As Asian beetles tap against my window, swarm onto my hanging laundry, into my hair and inevitably in the coming months, into my food and water glass, I think through all the other autumns we've spent at the farm.  Our first autumn was new and the infestation of beetles (lady bugs) was a little horrifying.  I was gathering fresh knowledge about the seasons of produce and looking forward to our first snow.

I was pregnant with Little Leaf in our second Autumn and I relished the cool weather because I was so perfectly insulated for winter.  Dandelion began to find great joy in being outside and I, in turn, took great joy in watching her learn the earth.  

Every child needs a messy table picture...introducing Lasagna!

Everything is again dying in the newness of every moment in Fall.  Yellow, bright red, pink, brown, green and orange.  Who knew death could be so beautiful? I've tried to explain the falling of leaves to Dandelion in several ways.  My earth science is quite primitive but it has something to do with the process of death and new life and the growing of trees and leaves that allows us to breathe on this earth.  It is not unlike my spiritual explanation: that God shows His love to us in this death and new life but He also shows His great delight in beauty.  Why? she asks.  I don't know why.  He loves us and He loves His earth.  I think God delights in His creation for its own sake.  I think He has a relationship with nature that Has nothing to do with us.  I like that.

On our walk

Picking (and eating) raspberries

Collecting leaves for a collage

Although autumn means preserving applesauce and green beans, gathering a few mini pumpkins and butternut squash, October is the start of a different kind of busy season in our household. Dandelion turns three at the end of the month and we've almost been married four years. Little Leaf has always made his presence known forcefully and at almost ten months, he took his first few steps this week.

Chest freezer

Our freezer is full for the winter.  We just bought fourteen frozen meat birds from a nearby farm and last week, our beef (from the steers raised by Farmer) came back from the meat locker, processed, packed and labeled in so many cuts.  That packs the chest freezer to bursting with strawberries, blueberries, corn, beef, a little pork, fish from Farmer's trip to Canada, chicken and hopefully some venison in a few months.  Farmer gets excited about meat.  A good balance to my fixation on vegetables and fruit.  Between the two of us, our family stays pretty well-fed, I think.  God has given us a bountiful harvest!