I Hate Fall!

A week ago last Saturday was the last one in October.  I had the day off and I went out that morning to do a final clean up of the garden.  The tomato plants were long gone but the peppers had produced  abundantly  all through the month.  As I am out there pulling off the final harvest, and yes that is where the name of the hot sauce I make comes from, I realize...it's not real warm out here.  I can see my breath.  I also remember why in the last few years I have had the garden cleaned up by the end of September.  This job really stinks when it's cold out!

From a distance, the pepper plants don't look to bad.  But up close, I knew it was time.  Up until that week, the temps had been great! Highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's.  But starting that Wednesday, we had the dreaded "S" word...SNOW!  Great big wet gloppy flakes!!  Off and on for three days.  The first night I dragged all the old bed sheets out and dutifully covered all the plants the best I could.  But when it snows during the daytime and no one is home to cover them.  Oh well.

The jalapenos, cayennes, and the habeneros weren't affected that badly.  Even the ghost peppers didn't look too bad.  But the more tender green and banana peppers weren't quite so lucky.  It was kinda depressing.  It was the best green pepper crop we had ever had.

When I was younger and first started gardening, I would baby both the tomatoes and peppers until the middle of November some years.  Covering up everything in the yard every night.  The neighbors must have thought I was nuts.  I can remember cleaning up the garden and there would be flakes of snow coming down!

As I got older, my blood must have got thinner, because I decided I was nuts!  So I vowed to have at least the vegetable garden cleaned up by the end of September.  I have followed that new edict faithfully for a few years now.  Until this year.  The fantastic late summer-early fall weather here in Northern Indiana faked me out.  Now, I was paying the price.  Multiple layers and gloves!  I hate using gardening gloves.  I like to feel the dirt.  

The morning did warm up fairly quickly and temps were in the low 50's by noon.  By the time I was ready to attack the giant zinnias, I had long since shed the gloves and was down to just a sweatshirt.  My husband came running out of the house wanting me to spare the flowers because they still looked so good!  Really?  Have you looked at them lately?

Look pretty sad to me!  I hate Fall!