Day 46/365 The Not-So-Busy Season

Usually at this time of year, I am frantically alternating between listing on ebay, and boxing up "sold" ebay items, and, more often than not, taking a daily load of 15-20 boxes down to be shipped.

Not this year.

This year is my first relaxing Christmas season in 10 years. The bad part of this terrible economy is that it's affecting the average ebay seller as much as it's affecting the big stores, and it's much harder for us to absorb the drop in income. The silver lining is that I'm not stressed over getting things shipped on time, and have time to sit back and actually enjoy *my* holidays.

This is my shipping table - totally neat and organized, a place for everything, and everything in its place. Anytime it looks like this, you know sales are terrible, and I've had time to clean -something that I will never willingly do.

Here's hoping for a quick holiday season, and a messy shipping table in 2009.

Day 44/365 Marking Time Till Spring....This Is How We Roll

My little personal oasis, The Swing Garden, is all tucked in: fountains covered, rain barrels drained and gutters diverted, gnomes safely housed till spring, and herbs trimmed.

The sunflowers have been trimmed of any remaining heads, and placed in the bird bath, along with clusters of poke berries. The birds sit out at this buffet for hours, picking at every seed and berry. The green under the birdbath is mint. It's on its second growth this season, but will die when the nights get too cold. Next year, it will come back twice as thick.

All the plants (at those who aren't winter hardy) have moved to their winter home in the greenhouse. Temps in there range from 60 to 110, and the plants think it's still summer.

Currently there are ferns, Scottish heather, tarragon, lavender, 3 different varieties of thyme, sage, 2 different varieties of basil, a huge citronella plant, and an long 45 gallon aquarium with the water plants from the fountains. The mandeville is over 6 ft tall and with huge pink blossoms - it's a tropical plant and will eventually move to my mothers basement in late December.

The big tubs on the ground hold a bumper crop of broccoli and cauliflower plants.

On the southern wall, where the majority of sunlight and heat is, is the seedling area. Currently, there are 8" high lettuce -ready to eat, tomato plant starts, freshly planted lettuce beds, 4" spinach seedlings, and transplanted tomato plants that may move in to the house before it gets drastically cold.

Anytime spring seems too far away, I have summer waiting in the greenhouse.

Day 43/365 That One Last Perfect Fall Day

Looking down our curvy street.

The new neighbors front yard. We raked up all their leaves this weekend for our garden.

Actually, half of "their" leaves were ours that blew into their yard.

The big 100 year black walnut tree in the backyard. Bumper crop of walnuts this year, and they all went home with my dad, who cracks them open by running over them with his tractor.

The fast-spreading, always present Virginia Creeper. First to green up, last to turn red.

Garden box is all packed up for another year. Benches are cleaned and sealed. Locust tree

has turned golden yellow in the corner of the puppy yard.

And now it gets cold.

Day 42/365 ........ 6 Words ............

YES WE CAN.

YES WE DID.