Samain Closing Moon
At some point the weather of Conifer and Andover will diverge. This week is a foretaste. Andover heads into the teens while Conifer remains in the 30’s and 40’s. This divergence will increase as December and January come with Andover getting colder and colder, but Conifer remaining 10 to 20 degrees warmer. Fortunately, this process reverses as Andover heats up, Conifer remains cooler and will eventually be cooler consistently than Andover during the summer months. From my perspective this is an ideal divergence from our norms here, mildly warmer in the winter, markedly cooler in the summer. And, yes, this factored in our choice of locations.
Going to lay down the broadcast in the vegetable garden and the orchard this morning, then mulch. Kate and Anne planted next year’s garlic crop while I was in Colorado. With no additional effort then, the new owners will have apples, pears, plums, cherries, currants, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus and garlic from their orchard and vegetable garden. In addition they will have daffodils, liguria, monkshood, many varieties of Asiatic lilies, iris and hemerocallis. Clematis, daffodils, tulips and fall crocus will 
bloom, too. Wisteria, lilac, bushy clematis and snakeroot put fragrance, delicate and sweet, in the air. They will have three different sheds in which to organize their outdoor life and a firepit for family evenings. There are, too, the separated plantings of prairie grass and wildflowers that bracket the front lawn, providing habitat for butterflies and other wildlife.
In addition the property has about 1.5 acres of woods, including a morel patch that shows up in the late spring. With the inground irrigation system this is a place for a person with an interest in living closer to the earth and harvesting the literal fruits of such a lifestyle.
Included with the property is enough woodenware to get a beekeeping hobby started.