There are no more apples to harvest from the trees. I made applesauce from the last five on the counter, peeling, coring, and cooking them in a bit of apple juice. When tender, I took the potato masher to them and now I have fresh, chunky-style applesauce. It’s among the best dishes of apple season. There is not much, yet enough to provide a taste of summer.
Now we begin eating storage apples from a special drawer in the refrigerator. I checked them the other day and they are keeping well, even varieties not known to be long keepers. 2025 was a great year for apples, all around.
It took about a week from getting a chainsaw, taking down the two dead ash trees, and processing all the wood. We don’t have a fireplace or go camping much, so this woodpile will be for someone else. I offered it to the neighbor who helped take one of the trees down yet he said he has enough for this winter. It is a beautiful thing to look at but I’ll need the space for the greenhouse in the spring.
Burning the branches took most of a day. The process was straight forward with only a cut or two needed on each before putting them on the burn pile. Everything burned quickly, although there was a lot to burn. I enjoy burn piles and do one each in fall and spring.
About the only must-do task outdoors is to mulch the leaves now that they have fallen from trees that shed in autumn. That takes about an hour and it should be done this week. After that, I’ll deconstruct what I can of the garden. I know where most of next year’s crops are going, although it is not an urgent fall task. Wildlife continues to enjoy the habitat.
Winter will soon arrive, yet not before we enjoy a few more weeks of autumn. Life at home is an escape from the rest of society. Sometimes we need that.
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