Being at home

We are so fortunate to have two wonderful places to be at home.  Here in Asheville, North Carolina and in Le Bic, Quebec.  As we settle in here for a couple of months, I’m grateful for the bright light in the kitchen and living space, as well as in my studio.  It was lovely this afternoon.  It’s a totally different kind of space than our historic cottage in Quebec.

The last of the fall color is illuminating the ravine forest.  The two nights of mild frost will accelerate the leaf drop, I think.  The gingko in front is finally changing color from green to gold as is the sassafras outside the upstairs window.

Walks along the French Broad River have been lovely; today was a perfect fall day, clear and crisp, but warm in the afternoon.  It’s an urban river, but the views and walk are nevertheless nice.

I’m planning to sow spinach seeds tomorrow.  We have temperatures around 70° F tomorrow and Tuesday.  I can water them well, and perhaps will have seedlings that will overwinter for March harvest, even without protection in our absence. As a gardener, I’m always hopeful.

I hope the tough kale leaves will become frost-sweetened. They’re pretty fiber-rich, even for a vegetable-loving person.  But they’re pretty, regardless, and amazing that they weren’t all eaten by cabbage white caterpillars, although the older leaves do look ragged.

But I was marveling at lovely eggs, bought at a local grocery.  They didn’t seem to have any at the tailgate market that I had visited earlier.  It’s an egg company which I’ve patronized in the past, enjoying their eggs.

So, it was hard to resist these heirloom eggs.  Beautiful.