1979

So. Vermont Notes

… a small farm-garden diary

-continued-

September
1 *beautiful day, not humid; 70°-85°
*tractor transmission no good; cutter to B.'s; used tractor to cut between rows up back
2 *day turned muggy, 85°, overcast
*cut grass in walnut grove and around house
*tractor problem prevented cutting across road
3 *sunny & muggy; heavy rain last night
*walked to B.T. In p.m.
*ran tractor in upper mowing; cutting grass between balsam trees until tractor would go no more
*picked brussels sprouts
4 *60° Last night; warm & sort of muggy today
*worked for a while in pine trees below L.B.T.
*M. picked about a bushel of tomatoes
5 *warm, muggy; sort of overcast
*worked in pine grove below L.B.T.
6 *rained all day; tail end of Hurricane David; lost power from 9:30am to 3:30pm
*car to service for oil change and tune-up
7 *sunny, clear, not so humid; 70°-80°
*worked in pine grove below L.B.T.
*got "weed wacker" back in p.m.; B. Took tractor away for new transmission
8 *bright & sunny, 65°-70°; 55° last night
*spent day with "weed wacker"
9 *40° last night; 60°-70°, clear and bright today
*picnic on B.T.
*defrosted & repacked the freezer
10 *cut grass in walnut grove & around house in a.m.
*A. put goop on gutters and we agreed on a new TV aerial
*M. made second batch of applesauce
*"weed wacked" in p.m.
*M. to Floral arts in evening
11 *45° last night; bright and clear, 65°-70° today
*"wacked" weeds from between spruce across road in a.m.
*finished "wacking" in upper mowing in p.m.
*tractor came back this p.m.
*new front end for v.w.
*brussels sprouts for dinner
12 *cool, bright and sunny
*cut grass round house & across road
*cut grass among fir trees in upper mowing
13 *cut grass in upper mowing
*final cut on grass between fir trees
*got new TV aerial
*C. to Acton
14 *rain today, from Hurricane Fredrick
*cleaned & serviced tractor and cutter
*otherwise a "nothing" day
15 *bright, clear and cool
*Disaster: tree treated me badly; cut my leg with saw and banged back on tailbone as tree swept at me
16 *bright, clear, 70°; 45° last night
*recovering indoors
*M & C to concert in Guilford (Serkin)
17 *nice day: warm and sunny
*M. froze brussels sprouts
*I stayed in, doing nothing
18 *nice day
*did some "weed wacking" across road
*long nap: still recovering
*M. to museum
19 *hard freeze threatened for tonight
*"wacked" weeds by cold frames behind barn
*took pictures to exhibition in Manchester for C.
*walked to "accident site"
*brought in geraniums & picked all good-looking tomatoes
20 *killing frost last night
*beautiful day: clear, bright, 65°
*picked up stakes and wires around raspberries
*picked grapes
21 *clear & cool; rain in p.m.
*limed & fertilized fringes of asparagus bed, for melons and same for cold frames
*to doctor to check on leg; stitches out
22 *rain today: 1 1/4 inch
*65° in a.m.; cooler as day goes on
*M made 10 qts. of grape jelly-jam
23 *beautiful day; 45° last night and 65° today, clear
*brought down and cut up wood from last Saturday's "accident site"
24 *some frost last night; beautiful day today--no clouds, no wind, 60°-65°
*cleaned up garden: tomato frames, squash, etc.; rototilled all open areas
*M froze lots of beets, cauliflower, carrots
25 *frost in upper mowing and below garden today; beautiful, clear; 70° at midday
*starting to get some color in trees
*washed downstairs windows today: 3 1/2 hours
*M cut phlox this p.m.
26 *beautiful day: 40°-75°
*finished windows upstairs: 2 hours
*cut grass in walnut grove
27 *another beautiful day: 35°-70°
*cut grass in upper mowing: 5 1/2 hours
*trimmed around barn
28 *rain threatened all day and came at dusk; warm
*cut grass around house in morning, until mower broke
29 *rainy last night; warm: 55°-60°, overcast today
*color in trees becoming quite good
*maintenance in barn this a.m.
30 *misty rain, 55°-60°
*a reading and do-nothing day
