Before the fall

The last few days have been especially warm for October with temperatures in the 80’s. The weatherman says that is going to change soon with temperature dropping to 50’s. Summer is passing this Oct. 8th and Fall is finally arriving.

The plants that are still growing like in the warmth and sun of the summer will now finally cease and die. Some, like the kale, will go on for a while but will eventually stop growing. The harvest will be thin but the freezer has grape leaves, beans, tomato sauce and more waiting for the right time. The herbs and hot peppers are waiting for a final picking, drying and crushing.

The sudden change in weather will trigger the trees to drop their leaves big time. That will be good for the compost piles as well the dying garden plants. Even the flowers in the middle might stop blooming till spring but they will come back in the spring.

I long for the cool sunny days of fall when you can work outside without working up much of a sweat. We had a long summer and I hope we have a long fall. Winter can be short although I do not wish for global warming.

My friend Dawn of the DMZ garden co-op got a call from an assistant to the assistant to the Mayor of Milwaukee saying the assistant to the Mayor will return her phone call, she requested in the next few days. Last Friday she finally got a call from the County person in housing saying they will be soon taking action on her housing being a ‘preferred list’ of housing rather than being blacklisted. All the phone calls and emails seem to be paying off, at least getting promises to keep promises, to stop the discrimination of the city and county for her good efforts to provide housing for poor and disabled. We will see if the words translate into actions.

In the meanwhile we are building the compost piles at Dawn’s and my yard in anticipation for great growing season next year. One of DMZ members had a slight stroke and is in the hospital. Hopefully she will be back in action for our GP garden tour this weekend. Pray for my friend. She not only lost a son to the gun violence in the city but also suffers from a long list of illnesses.

Growing Renewable Affordable Food GRAF is an all year around activity. We now move from the hot to cool state and we get ready for the fall to the dead of the winter to the eternal spring.

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