An arrowhead

On Thanksgiving Day, I was blessed to be able to visit with my parents and all my siblings.  After a tasty meal, I took a walk outside.  Many times I have looked for arrowheads at my parents' property, but it seems my best finds are when I just happen to look down.  That's what happened Thursday, and I found this little arrowhead not far from the back steps.

It's fascinating to me to find something like this and think that someone else made it and used it ages ago.

Bonus potatoes

After I harvested my potatoes mid-summer, a few sprouts emerged where I had missed a few.  I let them grow.  Yesterday, I dug them up.  There were some new potatoes that formed on the original missed ones and the missed ones themselves were intact except for one large one that had been gnawed by a rodent.

 
I thought the largest potato of the ones I dug yesterday was one of the missed ones, but once I washed it, I found the skin was very thin and fragile like a new potato.  It turned out to have a hollow heart, but I salvaged enough to make about 3 half-cup servings for supper from that one potato.  (I cooked it in the microwave.)

It was fun to get the bonus potatoes.

First freeze

When our first freeze was forecast for Friday night, I gathered the peppers, butterbeans, and Oriental persimmons.  I really didn't know what to do with the persimmons.  They were not ripe yet, and I don't know how cold they can really take it; I also don't know how well they will ripen on the counter.  I left 4 hanging on the tree to see how they would do.  They were lower ones that had a little protection from overhanging branches.
The peppers did well this year and were still producing.  I made a half-hearted attempt to cover the plants with some old row covers, but the plants are a dark mush now.  The French marigolds that got the corners of the row covers seemed to fare considerably better.

 

The Oriental persimmons produced the most this year they ever have.

 

I had one last bloom on Lizzie's rose.

 

I stuck some of the French marigolds in a jug and brought them inside for the 2 coldest nights.  I will leave the bouquet on the porch for a few days.

 

I was trying to protect this tomato vine that volunteered by the compost pile,

but even with a pile of leaves on the north side and the row cover over it, it is mostly dark mush, as well.  The tomatoes were near the ground and I had covered them additionally with leaves, so I might be able to have some fried green tomatoes.







I also harvested a couple of more mushrooms this past week.

 

Of course, the collards and kale are thriving in the cooler temperatures.

 

It's mid-November, so it is time for a freeze.  I spent quite a bit of energy yesterday hauling sycamore and maple leaves to the compost pile.  Most of the leaves are down on the sugar maple and sycamore.  I will probably try to mulch the rest with the mower.  It's time to say good bye to all of summer and parts of fall.  Then it will be time to try to get a handle on some of the weedy vines in the border.



Putting the blues in bluegrass

Last night darling husband and son were at Java House in Bunn, NC.  (I sang a few songs, too.)  They were privileged to have Stan Temple, Jimmy Barrier, and Keith Aiken playing with them as well (on banjo, bass, and dobro).
It was a special treat to have our 87-year-old friend, Matt Nelson, in the audience.  I've been told if he has his pants on, he has a harmonica on him.  He obliged us by singing and playing "Kansas City Blues" and he stole the show.  Here is a snippet of it, posted on the Java House Facebook page.  I think Caleb is playing some pretty mean blues on the mandolin as well.
  https://www.facebook.com/javahousebunn/videos/1992416064376627/