Saturday night we had the first “killing frost” of the fall. I thought that those of you whose weather remains among freezing would like to see the results of such a frost on my annual zinnia bed. Overnight, the plants die and the flowers wither. On the left is the July view, on the right the view this morning. I take a deep sigh and realize that winter is around the corner for sure.
My husband has swapped out all the screens for the storm windows. This is an annual November ritual which brings both the joy of the quiet and the recognition that the cold is settling in. He also puts all the wooden strips he made a few year ago to seal the edges of our old windows. They are lovely with their wood frames, but used to let quite a lot of cold air in. The air conditioners are stored until next May. We turn the furnace up in the mornings, having it turned down while we sleep. We haven’t converted to a digital one, preferring to set it ourselves.
The snowblower is ready in case the snow forecast for this Friday actually occurs. The lawnmower hasn’t been stored yet since my husband uses it to chop up leaves into mulch. But soon it will be drained of gasoline and the blades taken of to be sharpened. The afternoons are dark around 4:30 and it will be a many months before the grass will grow enough to be cut.
I made an apple pie to reward my master gardener, but also as a signal that fall is really here. Soup tonight and maybe a stack of good books for the long evenings to come.
Saved By Words 
Think positively about the winter – the diet is better and the range of activities (reading, sitting at the fire, etc) are much better than in other seasons
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I love that in winter I am rarely accused of sloth! Too busy reading, writing, thinking and cooking.
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Ah, no wonder it is called ‘New England’.
Dark here at 4:20 today. One degree (C) forecast for tomorrow morning, and the heating is on tonight.
We skipped Autumn, and went straight to Winter. 😦
Best wishes, Pete.
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That is one of the annoying facts here too.
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Winter is closer than I realized.
I hope you have a wonderful week.
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Thank you.
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Hope you don’t get snow this soon as winter is long enough! We had a lot of snow here last winter and I’m expecting more this year. Soup and apple apple sound wonderful. I think I’ll go with a roast and apple crisp both a bit easier! 😁
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I do like soup. Takes some time but lasts for a few meals with bread and salad.
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Wiinter draws on (as the BBC once banned comedians from saying).
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Really?
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Oh those Zinnias. You can always save the dried flowers for next season of planting but since they are annuals, you can expect them to grow again after winter.
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Ours won’t reseed, but a new packet is only a little bit of money, so I will buy new ones.
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You could have saved the dry flowers. I love the different colors of Zinnia.
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Your post and photos caught the essence of autumn. Beautiful!
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Thank you.
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Sounds like cozy times are to come!
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Soup, books and a cozy, warm house sound inviting given the cold that is here and snow that will eventually get here.
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Snow already there? We are waiting until Friday morning. I made great chicken leek soup last night.
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My daughter too told me about the preparations for winter. I like reading about it because it is such a different life.
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I feel the same reading about yours. It is great fun to learn about different climates, culture and food.
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It has been so hot here, Elizabeth, I find it quite difficult to think of it being cold anywhere. I honestly prefer the cold to this relentless heat that leaves you feeling tired and listless.
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I prefer the cold also. I think it is much easier to put on a warm coat or an extra blanket than to cool off.
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