Frosty start

Balmy conditions have prevailed through much of October. Temp exceeded 60 degrees at dawn on Wednesday. Colder weather has moved in, as this frosty picture shows. The wood in the foreground, mainly red maple thinned to help out some oaks and sugar maples, is set for cutting this weekend, which will be quite sunny and pleasantly cool.

Minus 5.56

The title of today's post does not relate to a low temperature, at least not yet. Rather, -5.56 is the average daily electricity usage in kilowatt/hours for the house since the installation of our first solar meter on May 20, 2013. We're producing nearly 20 percent more electricity than using on an average day, thanks to the sun!

October days are filled with work and color. Who needs the leaves to change, when such a great carrot harvest can be dug up (a few radishes, too)

Even with many leaves down, there's still lovely color above!

Good as gold

Grand any day of the year, yellow birch stands good as gold in October especially.

Pure poetry

 Every October walk brings pure poetry.

Color coming out

 

Early autumn update

Fall weather means more harvesting! Some beautiful squash came up the hill yesterday from the neighborhood garden. Butternut is the fave here, but they're all wonderful.

This a.m., some forest thinning with the bowsaw netted nice wood that will be added to the cutting pile including the big birch taken down in early September. Both chainsaws will roar soon!

End of an old friend

One of the property's best paper birches had been showing signs of dieback in recent years. Additional crown death became evident this year, so a tank in each chainsaw started the process of turning the great tree into firewood. Hopefully the morning stays dry tomorrow, but splitting might not begin until Tuesday. Here are two pictures from the morning's action. It's a bummer to see the end of such a beautiful tree, but the wood will warm the house for a cold winter month, likely more than two years from now.