The Mountain Thymes

 Another sign of autumn is saying "good-bye" until next spring to the farmers markets in the area.  I visited the Blairsville market this morning, much later than my summer runs.  It's colder in the mornings and I chose not to rush out.  In the summer I was at the markets by nine to be sure I got the fresh greens before the vendors ran out and the summertime I have more energy.  Now I linger longer under my warm cozy covers, stretch and wiggle before putting my feet on the cold floor.      Japanese turnips and whatever the other bunch is.  I can't remember what she said.  Maybe a variety of a kale? Anyway, it's something for me to saute or throw in a soup.  A few days I did a slow-cook whole chicken, picked all the meat of the carcass, and froze the chicken in four bags.  Then added water to the carcass and onions, carrots, celery, a couple of bay leaves to boil for stock.  I got four containers of stock in the freezer for...

 With two approaching cold fronts coming, I brought most of my potted plants inside Sunday evening. Monday and this morning were in the high thirties.  That's cold to me but it's nice for sleeping.  Thursday morning will be close to thirty on the mountain and in the sixties during the day.  It's been a lovely October.  Leaf colors are not as vivid as previous years but still enjoyable. It's been raining so I figured it was a good time to sit and type. After complaining and whining, driving my friends crazy about the microwave  issues, I just went to Lowe's last Friday and bought another one to replace this one that Cliff and James installed only four and a half years ago.  The mother board had been replaced during the first year but stopped working about a year later.  I kept paying for repairs.  Charlie told me it would be better at this point to buy a new one.  I bought the same style GE but in stainless steel.   I'm so happy...

Today is Cliff's birthday.  Mark called this afternoon to see how I was doing and we had a lovely talk.  He sounds good.  Sometimes I get concerned about him but he's really doing okay. We both found things to laugh about.  He's had rainy days for the past two weeks from the tropical systems.  It's terribly humid and there is standing water everywhere.   The temperature here this morning at six o'clock was forty-six degrees with thick mountain fog.  I went to the Murphy farmers market around nine and bought Swiss chard and the last of their green beans.  Only a few more weeks of these markets. The fog finally burned off around 10:30 when the temperature shot up to high sixties.  The rest of the day was wonderful.  This has been the nicest October in the eighteen years I've lived here.   Last Sunday my last hummingbird perched on the front feeder and when she didn't show up Monday or Tuesday, I figured she had left for Cent...