Pa just told me that the forecast is for no frost until the end of October.

The end of October! That’s unheard of, around here. But it would be great. My morning glories, after all, have only had two blue blooms on them so far, and it’s a miracle that we haven’t already had a frost. My cosmo bushes (out in the garden) are only starting to bloom. I tell ya, another month would be heaven! The tomatoes would actually get a chance to ripen on the vine. Everyone else's has, they tell me. Not ours. I've picked four boxes already, green, when frost threatened a couple times.

See those massively tall sunflowers? I still turn around quickly, thinking someone is out in the garden with me, and it's only these standing people.

Farmbeau is out combining the last 50 acres these guys have to do. He gave me a 50-dollar bill to pick up beer for him in case I went to town, but I decided to go tomorrow instead, when Barney and I can rent a family movie for our Movie Night.

Then Pa came in with a message: "My son said to tell you he would really like a beer when he gets in tonight."

Don's just off the schoolbus and gone with Barney to give the pigs a pailful of vegetable scraps from our kitchen, and as soon as he's back, we'll go.

Pa said, "I wouldn't mind something either, but I'm not supposed to have it." He's diabetic.

"What?"

"Coke."

"Diet Coke you want, then?"

"No, no, you can't drink that stuff, that's terrible crap."

I agree.

Barney and I went for a most wonderful walk together around the farm this afternoon. It's great having him home. He spends his mornings doing schoolwork and his afternoons being a sweet little boy. And I mean sweet. He still picks a dandelion or a clover or an alfalfa spike, and gives it to me with a flourish.

xoxoetc
~~~Kate