Fall Colors - Beyond The Sunset

I continue to be amazed at the length of Fall's season this year! My harvest is almost over, as the cold weather (30s and 40s at night) has really slowed growth. Yet I still have zucchini, green beans, and tomatoes growing in the garden! We had a light frost about a week ago, where temps got down to about 29 degrees in my garden. However, I really think having the shower curtains hung where the frost breeze can't hit my plants has made a huge difference.  I still have blooming flowers, zucchini growing, and green beans too! I am giving the Lord praise for this bountiful harvest! 

I picked this bouquet the night before the expected freeze. Thankfully, with the help of my hanging shower curtains, the frost just nipped the leaves, and everything is still alive! I'm so grateful! 

My Brandywine tomatoes have been stars this year!
They have been as big as my hand! Lots of green tomatoes ripening still... 

My zucchini has been amazing this year as well. They are a large variety that offers lots of flesh, and few seeds, while getting huge! I saved these seeds from last year, it is an heirloom variety with Baker's Seed Company.  This is the variety that is STILL producing in my garden (in spite of the freeze, nipped leaves, and cold weather!) 

Frost on my tomato leaves - however, these tomatoes are still alive. The leaves burned a bit, but are still green. I'm quite happy overall that we have made it almost to the middle of October without a killing frost (down in the low 20s). 

These cooler days mean special memories made around our bonfire pit! 

Our "Little Girl" loves to sleep in my lap before bedtime or when I drink my morning coffee. Her position is so hilarious to see! 

Continuing on our low-carb way of life - I made a salad recently that was keto-approved.  I used broccoli, cauliflower, a red onion, two pears, bacon, and cheese, adding a sour cream dressing with a bit of stevia in it to sweeten. Yes, it was delicious! 

My greenhouse with an abundance of tomatoes slowly ripening in it. This has been a very bad year for mice in our area - it seems like everyone is talking about it.  They just scurry when I walk into the garden, and even with two cats who daily bring in dead mice, we are still being overrun. Our neighbors are saying the same. Yesterday I went to check on my tomatoes, and all the ripe ones, plus many of the green tomatoes had been eaten by the mice! So I've had to box all the tomatoes and bring them into my porch area. You can see I have a bucket trap in there - I caught a few in the beginning, but apparently, the word is out, and they are avoiding it now. I hesitate to use poison because of the cats. 

Part of my potato harvest - they are sitting out to dry before I will store them for winter use. 

My husband recently celebrated his birthday - we switched his candles around, and that made him happy! How did we all get this old? Half a century sounds old! {smiles} 

We enjoyed a bonfire and a wonderful meal at a friend's house for Dan's birthday. We just love their firepit, and we have plans to make one for our backyard! 

We took a ride on Sunday afternoon on our quads - oh it was gorgeous! 
Fall colors abounded in every view! 

The setting sun over the western mountains... my heart sighs in great contentment to be in this place, soaking up God's gift to us. 

One of the viewpoints on our ride... glorious! 

We gathered elderberries on our quad ride, and I was busy all day Monday making elderberry syrup. 

We did a taste test, and oh my, it was wonderful! This is an immune support whenever flu/cold bugs are moving around. This is the recipe I used: 

Elderberry Syrup
6 cups washed elderberries (stems and leaves removed)
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mix elderberries and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer under a boil for an hour. Turn the heat off and let sit for 30 minutes. Strain the elderberries. Clean the stockpot, and pour the strained elderberry mixture back into it.  Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Let simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized pint-size jars, and process according to standard water bath guidelines. 

Because we are 2000+ feet above sea level, I process mine for 15 minutes in a water bath canner and then let them sit for 24 hours.  After 24 hours I remove the bands, wash off the jars, label, and store. I am very thankful for this natural immune blessing that we will be able to use in the upcoming winter months. 

I took this picture last week as the setting sun spread such glorious colors over our local dam. The magnificence of God's palette never ceases to amaze me! I took a video of the mesmerizing scene as I sat and watched it, and have made it into a music video which I am sharing below. 

I hope you enjoy the video, and that your heart is encouraged that someday heaven will be a beautiful place that we will never have to leave.  I shared this verse at the end of the video... 

Revelation 21:5

And God shall wipe away 

all tears from their eyes; 

and there shall be no more death, 

neither sorrow nor crying, 

neither shall there be any more pain: 

for the former things are passed away. 

In light of all the world events that are taking place - sorrow, unbelievable tragedy, heartache, and trauma beyond what we can comprehend - my heart is aching for those who weep, whose lives will never be the same.  My prayers continue moment by moment for the needs of those with hearts broken by unspeakable tragedy and trauma. 

In light of the many questions about the current events that are happening - my heart has been led to Zechariah 14.  If you have questions or wonder about the events taking place in the Middle East - take a moment to read this chapter. It brings a lot of clarity into the situation and gives us hope beyond what we can see and understand now.  

As I watched the beautiful sunset unfold in front of my eyes this week, the colors were bright and glorious but then began to fade, and darkness slipped into their place.  Someday though, the sunset will never fade, sadness will never have its place in our hearts, and our eternal joy will be found complete in our rest with Him. I look forward to that day, beyond the sunset, O eternal joy! 

Keep your eyes on the Lord, 

Let not your hearts be troubled, 

Pray without ceasing, and

Look up, for our Redeemer draweth nigh!