Halloween = Pumpkins

Enjoying a cool morning after a walk.

On Oct 8th and 9th, 3 inches of glorious, much needed rain fell on Dripping Springs.   A few days later, the rain flowers popped out in celebration of the moisture.  The long range forecast, however, indicates that the drought will continue at least through the winter.

Our temperatures cooled from the brutal summer highs but we are still having frequent days in the upper 80°F.    The AC was turned off for several days but has been turned back on when the daytime temperatures rose and the humidity returned.

Most of the pumpkins are harvested.   When I cut the first pumpkin for cooking, I discovered that just because the pumpkin is orange, it isn't necessarily ripe.  So, I adopted the practice of letting them cure/ripen on the counter in the kitchen for 7-10 days before cooking.

There is a steady supply of Pumpkin bread and I discovered a Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake recipe that is yummy.  Also, I cooked and froze 4 cups of pumpkin pulp for Thanksgiving pies.

The garden struggles on with supplemental watering.  I question the wisdom of using the water but so far haven't stopped.

The peppers, both sweet and hot, are still covered with fruit.

I planted green onions in the garden and cilantro in pots.  Soon, I must decide whether to plant lettuce.