Woohoo! YeeHaw! I have a blog! Look at me, look at me!! Oh, and by the way, it’s possible that I’m going to find ways to make myself too busy to do anything with it, now that I’ve thrown it in your face –and- it’s possibly going to happen a lot.

{cue: shooting star and distinctive melodic blurb}

Fortunately, I have excuses explanations aplenty, because showing up to a party empty-handed can be awkward, and also because it’s true. Look! Here’s one now:

A vegetable garden is one of those things that likes to give you a little cuff on the back of the head by rewarding your weeks and months of love and care by returning the favor–all at once, in tremendous quantities, imaginary boom box blaring “y’all ready for this?“–and, after many years of trial, error, and plain old rotting, I dare say we’ve become much better at preserving the harvest. But…don’t be fooled.

This is a balls-to-the-wall race to coax, cajole, and coerce perishables into various states of hold before they’re laid waste to various shades of mold. First Prize is a well-stocked pantry and freezer, chock-full of delicious. Second Prize is a lesser-stocked pantry/freezer, but well-fed chickens and a healthy compost pile. All eligible contestants receive dozens of beautiful gardening supply, nursery, and seed catalogs*, to be delivered on or about the Deepest, Darkest Depths of Winter.

We’ve been competing in this event (with varying degrees of success) for several years now, and this year we have a real shot at first place! Freezer #1 is on track to be delivering through at least February or March, and available ‘glass pantry’ space grows smaller by the day. In fact, we are so encouraged that we’re actually toying with the idea of participating in the Cold Frame Follies, but that’s an excuse explanation for another day.

Suffice to say I’ve been up to my elbows in green beans, tomatoes, eggplant, hot peppers, sweet peppers, swiss chard, onions, brussels sprouts, zucchini, parsley, garlic, basil…you get the idea…and Winter. Is. Coming.

And while I loves me some Jon Snow, I don’t much care to drive in it, and canning and freezing now reduces the need for that then. Besides, by the time he shows up, I’ll already have received most, if not all, of the 73 seed orders I placed back on Deepest, Darkest Depths, and if I have to spend money on snow tires, those orders will be need to be reduced by half.

*Teeming with stunning photography and intriguing new cultivars for your enjoyment in the coming season, the catalogs are guaranteed to inspire a renewed sense of hope, ambition, and determined organization that will result in glorious rewards come next harvest. It’ll be magical. Pinky Swear.