“It’s so quiet here,” Thomas the Brit whispered when he stepped out of the car at the Farm. And for a moment, he was right. The sun was setting, no cars or airplanes or mowers marred the twilight hush.
But not many moments passed after his utterance before …
BONG! ……… BOOM! … KRRANG!
“It’s a boom year for acorns – and now they’re falling everywhere, playing the farm like a giant xylophone,” I explained. Every metal roof, every garbage can, stainless steel table, 55 gallon drum, and bucket were in play as Mother Nature performed her percussive acorn jam around us.
And then the singers joined in – not coyotes, not whip-poor-wills, but … “what the hell?”, Thomas asked.
“Monkeys,” I matter-of-factly replied.
I don’t know if he believed me for a moment or not, but I couldn’t blame him if he did – it really did sound like a couple of agitated apes were throwing down in the nearby trees. Then the monkey cacophony transformed into a much more recognizable voice; owls. The barred owls delivered their hooting, screeching, echoing duet. The silence here is pleasant, but the planggging acorns and war-crying owls are downright cozy, as only the sound of home can be.
(Thomas, however, may have had to adjust a bit.)
This week, we gleaned several boxes of apples from our friend Victory. Perhaps hundreds have been eaten plain, while perhaps millions have been crushed into juice or peeled/cored/sliced into tidy attractive bits, for use in canned goods or baked crisps. A five gallon batch of cider is fermenting away, and we look forward to apple sauce throughout the winter.
tart! 
crushing before juicing
And apples aren’t even the most autumnal thing going on – Marty & Ben helped get the winter woodpiles moved into place in sturdy covered stacks. I made a photo of the woodpiles the wallpaper on my phone – it just brings such a pleasant feeling, knowing we have enough dry, dense oak to get us through the winter.
Which reminds me – the end-of-year party is coming soon – on October 13th! Oh boy, we have some tidying up to do! I hope you can make it out; it’ll be great to get to see everyone, especially since we rarely get to chat with anyone at the drop sites anymore, with the new demands of the baby!
when the “scouting mission” becomes an unprepared forage 
driving home the wild grape haul for processing 
wild grape juicing
In the Box
Norland Red Potatoes – would make a wonderful soup with your:
Leeks!
Parsley – also good in Potato-Leek soup … but that’s a lot of Parsley! Can use some to make tabouli, or chimichurri – or you can dry it for future use.
3 Potentially-Magic Apples – might contain a Genie or make you fall asleep or just taste quite yummy.
Edamame – bigger, better, more! Shell and add to stir-fry, or boil in salt water and snack upon, or make hummus perhaps? We had to plant them three times before we got a crop that wasn’t mysteriously vanished by unknown voracious magician critters. Thank goodness we didn’t get an early frost this year!
Ground Cherries
Baby & Adolescent Broccoli
Heirloom & Cherry Tomatoes
Early Jersey Wakefield Green Cabbage – cole slaw? Or sautee … delicious if browned in a pan with butter! Last cabbage of the year.
A Ripe Sweet Pepper Medley
