Finally, the nights are cool enough for that extra blanket. It seems strange that tropical storms are still coming off the coast of Africa. Let’s hope we don’t get any of them.

I’m still committed to the preserving of food. I cooked up several small sugar pumpkins that did not seem ready for long storage. It’s an involved task. The scooping out of seeds takes time and effort.

A person could bake the cut halves, but I did not want the oven heat in the kitchen. A slow crockpot will do the trick. The big ones hold several quartered pieces. The skins will slip right off. I froze the resulting chunks.

One of our favorite ways to eat it is to put it back into the crockpot with several eggs, cream, maple sugar and cinnamon. It’s pie without the crust.

Honestly, I don’t know why I bother. I grew some absolutely beautiful cantaloupes. I ate two; that’s it! The day the others ripened, some critter beat me to them. I can’t say I blame them.

As I write, I’m surrounded by baskets of apples. Most came from my own trees. Some unknown person dropped off a good amount at the front door. Thank you, whoever you are!

Guess I need to get busy. I think I’ll make them into sauce.

Cider is the way to go but an inordinate amount is needed in order to justify the hauling out of the press. One year, I filled the back of a pickup truck with bushels and processed over 50 quarts of delicious cider, People ask why I could possibly do that much but think annually.

I’ve saved and re-used the same mason jars for over 50 years. Like everything else, they are better made than the newly-purchased: they have thicker glass and sturdier rims. We live in a throw-away world,

I’m not crazy about the over-used Miscanthus ornamental grasses. For starters, they throw babies all over the place and will deliver a nasty cut if you brush up against them. Forget trying to move them .The root system is like concrete.

Recently, while en route to Katama, I passed a newly-cut cornfield. It was covered with nearly 100 Canada geese. They are the original gleaners. Do they ever fly further south in the winter? They seem to be here year round.

On Tuesday night, PBS ran a documentary on Jimmy Carter, I have spoken in the past of my admiration for the former president. The show highlighted his honesty, integrity and service to his fellow man. From the Camp David accord to his work with river blindness in Africa, the man has worked tirelessly way past his short time in office.

His first comment at his inauguration was to thank Gerald Ford for healing our nation.

Contrasted with our most recent former president, we wonder about the office. It’s true that the presidency reveals the true nature of the person.