Although the days are still pleasant, there is a chill and a hint of frost in the morning air these days. The cottonwood trees are beginning to turn freckled gold, the summer birds have all migrated away and the geese are flocking in ever growing numbers.
The osprey have been gone for a few weeks now, the last stragglers of this year's broods finally following their parents south. Deer are already heading to lower ground, as evident by a nice little four point buck in the neighbor's field near the edge of a small, nearby subdivision.
The fox in the field behind my house, only a month ago looking smooth and sleek, now grows the beginning of a thick winter coat.
Wading pools, lawn chairs and shade umbrellas are being stored away; leaf rakes and lawn mowers tidy up the last vestiges of summer, and storm windows and snow shovels are being dug out of garages, sheds and barns.
The remnants of my garden leaves behind evidence of a fruitful year. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, carrots, corn, onions and potatoes are now harvested and stored, canned or frozen for the winter months. The apple and pear trees, once bulging with fruit, now stand mostly bare and the returning magpies feast on the remainder of the crop. Hanging in the pantry are small paper bags, filled with herbs being dried for tea and a host of other herbal concoctions.
The smell of the harvest fills my house. On the kitchen table rows of jars are filled with apple or pear butter, pickled vegetables, canned fruit, salsa, and jellies of varying flavors.
Bags of wild huckleberries fill a shelf in the freezer, tiny purple pearls of delectable flavor, waiting to offer themselves for smoothies, pancakes, salad dressing, syrup and a variety of baked goods. The berry season was almost a month late this year, but well worth the wait for the fattest, juiciest hucks I've ever seen! They will be used sparingly, savoring every last one until next year's berries are ready for picking!
I feel a sense of great accomplishment in preparing all of the food from my very own garden. As the days get shorter and we cling to what's left of summer weather before saying farewell, I can sit back and relax, knowing that my freezer and pantry are well stocked. So long summer, hello fall!
