Seasonal changes

With cooler temperatures, I spent a good part of the weekend gleaning final harvests from the garden and preparing for next season.  The nappa cabbage was still in good shape after thawing on Thursday and Friday, so I packed 20 heads and will store them in the garage where the temperature stays at least 10 degrees warmer than outside.  Ditto for a bushel of leeks which will wind up in winter soups and stews.  I mulched and covered the last carrot bed with straw and plastic so we can harvest fresh carrots until the inevitable deep freezes of late December and January.  There are still plenty of beets out there as well as kale and collards.  The long range forecast is predicting fairly mild temps for the next couple of weeks, so harvest will continue.  I also prepared a couple of beds for early spinach planting next spring.   Keeping one foot in each season is part of the gardening cycle which connects us to the next year.   It's a lifestyle choice, as opposed to a one or two month commitment.