There’s a chill in the air, leaves are falling, and even with warm sunny days fooling the mind, our hearts know our all too short growing season is coming to a close. It’s time to rake leaves, light a fire, and turn introspective, mentally relaxing, taking a breather before gaining a second wind in preparation for the hurly burly rush of the coming holidays. It’s time to pick the best pumpkin, sharpen the knives, and let your creative juices flow as we carve lanterns to greet the ghost and goblins who wander a’foot in the dark of a spooky October night. I was once asked to do a thing on pumpkins, but confess, I have never grown a pumpkin. I have grown Delicata squash and spaghetti squash, but the only watermelons I managed to grow were nourished by the warm rays of a Florida sun. But here in the Northwest, the only one that even resembled watermelons were the size of a billiard ball and greener that the Irish countryside.

So, my advice was and still is – they come in a can. I do have a delicious pumpkin cake recipe. Take one box of the devilish type chocolate cake mix, and following directions on the box, add the egg, but instead of the water, add one small can of pumpkin , a bag of chocolate chips, and a package of your favorite chopped nuts. I particularly like pecans. Bake as usual and “voila” wonderfully moist sheet or cup cakes.

This was a good year for tomatoes. I like to grow tomatoes from Alaska or Russia as they are particularly suited to cold, short season climes. I grew some in the upside down tomato bags, and some in the ground, as I had a few left over as seed starts in early spring. The ones in the upside down hangers ripened beautifully, gave off a large crop. The ones in the ground were slower and were picked as green tomatoes, placed in an old nonworking refrigerator and are supplying us with tomatoes even as we speak and with any luck will last until Christmas.

The farm stores abound with all kinds of squash, delicata – delicate and sweet; sweet mama – deep orange, firm and sweet, and sweet dumpling, small – perfect for one, and also tender and sweet. Microwaving squash takes only a few minutes. Cut them in quarters, turn upside down on a plate sprayed with cooking spray and microwave for seven minutes. I love spaghetti squash with a simple dressing of salt, pepper and a ton of Reggiano – Parmesano. A great recipe for hash with a difference is to sauté up some onions, garlic, mushrooms, green peppers, and some cooked squash cut in cubes. Throw in some chopped leftover chicken, some artichoke hearts, a splash of cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and you have a wonderful healthy, good for you hash.

After a heavy rain, an autumn night can take your breath away. The cool silver moon hides behind misty veils , dark scudding clouds tipped with brilliant moonlight race across the sky, silhouetting the tall pines standing sentinel at the bottom of the garden. All is quiet, and a peace settles over the hillside. Winter will soon be here. Seed catalogs begin to multiply like rabbits in our mailboxes, and we can finally settle down and get caught up with reading, cozy up with a cup of hot cocoa and some of that pumpkin chocolate cake, and dream of what next year will bring.