The 2013 growing season came to an end last night with the first freeze of the fall. When I woke up this morning, it was 26 degrees and the ground was covered in thick white frost. 
A brisk walk around the farm revealed blackened and sagging flowers, mottled and falling leaves, and the last of the garden peppers reduced to mush inside skin. It is always, for me, the saddest morning of the year. It means no more digging in the dirt and no more daily joy watching my labor become food and flowers. Now all that’s left to do is tear out the dead plants and drag them to the compost pile.
I suppose the only saving grace of this inevitable transition is that it’s now woodstove season. I made my first fire this morning to warm up a 50-degree house. I hadn’t turned my heat on yet this fall, and now it’s up to Jotul to beat back the chill. The stove started right up, drew perfectly, and seems so happy to be back to work and the center of attention. It is the warm white heart of this home.
I’ll be back soon with the 2013 garden success and failure post, as well as more info on all sorts of projects that I didn’t get a chance to write about during the busyness of summer. But now it’s time to go put another log on the fire.
I was very sad to see our first frost last week. I had planted my spaghetti squash too late and the frost got them before they ripened. About two dozen squash went into the compost.
I sure wish we had a stove or fireplace. My boyfriend has heard me say that enough times I think he might me entertaining the idea but I am not getting my hopes up yet!
Save your pennies and get a Jotul! You won’t regret it. Best stove ever.
I hear you on the squash–I think I was a couple of weeks late with my winter greens, and now probably won’t harvest them until next spring!