New Hampshire Autumn

We are nearing the end of September and it is officially autumn in New Hampshire.  The leaves are starting to turn, the air has turned much cooler and, in the evening, you can smell wood smoke coming from our neighbors' chimneys.  Our chimney has not yet had a chance to puff smoke since we have, according to the chimney sweep who was hired to clean the chimney, a cracked flue.  Before we can use our woodstove, this flue will need to be replaced and that major work is scheduled for mid-October.  Until then, we are at the mercy of Jack Frost or the oil company. 
The vegetable garden is just about done for the season and, in a few days when we've given up any hope of a fall harvest, we will let the hens in the fenced-in area to aerate and fertilize while enjoying the leftover plants, split tomatoes & bugs.  It will be like their own Thanksgiving dinner.
Our hens now number 38 and consists of 17 older hens and 21 hens that we purchased in April.  Any day now, the newer hens will begin to lay their eggs and, hopefully, we will have lots of eggs for baking.  I have been making zucchini breads, banana breads, peach breads & cookies for our freezer.  Last night, I made my husband's favorite ~ apple/cranberry pie.  I will take a big piece to my Dad in the nursing home this morning ~ he has a giant sweet tooth so I always bring him some goodies and a big cup of coffee.
This week, our local agricultural fair starts and goes on for 4 days.  I'm not sure if I'll make it there this year but, in the past, it has always been fun to go and see the sights, sample the delicious foods and admire the livestock.  If I do go this year, I will be looking at sheep since I would like to get two or three in the spring.  Before we can do that, though, our barn needs repair work so that and the garden will keep us busy as soon as we start to thaw out from the winter.  I know that I am probably planning too far ahead but I am already looking forward to next year's gardening venture.  I plan on a lot of sunflowers & zinnias as well as the vegetables.
We're getting close to the holidays again (deja vu) and it's time to start thinking about holiday dinners and Christmas crafts for gifts.  I plan to downsize my purchases this year since we are retired and on a very tight budget so I will be crafting a lot of gifts.  Scarves & hats for the grandkids (of course, they will get store-bought toys, too).  Primitive wooden signs for friends & neighbors, quilted wallhangings for our daughters.  I'm looking for some new projects to start.  I would like to take on rugbraiding since it would make some useful items and I would be recycling fabric that would, otherwise, end up in the local dump.  I had better start now since there are only 91 days until Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!