*Xmas catalogues reviewed and discarded
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October
1 *overcast, misty, wet today
*walked up back
*new sourdough starter
2 * still wet & overcast, foggy in AM, clearing & warm in PM
*sealed basement windows
*grandchildren visit
3 *rainy, poor day: 60°-70°, with heavy rain in PM
*battery in Jeep dead
4 *overcast, misty, rainy: miserable, 55°-70°
5 *some sun, but wet
6 *beautiful day, sunny, 65° or so
*bright full moon
7 *fall-like day: sunny, cloudy, windy, 55° tops; 45° last night
*went to B.T. up front face, then through the Maple Grove on the way down
*several large trees down, but hung [in Maple Grove]
8 *40° last night; windy & cold today
*to B.T. in AM with the kids
*cut grass in Walnut grove in PM
*to E.'s for cocktails
*fire in dining room stove today: too hot
9 *windy all day
*started furnace
10 *clear in AM, 30°-35°; snow at noon and all afternoon
*got mower back, but no grass cutting today
11 *snowed! melted at noon
*toilet broke down
*put pastic in warm room in barn
*pruned wlanut trees and blueberries behind house
*wood furnace and stove going
12 *cold rain all day
13 *cold, clear, windy
*have seen geese migrating for the past week or so
*start of bow season
14 *cold, clear, windy; 40°-50°
15 *cloudy, windy, chilly; 50° for most of the day
*pruned grapes
16 *55°-65°; bright sun and clear sky, no wind; down to 30° last night
*J. and grandkids left today; it was, of course, the first good day since their arrival
17 *35° last night and 55° today; beautiful day
*mortar mix for basement leak
18 *50° last night and 65° today; overcast, but mild
*hamburgers for lunch
*haircut in AM
*nothing accomplished
19 *40° in AM; 65° in PM; sunny
*M. made fruitcake today
*cut grass
*A. came to change thermostats & put in furnace damper
20 *beautiful day, up to 75°-80°
*walked up back in PM
*M. finished fruitcake
21 *another beautiful day: 75°. hazy
*picnic at B.T.
22 *sunny, hot, humid, 85°-90°
*to B.T. in AM
*broccoli pulled from garden in PM
*most leaves are down
*fruitcakes wrapped
23 *foggy in AM, 55°-80° sunny
*cut asparagus bed
*raked leaves; placed leaves on asparagus bed
24 *one inch of rain early this morning; 60° and grew colder during the day
25 *cool, clear, windy: 35°-45°
*redug water-bars on mowing road
*planted prune trees in orchard
26 *cool, snow flurries and sun
*made baffles for dining-room stove
*C. pulled down blown-over trees in Maple grove
27 *cold, 32°, clear; beautiful day
*covered rhododendrons
*jeep up into Maple grove but too muddy to load up
28 *cold, 32°, overcast, misty; rainy all day
29 *30° last night, foggy in the AM but cleared and warmer, to 50°
*pots for blueberries
*walked over LBT in PM
30 *colder last night
*worked on road in Maple gove, with M.'s help
31 *frosty last night, clear and warm during today
*big shopping trip
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November
1 *25° last night; clear & warm today
*leaves over grapes
*cut down phlox stalks
*cut wood into shorter pieces for the stove
*creosote problem in furnace
2 *40° last night; overcast today, 60°, rain in p.m.
*changed to snow tires on VW
*picked brussel sprouts for freezing; also cabbage and carrots for eating
3 *rain until p.m.
*waxed new room floor
*tractor battery to basement
4 *28° last night; overcast, but clearing today
*nothing day
5 *clear, warm: 55°-60°
*started to cut wood in barn
*Cifco came and fixed furnace
6 *30° last night; clear, overcast today
*split some wood in the barn
*walked northeast boundary beyond B.T. with M.
7 *built shelter for Sam [the dog]
8 *colder last night; overcast this a.m.
*started furnace; clip keeping damper open seems to work, but wood burns fast
*walked up back in a.m. and p.m.
*shut off furnace
9 *overcast: 30°-45°
*cut & split some wood
*walked up back in afternoon with dogs
10 *rain & warm
*first day of hunting season [rifle season]
