Fall has arrived at Sparrow Haven. The official first day of fall was September 22 this year and it was warm and humid. But, the week before saw fall arrive with a shout of surprise as the temperatures dropped down to single digits at night and highs of less than 20º C in the day.
OF course it was no surprise to those who pay attention to the world around them. The goldenrod started blooming in August this year. It started out in small patches scattered over the area on August 15th but by the end of August it was in full bloom every where. If you know the old wives tale then you know that means frost 6 weeks from the first blooming of the goldenrod.
The geese started flocking up not long after the goldenrod was in full bloom. We hear small V's of them going over in the evenings and mornings as they come and go from the river. Over the next two weeks the flocks will get bigger and bigger then they will all head South for the winter. It is always an impressive sight to see flocks of thousands take the the air and head out for the winter feeding grounds, but it also means the snow will fly soon.
The garden is still going. The green beans are winding down but the root vegetables, beets and carrots, are still going strong. I did get a fall planting of green peas in back in August. The plants are not about a foot tall and seem to be enjoying the weather, though they would probably prefer more water as it has been rather dry so far this month.
Soon, maybe another two or three weeks, it will be time to wrap the bottom of the chicken coop with plastic and insulate it with straw bales. This year we're going to add a second heat lamp under the coop so the chickens can sit in the sun coming through the clear plastic on the front of the coop and have some extra warmth during the day and early evenings. I'm not sure how cold it will be this winter but I'm hoping this new setup will help prevent frostbite on the chickens combs this year.
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