I’ve been waiting eagerly for Autumn to arrive. For sweltering hot days to be replaced with cool mornings and breezy afternoons. For markets to fill up with crisp apples, juicy pears, and plump grapes.
It’s finally here and I’m so happy, body and soul. My Canadian self is not cut out for Queensland Summers. As much as I love the sunshine and brilliant blue skies, the heat knocks me flat and mornings are the only time I feel remotely energetic.
So this morning, when I woke to overcast skies and cooling breezes blowing in our windows, my whole being gave a sigh of relief.
Autumn is here.
Bear and I spent yesterday doing a trial run of all our cider-making equipment, processing apples and pears to turn into hard cider today. I’ll tell you all about that soon.
This morning, however, is about resting and basking in Autumn weather and getting caught up on reading and dreaming and planning.
It’s about wandering through gardens to see what’s flourishing and what is on its way out, checking on newborn goats and growing ducklings, and sitting down with a big mug of Lemon Verbena tea to relax before the next big project.
It’s also about studying and researching, for Bear and I have embarked on writing a medieval cookbook together. We are having a marvelous time expanding our current knowledge and experience and putting our discoveries to the test. Our study times are punctuated with exclamations of, “Hey babe, listen to this!” or “Ohhh, we’ve GOT to try this!” We’re both loving it.
Summer on the farm is marked by feverish activity, each day packed with watering, feeding, building, managing, etc. We fall into bed each night utterly exhausted but strangely satisfied from knowing our weariness is simply the result of a job well done.
But Autumn brings a reprieve, giving us time to sit back and be proud of what we’ve accomplished, to work steadily but leisurely harvesting and enjoying what we worked on so hard all Summer long. We’re gathering rosellas and the last of the green beans, plump yellow heirloom tomatoes so sweet they’re almost candy, and the few apples that our fledgling orchard produced.
It’s also exciting as we see the new growth of the few things that thrive in our Winter: citrus trees blossoming and filling out with baby lemons, limes, and oranges, and hardy winter veg gearing up to produce Brussels sprouts, cabbages, and spinach during the cold months.
Yes, I love this time of year and am looking forward to every day.
What is your favorite thing about the season you’re experiencing? xo
Gorgeous post, Krista! I love the change of the seasons, especially here in Canberra… the first of March sees a nip in the air and then hot afternoons… quite bizarre. Love the sound of cider making! xox
Thank you, @lizposmyk:disqus 🙂 It’s been a rough week with illness, but today is better and it does my heart good to get out and see all the beauty around me. 🙂 So thankful for cooler mornings. 🙂
The cider making activities sound fantastic can’t wait to read all about it. Autumn is my favourite season – the change is the weather is just a relief isn’t it.
Krista, your blog is just the most beautiful one I’ve come across. It always makes me happy. You help us appreciate how important it is to enjoy the moment and the beauty all around us. Thank you.
It is still summer here with very hot weather. Enjoy writing your cook book Krista 🙂
Technically we are still in winter in the Pacific Northwest but the daffodils and flowering trees are blooming and I worked in the yard yesterday under a brilliant sun in my shirtsleeves and worked up a sweat (make that, perspired, as it sounds a bit more civil doesn’t it?). If this really is our new winter, I may have to give up travel and just enjoy the blessings of this part of the world! Since our latest return we’ve also tried to keep the mornings busy but the afternoons are the times for writing and reading and researching. . .I need more hours in the day!
are those strawberry flowers up top? and limes on the bottom? it all looks and sounds good! happy fall.
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The nights are a lot cooler here which means we are definitely transitioning into Autumn. I do love the weather at this time of year. Congrats on starting a new project together. The medieval cookbook sounds like a terrific idea xx
I could eat that first flower and the citrus flower looks intriguing up close!
Look at your citrus blossoms!!! Funny though, my lemon tree is blossoming to. However it’s very established and just seems to blossom occasionally and gives us near year round lemons. We are enjoying similar weather, though we are moving into spring and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m with you about the heat knocking me flat, but luckily we don’t really get heat like that here. I am enjoying the longer warm days though!
No nip in the air here yet. It’s 32 and way too hot and humid today. I love thinking about living on the land and then I think about how much hard work it all is.
Beautiful flowers! I’ve been experiencing a relief from extreme temperatures too – we had our first stretch of spring-like weather this weekend. After weeks upon weeks of down fill and multiple scarfs, it felt wonderfully energizing to step out in a light jacket and not worry that the baby had ditched her toque and mitts again. The cold does me in more than I’d care to admit. Best of luck beginning your autumn projects!