11 *clearing & warm; 50°-60°, overcast
12 *rain overnight; overcast, cool, 35°-50°
*nothing to do
13 *overcast, cool, 40°-50°
*split wood
*to B.T. & L.B.T. without dogs (due to hunting season)
14 *overcast & cool again
*snow flurries in evening, down to 30°
*to Keene to get typewriter fixed
15 *bright & clear today; cool all day
*haircut
*Humane Society meeting in p.m.
16 *cold & windy today; 28°-35° very windy
17 *45°-50°
*surrounded by hunters!
18 *beautiful day: 65° on front porch
19 *still Indian summer: 60° on front porch
*walk to B.T. and L.B.T.
*deer have been eating the balsams
*4 deer, including a 4-pt buck, taken off the place so far
20 *trip to San Diego and Houston
21 *warm, no snow
22 *deer still eating balsams
23-25 *warm, no snow
26 *rain, warm
27 *warm; back from Houston
28 *clear and windy; 50°-65°
*balsams in poor shape again
29 *25° last nigth; cool today, windy
*moved wood into basement to refill the space
*walked over L.B.T. in pm.
30 *30°-35° today
*picked last brussel sprouts, cabbage & chard; the cabbage was frozen
*Christmas shopping in p.m.
*furnace is keeping things toasty
-----Back to Top-----
December
1 *25° last night; clear & cool, 35° today
*put up spotlight outdoors for dogs
*walked the northeast boundary with C.
2 *25° last night; bright and clear today
*dug up carrots
*walked up back in afternoon
3 *15° last night, with bright moonlight
*clear, up to 35° in the day
*re-dug water bars today [on woods road]
*M. to bridge tonight
4 *30° last night; snow flurries
*put up Sugar House frame
5 *clear to overcast; 35° or so
*big shopping today
6 *35° last night; increasingly overcast, 50° in p.m.
*finished sugar house set-up
7 *warmer today: 55° top, colder in p.m.
*ankle acted up
*M. cleaned house for the weekend
8 *down to 15° at night; rain, snow, sun, wind
*E.B. came at 3:30p
*walked to Glen and back
*dinner at Country Kitchen [restaurant]
9 *clear and rainy
*late breakfast
*ankle acting up
10 *about 2 inches of snow last night; melted today; temperatures in high 30's today
11 *incredible day: 55° and sunny
*need to see the doctor about the ankle
12 *continued mild, a few raindrops; 55°
*refilled wood pile in basement
*ankle okay
*to the movies tonight
13 *30° and overcast; first real snow of the year started at noon
*bought poinsettias & wreath
14 *30° today, with bright sun; 2 inches of snow yesterday afternoon and evening
15 *12° last night; bright and clear today, 30° tops
*walk to LBT in morning
16 *misty, 45°, overcast and then sunny
*to BT, walk in afternoon
17 *15° last night; cold and windy today, with 20° for the high
*split some logs
18 *down to 10° last night, with a dusting of snow; up to 18° today, breezy
*the two dogs have slept out all night every night so far
*saw flock of geese going south
19 *to 0° last night, bright and clear; overcast this morning
*the ground has frozen
20 *up to 20° today, no clouds
*walk to L.B.T. in morning
*lunch out for C.'s birthday
*walk to BT in afternoon
*down to 10° at 9p.m.
21 *warming to 30° today
*cut & brought in a Christmas tree
22 *temperature up to 35°-40° today, overcast
*walk in woods in a.m.
23 *misty, 45°
*walk to B.T.
24 *overcast, misty, rain in afternoon, 50°
*decorated the tree
25 *rain; 40° at 6 a.m.
*lots of run-off from the rain because the ground is frozen
26 *clear & warm, 50°; 35° last night
*walk up back in morning
*50 pounds of dog food
*split some wood
27 *still a spring-like 35°-50°
*walk to B.T. in morning
28 *bright and clear, windy, 45°
*walk in woods
29 *45°, clear
*cleaned out furnace heat-exchange in afternoon
30 *bright, warm, 45°-50° 30° at night
*J. & D., came to visit in afternoon
31 *20° last night; 40° in morning; a dusting of snow in evening
*walk to B.T.
*finished first stack of wood for the furnace

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Page last modified March 29, 2006.