prepping for first frost

 

Our first frost is coming early.  Sadly this means all delicate plants with fruit needed to be harvested.

So the kids and I headed to the gardens to pick and bring in all we could.

The loofah gourds were harvested; six in number.

The butternut squash were harvested with hopes that they will still ripen on the counter in a warm spot. I purposely left long stems on them.

All the green tomatoes were picked and left to ripen on their own.  

As they ripen, they are put in the freezer for tomato sauce or something else.  These cherry tomatoes have been absolutely amazing!  So I am very glad the plant is in a pot to bring indoors until the frost passes.  Happy to have the Chocolate Cherry variety to save seed from.

We harvested the giant watermelon as well despite the fact it wasn't ready.  But oddly enough, it was mealy, and flavorless.  So the chickens and turkeys received an amazingly large melon.

There have also been several zucchini this last week from the vine I was sure I killed months ago.  This vine has proven to be very resistant to squash bugs and vine borers.  I am so glad I saved seed from it. 

Caleb picked some flowers and I harvested a small handful of toothache plant in order to make a little more tincture for tooth pain. The plant is a perennial so I plan to dig it up and transplant it into the kitchen garden.

I have a few sandwich bags of jalapenos to use for something.  I may just dehydrate them for powder or ferment them for slices. 

The gardens need to be cleaned up and garlic planted.  Some of my herbs need transplanting and perhaps some brought in for safe keeping. This frost is actually a freak thing, and disappointing to say the least, but I will go through the punches and accept what comes my way.  

UPDATE: SULLY CAME HOME. As for animals, we are missing our cat, Sully.  He hasn't been seen for a few days.  Al and the kids have looked the roads, but didn't find anything.  We hope he just went on a journey, but his brother, Max, was meowing pathetically for him this morning which tells me he hasn't been around for a while. 

The sheep were let onto the last pasture so will need to have hay this week as well as a shelter added to their space. 

The goats will need to be brought in from pasture as well, hay bale given, and pasture mowed down.  

We still need to process some turkeys and chickens, and put up new pastures for them. Some chickens will be put into the garden to help clean up the ridiculous amount of bugs. Hopefully they won't destroy the potatoes.  

I guess that sums it up.  Not much else of interest to you all.