Late Fall
The days are getting shorter and the mornings cold.
Our house is beginning to cool down even though the
angle of the sun now gives a few hours of thermal gain.
Mid day the house warms up, then when the sun goes
away the heat is absorbed into a few tons of concrete
and soil. The alternative energy system is struggling
along on less sun so we reduce our appliance usage.
Last week we had a few storms and they started supplying
our winter power, but it has not arrived yet. The pond
fills slowly as the water moves through the soil. I went
down and checked the hydroelectric system. It is
ready so now all we can do is wait.
The fantasy of a fall greenhouse crop has faded into history
and the greenhouse sits partially completed but full of water.
At least the covering is now in place and work can progress
this winter.
There were many fantasies and failures this year. The rice
crop did not mature because of a short growing season. The
experimental mushroom farm did not fruit for unknown reasons.
These failure now go into a large heap called experience
and history. They have lots of company. I still trip
over Chinese Mountain Yams sprouting in the garden.
On the success side we found that shallots can be stored
for close to two years and survive in a semi-wild state.
The kwintus beans did well and we were successful at picking
kiwi and grapes early before the birds got all of them.
Our apple crop was good and the porch still has a few crates
filled with produce.
Fall now begins to give way to winter and life takes a
new direction.
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jeff owens, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.xprt.net/~jko
underground house, solar power, self-reliance, edible landscape
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