ornamentals (even monkey grass) almost down to the ground.
Chuck showed me that the Turk's cap plant produces edible berries this time of year, so we will put some into a salad this weekend. The nasturtium hasn't bloomed this year, but I planted those seeds kind of late in the season so I have no expectations -- the leaves are pretty to look at by themselves.