Dear Friends and Family,

The market season at Glasgow ended two weeks ago with a grand feast under the trees in the church yard. We had a gorgeous day- sunny and cool. All the vendors contributed dishes from their season. Thirty of us (vendors and customers) sat around a long table covered with the white cloths. I made a roasted garlic-butternut soup that featured, naturally, our own butternuts, garlic, sage. I did get carried away in the making of it- doubled the recipe. That meant peeling 8 pounds of butternuts. About halfway through I thought why am I doing this? As it turned out I needed only one half for the market meal. We had the other half as part of the feast for a farm workshop day that Monday. (Obviously some higher Widsom had been at work).

We had had enough rain at the beginning of the month to revive the zinnia crop. I had lovely flowers to bring for those last two weeks. I experimented with purple (Thai) basil and okra (bright green) pods for contrast. I've become rather good at arranging bouquets for the altar. There is something about trying to get two to more-or-less match. Always when I place them on their shelves I am tempted to keep adjusting, adding, subtracting, until I finally break off a head or cut a stem too short. I take that as a reminder that they are glorious flowers given for the glory of God. So enough already. The zinnia beds at the old farm also came into their full glory after the rain. I harvested them for the Nashville market -buckets of large, vivid blooms in amazing abundance. Then on Saturday night the 18th we had a frost that ended the flower season.

During that same week we had a visit from Daniel's mother, Jeannie, and grandmother, Betty. He helped them get settled in the A-frame. They quickly became members of the family, helping with all the varied activities of the farm. Even better, they treated us to some real Shreveport home-cooking: meat-cakes in onion gravy one day and chicken and dumplings the next. We are still talking about those wonderfully satisfying meals. Jeannie spent some of her time documenting their visit with a new camera she wanted to practice using. She left us with a whole disc of slides. When I get someone to show me how, I will try to put a few online for "public" view. There a quite a few of me working with Earl. Another long story...

When I got home the day of our market feast at Glasgow I was really tired. I took a short nap. Still tired when I got up I went out to sit on my deck in the warm afternoon sunshine. As I was reading a newspaper I became aware of a great rustling of leaves from across the creek. I got up to look. All the animals were running toward the other end of the pasture. As I ran over to my side of the creek I saw Blue Bell and some of the sheep emerge on my side of the creek further down toward the A-frame. The others who had not yet got out were setting up a great cacophony of baaing. Since they were all headed into the fenced pasture area behind the house I drove over there to close the driveway gate and the barn gate.

When I came back I drove my car down toward the creek to partially close the gap between the upper pasture fencing and the creek. I drove my Dakota into the gap and backed it toward the upper pasture fence, still leaving several car lengths of gap between the truck and my car. Then I took up my post at the gap, figuring the van would soon be back from Nashville. That was around 4. Every so often Blue Bell or one of the sheep would come toward the gap. With both arms spread wide I'd walk toward them until they turned back the other way. After a while it started to get dark. I began to think if I could get someone to help me we could move a couple of chicken tractors into the remaining gap and I would be done. I got only answering machines. Finally I heard the sound of the van slowing down. I waved them down. In no time the animals were secured in the upper pasture. But no Earl. Apparantly he hadn't got out of the old pasture. Paul went over to call him but he would not come. So I volunteered to see if I could get him to come to me. Sasha and I went back across the creek and into the pasture. I started talking to Earl as I have done on some other occasions when I've just visited with him to scratch his ears or pat him. He let me approach him. Sasha handed me the lead rope. Earl came a few steps toward me so I could hold his halter and snap on the lead. I led him out of the pastue and across the creek up toward the new pasture. Robin opened the gate so I could lead him inside, give him some good-boy pats, and unsnap the lead. Since then I've led him when the animals change pastures, bought him a new halter, rubbed some of his old sores with Bag Balm, brushed him. Seems to be something to do each day...

The wind came up last night and continues today. An arctic front is moving in to "end the growing season" according to the forecasts. Many of the leaves are already gone from the trees but the red maple in front of my house and the one on the side have kept enough of their lower leaves that I get a splendid view of bright red color when I look out my windows. The yellow maple outside the kitchen door is just beginning to turn. Still has most of its leaves. I guess by tomorrow there will be a lot fewer. I love the afternoon light that comes through those golden leaves- a kind of evening benediction. Love, Louise