What? September is almost over? Already?

It has been raining here for a couple of days. Rachel and Maggie planted some things out in the garden and we are happy to see them get watered in. The grass is so green. The sky in late September has a different hue than early September. The wind is still gentle here in our little valley. The cooler temperatures let me know that brazen wind will be making her way to our neck of the woods before too long.

Weekends on the farm are crazy busy here. I bake on Friday to get ready for the farmer's market. Usually I get up in the darkest of dark on Friday morning to grind the wheat and begin the breadmaking. Yesterday I decided to get up in the not quite so dark of morning to have breakfast, do chores, spend a little time on schoolwork with the children and mostly wash piles of laundry. And help a couple of little girls clean their bedroom. And scrub my VERY DIRTY stove that had been rather fully employed with canning and cheesemaking and other cooking chores. Since I typically like being up at night I thought it might be novel to try to rearrange the baking to evening hours. I began to mill the wheat berries into flour about 5pm.

I don't think I am such a late-night person anymore.

By 11:30 I was very sleepy. But with significant amount of loaves remaining to be baked. I soldiered on and went to bed way past my bedtime and got up way too early, but had over 2 dozen pizza crusts, over 2 1/2 dozen loaves of bread, brownie mix, pancake mix to show for my efforts. A small offering compared to some other weekends, but enough.

Going to the farmer's market to sell our farm goods has been great for our family. We have the opportunity to educate people about healthy foods and fun recipes. We meet new friends as we get to know our customers. We develop relationships and sense of community as we hang out with fellow farmers. We receive encouragement as many people return to buy our products and let us know how much they enjoy their farm fresh food.

This afternoon Thomas and Philip stayed home and cleaned up the kitchen from our baking frenzy. Then they moved the pigs to another section of the garden. Then they went to finish putting a roof on the new chicken house out in the pasture. The rest of the gang and I ate many yummy sandwiches with our bread and our fellow farmer's bacon and tomatoes and mayo, then joined our band of Botetourt Family Farmers. We brainstormed, ate cake, drank coffee, brainstormed some more then went home. I was very happy to live in the Blue Ridge mountains as we drove the windy road home this fine fall afternoon.

Clouds like to tuck themselves into the nooks and crannies of the mountains on misty days like today. Goldenrod glows against the blue-green of the ridge. Ducks splash in puddles, stream babbles. Rose decides it is cool enough to build a fire in the dining room fireplace. Boys take their book and find a corner for reading. Nora oversees Rose. I sit down, read blogs I like, write a little, take a break. Look out the window at the fog rolling in. Listen to crackling fire. In a few minutes I will go milk Coco. Check out the dark sky. Moon is not visible these days. I noticed that the bread didn't rise quite as nicely as days when the moon is bright. But that is okay. It still tastes good. Dark fall days are great for early tucking-in evenings. Maybe we better have milk and bread and butter for supper in front of the fireplace. Seems like a good evening to start a new read aloud book with the kids.