Time Of The Season

For as long as I can remember that song has always been a particular favorite of mine and forever conjures up some kind of connection to this time of year that I can't quite put my finger on but is definitely there. And, since it was done by The Zombies, I figured it was more than appropriate enough for a post-Halloween/ Dia de Muertos post.  The album upon which it appeared was released in 1968 also, the year I was born, so that is just further proof I am actually an old hippie, born about a decade too late.  Lol!  Well, my oldest brother was 8 years my senior so my childhood years were spent listening to Steppenwolf, 3 Dog Night, The Doors and so on.  Not exactly the target audience of such music but it left a lasting impression on me for sure.
It wasn't until my 20s and maybe early 30s that I really indulged myself in the spirit of that time and music and I have to say, it was enjoyable.

We've had some cooler weather the past few weeks but today turned decidedly cold.  The wind picked up too and so it made for a day best spent by a warm fire with a hot, filling meal.  The girls seemed about as happy with the change as I was and stayed under the deck most of the time until the late afternoon brought a calm to the wind.  They ventured out at that point but it didn't take them long to end up in the garden.  They fuss and fuss to get out of there in the morning but then voluntarily go back in the afternoon.  But, hell, they're chickens.  Whadya do?

The day was so bright and clear it was hard to stay inside the whole time though and I took Chigger for a walk up the ridge.  There she managed to run a raccoon up a large oak tree and that pleased her to no end.
The coon did not seem particularly impressed.

 I managed to plant some broccoli and brussel sprouts but don't have very high hopes of them doing much at this point.  Even in the south if you want such crops to actually produce they must be planted when the ground is still warm and can foster actual growth.  They can survive winter temps here fine but don't do much growing during that time.  It was a last ditch effort on my part to be honest.  We may have a warm spell that would spur them on to produce but if our last few winters are any indication, that's not likely.  The lettuce mix I planted has sprouted though and will likely come up enough for me to get a decent harvest through the last of the fall.  My cold frame is pretty decrepit at this point and I need to go ahead and rebuild it in a new location, or I would sow some stuff there.

A few of the girls have not totally finished their change into winter clothes and biting cold days like today are fairly uncomfortable.  Greta just tried to hunker down between the tomato plants but the best bet was to just go inside.  That's been my strategy lately too.  Inside that is, not the tomato plants.  I got the results of my MRI and the official word from that was that I have "subchondral edema at the iliac margin of the SP joint."  In other words, my butt joint is swollen at the bone or, as we used to say in construction, I've got a sore ass.  Well seriously, it may be some type of odd arthritis, I don't know and neither do they exactly, at this point.  The BFD put me on a steroid pack to see if it would help the swelling and pain but so far, no such luck.  Now, you long time readers know I must really be in pain to take steroids and it is sort of a last resort for me.  And admittedly, if the BFD told me to I am more likely to follow his directions but, unfortunately, it has not helped.  I don't know what the next step is.

So, I do little bits here and there.  Lots of stuff to keep me standing up and not tempted to sit but eventually you kinda have to.  Since we are expecting lows int he 20s tonight I harvested all the herbs that I had been meaning to that would be affected, like the parsley and some sage, etc.  I picked all the cayenne peppers and have dehydrated a large batch to grind and I cut the few marigolds that the chickens had not absolutely trampled on for an inside bouquet.  They are one of my favorite summer flowers and I wanted to cling to their sunny beauty for as long as possible before the cold winter claims everything.