Dear Friends and Family,

The yellow maple outside my kitchen door holds its glorious golden leaves longest. The red maples and the other yellows have lost most of theirs. (The reds were hit hardest in the April freeze—losing most of their newly opened leaves. I am amazed that they apparantly produced another, somewhat less abundant, crop). So I was standing at the kitchen door the other morning enjoying the golden radiance of sunlight filtered through the leaves. Then I noticed lots of movement within the trees. First one, then another, then another bright bluebird flew out from the leaves. Several more emerged in the next few minutes to perch in other trees. Then I noticed juncos feeding in the grass under the tree. A lovely reminder that the harvest season is about to end.

Five inches of much needed rain finally came as we began our post-poned Fall extension. We knew we had butternuts enough, and greens for the first week. But with the generous rain the next three weeks' greens were secure. We had spectacular sunflowers and zinnias for the Harvest Festival at the Nashville Market on October 20. I still have two bouquets of zinnias in my house that I harvested the day before the flower-killing frost a week later. Time to let go of summer, I guess. It's just that the time seemed so short after the weather cooled and the rains came and the flowers were finally blooming with the easy grace of past summers.

Yesterday Sasha and I drove up-county to the little community of Knob Lick (pronounced na-blik, locally) to find Steele's Body Shop. We needed to find someone to repair the damage from the letters S A S H A inscribed on the hood of my Honda. He at first told me that Madeline had done it- even describing the stone she used. When I asked her, she assured me that if she had done it she would have written ROO. We met Jarrod Steele, whose shop is on his dad's dairy farm. When we arrived his dad was talking with another farmer. He called Jarrod on his cellphone, located him having lunch at Cathy's Country Store, and Jarrod drove up within five minutes. Next Monday we will drive up with Robin to drop off my car. Then go back Tuesday or Wednesday to pick it up. Sasha says he doesn't want to do all that riding around. I told him I don't either but that's what it takes to repair the damage and since he did the damage he needs to help me repair it. He's concerned that the cost may empty his bank account. We'll see.

Bootsie is back. I had not seen him since he was here over a year ago. His double set of curved horns and his great curved head have matured (as well as his reproductive equipment). He is now the quintessential Jacob ram, gorgeous to behold. Unfortunately he has developed the nasty habit of butting people. He will come right up to you, all friendly, then as you reach out to stoke him, wham! When he was here last time, I got caught. I was freeing one of the lambs from an enclosure and didn't notice old Bootsie until it was too late. ( At that point I was inclined to excuse him, as doing his duty to protect the lamb). It took months for the great patch of bruising on my thigh to heal. So we plan to be very careful around the sheep as long as he is in residence.

Next Saturday ends the four week Fall Extension. Our last intern, Ram, will leave here for another farm. In two weeks the turkeys go to the processor in Bowling Green and then on to Nashville for delivery. The younger farm family is going along because that evening family will be arriving at Nashville airport from California and Massachusetts for Thanksgiving.

I expect to spend that day cooking so we can concentrate on Thanksgiving goodies on Wednesday and Thursday.

Please know that your friendship will be counted in our Thanksgiving blessings,

Love, Louise