The Red Oak leaves brown and blow on a howling Halloween and the tree farm has reached another birthday.  Occasional bursts of lake-effect snow from a lead-lined sky warn of harsh weather ahead, but for now the grass is green.  Freed from competition by frost-pruned weeds it’s growing thanks to lots of October rain.  It will be left a little long  where there are not too many leaves to mulch or move.

A rabbit, or maybe 2 elude the clutches of our resident fox by living beneath the largest Scotch Pines.  Those planted as 3-year seedlings are now almost 9 years old.  Volunteer raspberry and blackberry vines like the pines too, waiting to grab the sleeve or hat of the guy on the mower.  Poison ivy that stealthily made its way up trunks all summer is now bright red and obvious – but only until the next hard rain sweeps the leaves away.  The myth that this vine only thrives in shade is busted on the Bluecircle since it’s everywhere the mower blades don’t reach.

Spagetti squash proved to be the champion crop of this year’s garden.  The pepper and tomato plants and never fully recovered from a late frost, and a groundhog that tunneled into the sweet corn/pumpkin patch feasted on the young vines.  Soon it will be time to clean out the beds, hang up the tools and wait to anticipate the first signs of Spring.