Over the weekend we had our first frost. Two nights in a row with below the freezing mark on the thermometer. I don't have much care for getting out before the sun on cold mornings like that. I'd rather stay inside, tend the wood stove and enjoy the morning coffee and light moving thru the windows.
We are only two years into keeping the chickens here and as such I am still a bit unsure of things like how cold is cold to a chicken. What makes it even more perplexing is that although the thermometer is reading below the freezing mark, I go out and don't feel awful, but then again, I am dressed well and can return inside when I want. I suppose I will put the shutter on the last window that lets in cold air, just to be on the safe side.
So now is the time for fires at night and in the morning and during the day we'll just let the sun warm up the place. The trees are showing more orange, yellow, and red than green and the air seems to be constantly filled with falling leaves. Now, instead of ducking into a shady spot, I find I tend to move into the direct light and warmth of the sun.
The new roof is on the shop and that is a comfort. I just hope none of the big oak trees happens to fall down on it after all that work. The kitchen is full of food and cooking seems to be the main activity indoors. Caning and drying and freezing so that thru the winter we have many choices of tasty things to eat.
While working the market yesterday I looked up to the north and thought that the dark edge on the clouds signaled a bit of rain possibly coming down on us. I was wrong, what came down was snow flurries. It is the middle of Autumn.
