peeler healer

I changed clothes three times today.  This morning, the temperature was 65 but it was humid, so I wore a sweatshirt and jean capris.  By noon, I was starting to get warm, so I put on a long sleeve t-shirt.  By 3 p.m., the sun came out, and the temperature rose to 75 degrees...that's t-shirt weather.  This is pretty common for early fall around here!  I'll be glad to finally put away my summer clothes.

More early fall stuff...it's apple picking time!

Where you have apples, you have critters...

deer scat

...and bugs.

unknown beetle larvae

Todd got the ladder out again and picked as many as he could reach.  I decided to start working through the pile so put on a podcast and peeled for two hours.  The next day, I could barely move.  The lamest middle-age injury ever...I'd pinched a nerve in my upper back (Todd helpfully reminded me that I've actually incurred much more ridiculous injuries than an apple peeling one)!  Thankfully, my mother-in-law ordered this astounding and life-changing gadget for us:

We also bought a deep freeze to accommodate the apples and tomatoes this year (and, in leaner years, individual muffin-tin ice cream cakes).  My back is almost back to normal, so I can start tackling this job:

I'm also experimenting with apple recipes.  So far, I've determined that I just don't like apple crisp...the filling is always too dry and the topping seems a bit sparse.  Apple cobbler is a little too decadent (so much butter!).  I've had better luck with plain apple cake, substituting pumpkin for the oil and reducing the sugar.  I'm still experimenting, but will post a recipe when I settle on one.

The weather had continued to be warm, and I'm still seeing lots of creatures.  

Rabbits...

Lots of katydids (they're drawn to our porch lights):

So many turkey vultures:

Even an intrepid eastern box turtle.

He was being bothered by one of the many yellow jackets that were swarming the apples:  

Look at that gorgeous shell!

Leaves are changing, slowly...

Like clockwork, boneset has burst to life along the sides of our daily hiking trail.

Boneset has been used for centuries for its amazing anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  It was the go-to herb for dengue fever (colloquially, "breakbone fever"), an illness that caused incredible pain in the bones.  Boneset alleviated the pain, giving it its unique name.  I look forward to it every fall.  It's nice to see delicate white flowers against the bright colors of the changing leaves!

Otherwise, loving all the berries...

shrub honeysuckle

...and lazy cats, lolling in the early fall sun!

Frances

"The Barnacle"

Have a great week!