our homestead: our 2 year wedding anniversary

Today, October 2nd, was my husband and my two year wedding anniversary. We also met on our town's Homecoming Night on October 5th, six years ago now. The first week of October has always been a special time for us. I always knew there was something different  about October when I was growing up. Something always felt magic in the air. The leaves started to change, the fields filled with corn and pumpkins, and a crisp morning cloak of fog turned into a sunny day with rich golden light and evenings lit by giant orange harvest moons. And then I met my husband- that's probably what the magic was all about. I just didn't know it at the time. Anyway, here are a few snapshots from our wedding day, October 2nd, 2010, taken by the groom's sister, Rachel of Nickel Images. 

We celebrated our anniversary with a seafood dinner along Shilshole Bay in Ballard, Seattle. I must say, today's rich blue skies reminded me of the weather we lucked out with on our wedding day. We timed it right to watch the sun set over the Olympic Mountain Range from our vantage point at dinner- we were also married at sunset two years ago, and we took our engagement photos at sunset along the Shilshole Bay. Aww- little details that made me happy as I looked out our restaurant window today.

 

 I love my furbaby daddy and best friend.  I am so happy to be with Joe.

our homestead: photos from my week

1. Honeysuckle blossoms
2. Orange poppies in bloom
3. My noble eagles (4 of my 5 sweet chickens)
4. My shadow, Banjo the shepherd mix
5. Wild roses in bloom
6. A wild rose up close (can you smell it?)
7. One of a handful of minky gray ducklings I have...I wonder what they will look like later
8. El Pato- used this to make sweet potato enchiladas

our homestead: Brussel sprouts and Banjo

I was so busy with the last of the growing season and other adventures and projects that I haven't had the time to post a blog in a quite while. Finally things are starting to settle out a little more for me as we head further into the chilly part of autumn (we had our first frost a few days ago...brrr). Some quick updates: I finished the 2011 farmers market season on October 2nd with a subaru full of produce to deliver to the co-op (literally...full..you should have seen me driving down the road), my husband and I hopped on a plane on October 4th and spent two weeks on the Garden Isle of Kauai in celebration of our 1 year wedding anniversary (mmm lots of fresh tropical produce at the farmers market there!), I returned the 18th and had a festive rest of the month including running around the Bob's Corn corn maze, pressing my own hot cider from the wild orchard across the road, baking pumpkin whoopie pies using my own homegrown pumpkins and hosting a Sleepy Hollow themed Halloween party. My husband and I even planted our second crop of garlic using our own garlic seed (e.g. the wedding garlic).

As far as other announcements, we just added a new member to our family. His name is Banjo and we've been calling him an "Arlington Shepherd" as he came from Arlington, WA. We believe he is has an assortment of dog breeds in him including rottweiler, corgi and labrador. It took us three days to name him. My husband wanted to name him Hendo, I wanted to name him Huckleberry...and we settled on Banjo. It fits him. He's a mischievous little fellow who likes to howl and take super-man jumps from the couch. Currently he's afraid of walking downstairs but can scamper up them in a jiffy. Our other dog, Oswald, has been having a blast since we brought home a new brother for him.

Anyway, as far as the state of my garden is concerned, I'm still enjoying kohlrabi, spinach, sunchokes and kale from out back...as well as tomatoes in the greenhouse! I'm sure the tomatoes won't last long with these frosty mornings we've started having. I harvested all of my pumpkins and have been baking all sorts of cookies and breads and I made a batch of pumpkin chili the other night for supper. Today, I went to investigate my brussel sprouts and it appears they are in full swing. I'll have to plant more next year to sell perhaps! I harvested enough for dinner tonight. I'll be making baked macaroni with brussel sprouts and broccoli from Five Acre Farm. Good comfort food for a chilly autumn evening.