Road trip

Last weekend, Man of the House and I hit the road to see some new sights and smell different air. For many reasons, we stayed close to home this summer and didn't have our usual array of adventures, so now we are trying to make up for lost time.

I like to hit thrift stores and antique malls when I travel. There's an element of serendipity, you never know what you are going to find in the shelves of a thrift store.

This time, out of the corner of my eye, I spied a box of Kerr's canning jars. There were a dozen half pint jars for a dollar!!! I scooped up my find and promptly bought it. The jars are dusty, as if they sat in Grandma's garage for a decade, but wash up nicely and will be filled up with yummy jam come next fruit season.

If at first you don't succeed...

I went into my winter veggie garden yesterday only to discover that some critter had very neatly nibbled away at every single leaf on every single broccoli seedling! Arugula and chard were left untouched, but the broccoli only had the leaf ribs left. Ah well. I will try again, probably wait until the seedlings are bigger before transplanting them. I grew broccoli in the winter garden several years ago and it was the best I have ever eaten. And apparently the critters think likewise...

Rain

The annual early fall rain storm came in on Wednesday. The previous weekend I had put arugula, lettuce and broccoli into the winter garden and it was such a treat to see the seedlings visibly perk up after their shower. The seedlings seem to be settling in nicely and this weekend they'll be joined by beet, radish and carrot seeds. So far, the winter garden plot seems to be working better than the summer garden and I'm cautiously optimistic...