More Fall in Vermont.

10-17-17 VERMONT: We have combined chores with leaf peeping. Judy and I put all the outdoor benches away. I did a last pond treatment. I pulled most of the bed guards and all the plant supports. We drove up to Stowe to look for color, on Phyllis’ suggestion, and found one stretch of Rte. 108 that had a lot of red. We drove back on Rte. 100 along the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest and then took Bethel Mountain Rd. back to Sharon. It was all beautiful, deep valleys, mountain streams, waterfalls, mountain top views, but only scattered areas of color.

I sawed up the big broken limb of the red maple in the yard and a couple downed trees in the pasture, all on one tank of chainsaw fuel. The cut up pasture trees I just moved to the edge of the woody areas so that the pasture can be mowed. The big branch in the yard I cut up for the woodpile and split it the next day. The rotted parts and branch debris got dumped on the compost piles.

We had a couple days with Phil and Jackie, visiting from Arizona. We took Phil to see the alpacas and llamas at Janet and Bill’s.

Judy picked a last batch of tomatoes and made pesto with garden basil, just before a frost hit the garden last night. We need more frost to encourage the garden plants to go dormant so I can do the clean up in November. The fish are still active in the pond, and a flock of robins are eating crab apples.

Judy went back to NJ today, and I go tomorrow.

New blooms: witchhazel.


Some color our trip to Stowe.

The grass is still green, even if the leaves are turning.

Nice red and orange.

Not a selfie.

Witchhazel has tiny, late season flowers. They're easy to miss.

This foxglove has been blooming all season. I hope it survives the winter.

Lily the palomino, lives up the street.