October 13, 2017
I've been wondering why there is so much straw left around the mounds this year and then I realized there are feathers around each mound also. The little sparrows that scratch at the straw like tiny chickens, and spread it around, are not being given as much time as they used to. The cats can hear this scratching from under their hiding spots, and get to sneak up on the birds, because my garden's a jungle. People that try to trash talk cats by saying they kill song birds are not gardeners. The piles of compost scattered around the garden , and the mulching with garden waste, contribute to mouse habitat..
I keep finding dead baby mice in the walkways. This means the cats are catching so many of them that they aren't bothering to eat them anymore. This is the first year I haven't had a mouse, gopher or mole problem. Cats are totally worth it..
October 14, 2017
I was "sittin' in the morning sun" and I thought "I'll be sittin' when the evening comes". Not true, not true, I was sittin' in the garden sun, not fishing. You never sit for long in the garden. Things always happen to make you get up. Priorities change as you observe the landscape. I wondered what all the humming was about and looked down at my feet to see bees swarming all over the fallen grapes. They were all over the Asters too..
Peope who are allergic to bee stings would not be comfortable in my garden. I remembered to check on my wallnut sized spider and found his web in shreds. Maybe a bird flew through it. I think he's too fat to repair it so if he just crawls into one of the grape leaves that are curling on the vines, and the leaf falls onto the pile of leaves under it, and more leaves fall on top of him, maybe he can survive the freezes and overwinter. If I don't have to touch him, he's welcome..
October 15, 2017
October is a good month to get compost spread on your corn patches. It's still light enough that you can carry full wheelbarrow loads, and it spreads easier when it's not wet. When the November rains come you'll be pushing half loads through soggy ground and mud, and it will be sticking to the bottom of your shoes. Back when I was an urban gardener October was when we drove the Ranchero out to the country to find hoarse boarding facilities that had stall cleanings. We could always find well aged piles that were ready to spread on the ground..
These days I think you won't find aged piles because so many people are aware of how valuable it is to the soil. Not to worry. It will compost down within a month if you turn it once a week and water it thoroughly each time..
