Seattle grew too much for the man...
My name is Tom and after years of living in Seattle, I moved to the country, and settled into a sweet old farmhouse on four acres of possibilities.
When not shooing deer, or plotting against brambles and Scotch broom, I'm a Bulldog booster, writer, grower of fruit, lover of pies, kitchen alchemist, and seasoned hammock tester. This is where I write all about it.
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Sweet Meat Squash: Stores Well, Tas... Wheelbarrows double as wading pools.
Roses resemble wet tissues.
Hammocks allow for drop-ins.
Tarps reach new architectural heights.
Tomatoes give up the ghost.
All eyes are on fresh-baked pies.
Wood is wet and tarps too few.
Sweet corn saves itself for an October plate.
And the leaves of summer signal winter’s long sleep with fiery goodbye. 
What I was blogging about a year ago: Turning a New Leaf on Chard
Tags: Seasons | Autumn
11 responses so far ↓
1 Elizabeth // Oct 21, 2009 at 5:08 am
I have all those things too except the hammock, the oars and the dog.
2 Elizabeth // Oct 21, 2009 at 5:09 am
…and the corn and the wood. Does it count that I live in the northwest too?
3 brion // Oct 21, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Rain and rotten tomatoes! That’s what I’ll call my new web site. We can’t seem to shake off the summer except for more rain. Somehow my rye grass, overseeded for winter, is turning brown. We’ve go pansy’s out and tulip bulbs in but I’ve raked nary a leaf.
4 Tom // Oct 21, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Elizabeth it totally counts …and you do have Powell Books on a rainy day
And Brion hang on to summer as long as you can!
5 M.A. // Oct 21, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I think I spotted that missing tarp atop the oars.
Sad news was never delivered any lovelier, Tom. Even the mold on the tomatoes looks a little like powdered sugar.
6 Tom // Oct 21, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Thanks MA, I’m picking up my supply of Vitamin D as a precautionary measure.
7 June // Oct 22, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Oh Tom, don’t kill me but it looks beautiful! I wish we had smellavision because there’s nothing quite like the autumn aromas. I’d trade you in a blink!
8 Sarah Oldham Alexander // Oct 23, 2009 at 6:07 am
Love this! And what a teeny tiny pie! I hope you made more than one…
9 Eileen @ Passions to Pastry // Oct 23, 2009 at 11:54 am
Oh, this makes me so sad. We haven’t had a decent fall here in Minnesota — cold and wet much sooner than expected. I keep hoping for a reprieve and a couple of 60′s (or maybe even a surprise 70!), but it doesen’t look like it’s going to happen.
10 Methyl // Nov 22, 2009 at 6:11 am
Tom -
New to your blog, but saw a snippet in Sunset Fresh Dirt, and followed you across the water to Vashon.
Regarding the sweet corn – how did you get yours sweet? We grew Seeds of Change Tri Color and the first picking was small but tasty. Left them on the stalks to thicken, but the rest of the ears were starchy. Bleah.
We’re at elevation 30′ in Broadview, just below the Shoreline/Seattle border.
p.s. the ketchup story made me laugh out loud. Thanks.
11 Tom // Nov 22, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Hi Methyl, yep corn is a bit tricky here and sweetness may depend on variety. I had good luck with Peaches and Cream, Kandy Korn, Jubilee and Bon Apetit.
I’ve found corn to be a real water hog around here in our dry summers, and the more I watered the better the results. I watered with one good slow soaking once a week.
Now as for the ketchup story, I have been redeemed and did make a really good batch. I told that pot of tomato goo that this kitchen ain’t big enough for the two of us, so stay in the pot. Very slow cooking is the only way to go with ketchup.
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