It caught me by surprise. The
early October frost.
C’mon, you say, you really
ought to know better. After the
cool, damp summer, simple logic
says the fell chill-no, make that
cold-would show up earlier than
“normal.” Whatever that is
anymore.
But, see, I kept hoping. Hoping
that the welcome, late-September
visit of warm, sunny, dryness
would hang around a few more
days. That it would ripen up a few
h '■ ■ - • - ' 1 : • ■>,'
more of those dwindling, last
tomatoes. Nudge the fattening
buds of the chrysanthemums into
color. Redden a few more of the
jalepeno peppers.
Even when I had crawled out of
the cozy warmth of the car the
evening before, returning home
from a distant meeting, and was
slapped in the face by the brisk
night temperature, I really hadn’t
suspected it That did send me
hustling to close the greenhouse
door, though, which had been left
standing wide open tor ventilation
from the day’s earlier sunshine.
Even when 1 headed to the bam
before daylight, having snuggled
into my favorite downy vest over a
couple of other layers, the frost
possibility had eluded my brain.
Weather forecasters were calling
for it by nightfall, leaving some
daytime houir to gather in, cover
up, tuck away those tender plants.
But no. Returning to the house
after helping to switch the milking
string of cows, there it was. The
early morning flood of sunlight
over the distant trees sparkled and
danced off the white dusting,
highlight it, showing it off. A
white dusting across the dead
grass of the lawn. Over the tops of
the roum bales lined up below the
pond.
After calf chores, I made the
rounds of the garden, assessing
damages. Actually, there seemed
to be few, but this dusting, this
warning, would force facing the
inevitable.
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munities and citizens. To help reduce the num
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The conference, titled “Reducing Youth Ac
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broadcast on Wednesday, October 16 from 8:30
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The tomatoes had peaked
weeks ago, though stragglers on a
steady basis were keeping us in
sandwiches and salads. Now, at
mid-morning, the top leaves of the
tired stalks hung limp and slightly
darkened. I gather several hand
fuls of orange and yellowish
tomatoes, most of them of rather
small size.
My pair of peppers plants had
mostly escaped die light chilling.
But the impending one predicted
by nightfall would finish the job.
Another couple of handfuls of
green peppers went into the
basket. The single plant of jalepe
nos hung heavy with both red-ripe
and still-green hot peppers. While
we didn’t really need all those
mouth burners, I couln’t bear to
see them just hang on the stalk and
be wasted.
Several more handfuls of gar
den salvage went into the basket.
Marigolds, tough as they are,
had shrugged off their goose
bumps and remained their perky,
yellow-bloomed selves. But cen
ters of the zinnias were already
disfigured, their inner petals dark
ened and transparent-looking.
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And the bright red, green, and
white leaves of the row of cala
diums hung limply to the ground.
I’d fitted the greenhouse with a
new innerlining of plastic just
days before, in anticipation of this
day. So, back into shelter from
their vacationing spots on porches
went pots of assorted tender
plants. Cacti, ferns, and die Nor
folk Island pine that does double
duty during the Christinas season
as our holiday tree. Hanging
baskets of spider plant and Swed
ish ivy. Planters of impadens cov
ered with blooms. And probably
seme bugs along with it all.
All this done with an extra
hustle in our step, due both to the
urgency and trying to keep warm.
And though we feel a little more
prepared. I’m never quite mental
ly ready to part with the fruits and
the greenery of the growing and
gardening season. Good thing I’m
not in charge of turning off the
heat.
But, there’s an up side to every
thing. Few things look better to a
gardener than limp, black, dying
weeds.
Farewell. And good riddance.
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The videoconference will demonstrate how
community efforts can prevent nicotine addic
tion among children and teens. Participants will
leant how to promote awareness of youth and
tobacco issues, monitor tobacco vendors for
compliance with the existing law and help retail
ers train their employees. The morning program
will close with the conference participants de
veloping action plans for their community.
For more information, call (800) PSU-1010
toll-free until October 16.
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