Indian Summer

According to my definition: sunny, still, dry, hazy—with temperature over 70 after a hard frost. Today qualifies.

Yesterday’s blog post was designed to go on the Arboretum website, but would not post because of technical issues. So I put it here. Parsimony or conservation of energy might be an excuse. Certainly not laziness.

Today, the farmer’s market in Janesville. Downtown JVille is working hard on a comeback, and has the feel of a European plaza.

Arboretum From Above

A wonderful place, especially in October.
Warm, inviting, tranquil, gorgeous, restorative. The hundreds of new plantings are thriving. 
In one area, what used to be bare sidewalk is now a tunnel of trees and bushes, many of which have ID tags.
And while you’re at it, as a little challenge, walk around and see if you can find the three new sycamores and the three new hemlocks.

Important Election

In my view, the future of democracy is on the ballot.

Anyone not registered? Registration is now on at municipal clerk offices and is on until November 1. Of course, it’s also possible to register on election day, November 5, but why risk it. In Wisconsin, in-person early voting is from October 22 to November 3. Probably a sensible way to make sure you get to vote.
Everything any voter needs to know is at MyVoteWisconsin. Also important to vote NO on Wisconsin constitutional amendment. League of Women Voters explains why here.

Spread the word.

Prairie Views

Bright sun, clear sky, little wind. Barometer high. Hard frost last night.

The big show is almost ended by the first hard frosts. Although the tall grasses provide an encore with their rich burst of golds, winey russets, and shades of bronze, the great host of prairie flowers now exists only as dried stalks with stripped seed heads, and a few pods clinging to frost-blighted stems. Then even the grasses begin to bleach and fade; the prairie is assuming winter dress, a sere monotone with all life gone underground to await another spring.
The wreckage of the great vegetative tides still functions in behalf of the prairie biota — providing deep forms and snug coverts for the foxes and coyotes, prairie chickens, quail, pheasants, rabbits and hares and meadow mice, and all the beleaguered little critters that must stay awake through the winter and so desperately need shelter from the sharpening, never-ending wind.
Nothing has been wasted; nothing has really died or gone. The prairie pendulum has swung to one limit, and has already begun to return, and in a few bleak months there will be pasqueflowers again.
Where the Sky Began, John Madson

Big Leaf…

…little leaf.

The big leaf is sycamore, the small ones honey locust. But to be fair, the little ones are really leaflets, part of a bigger compound leaf.

Light frost last night; freeze warning tonight. Interestingly, the average first day of frost around here is about October 15.

Robins Mobbing…

…Vi’s native crabapple tree. Lots of fruit left, but it’s going fast.
Also, there is really no need to buy a new truck.

Fourteen mile bike ride, and a batch of savory (cheddar. bacon, chives) scones, on today’s agenda. Fun and yum.

Another Need To Vote NO

One again the gerrymandered Wisconsin MAGA legislature has worked to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot— and once again trickily worded and confusing.

The MAGAs want to change constitutional wording from “every citizen has the right to vote” to “only citizens have the right to vote,” plus some other unhelpful verbiage. The idea here is to create division, sow doubt, scare voters, and to set up future voter restrictions.

The MAGAs think this will help them retain power.

Here’s a link to League of Women Voters statement on the issue

While lovers of democracy like to vote yes, this is another instance of being forced to VOTE NO.

A Neat, Well-Ordered Place

To me, a garden should have esthetic appeal. I’m not big on overgrown, ramshackle tangles. This reconfigured garden here may be a bit structured, but….
The rhubarb has been divided and replanted all along the back fence. The raspberry strip and the asparagus strip have been turned and await spring planting. Everything else will be weed-free grass except for an anticipated cherry tree. The compost bins have been rotated on their annual three-year cycle.

As for weather, we actually had rumbles of thunder and several short-duration episodes of rain.

Fiber Optic

First there was dial-up, then single pair DSL, then double pair DSL, then the Verizon wireless Internet gateway, and now, fiber.

It seems to me that wireless is the future, but nothing beats fiber, and when you have fiber in your front yard it doesn’t make sense to not connect to it. While it is a bit more expensive than the wireless, the fiber connection is at a fixed price whereas the Verizon deal is at a promotional price and certain to come close to the fiber price once the promotion expires. 

While the average wireless speed of about 50 Mbs was perfectly adequate, it’s hard to argue with a speed significantly more than 10 times faster. (In Canada we get by with 10 Mbs.)

Sunny and very warm, but with a good SW breeze and the occasional cloud, so maybe a pattern change is in the air. Neighbor dinner this evening, and I’m betting that my squash soup will be the star of the show (it tastes pretty good).

—Nope, it was Sylvia’s carrot cake.

Beets

Twenty-six quarts, maybe a record, but certainly a full day’s job. Having had lots of practice, the steps are well orchestrated and smoothly executed.

A bushel of beets is all one might need.

Another day of perfect weather—nary a cloud, nary a puff of wind, neither hot nor cold.

Hurricane Weather

While Florida suffers, the weather pattern in the upper Midwest remains perfect, if you like perfect weather. Only downside, extreme dryness.

The garden conversion continues apace. Above, the future raspberry strip, 14 inches wide by 25 feet long , with upper and lower guidelines.

Beet pickling tomorrow.