Monday Musings

In the mountain environment, stink bugs herald the onset of fall. Despite our best efforts, having our log home re-sealed and replacing screens, the little SOBs still find a way to intrude. Who are the  Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs  (BMSB)? They are immigrants from Asia, first noted in Allentown, PA, in 1998, with an initial appearance in North Carolina, in Forsyth County, in 2009. In the interim, the bugs have become invasive pests in the Piedmont and Mountain region. Currently, they reside in 80 of the 100 NC counties as well as in 47 US states. The native stink bugs have natural enemies that keep them in check; the BMSB have few, making them a destructive pest. Their early fall invasion is unpleasant to homeowners and can be devastating to vegetable crops. Pesticides have actually caused secondary pest outbreaks and a greater risk to non-targeted creatures. Scientists are continuing to work on the issue. There is currently hope that another insect, the Samurai Wasp  Tri...

  Today is the fall equinox, with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Autumn is a time of harvest, a time to appreciate the bounty of nature. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, we’re beginning to notice the trees’ color changes and the subtle drift of dropping leaves. Peak fall color in this region varies by date and altitude. This Almanac.com link features an  animated map depicting fall color change progression . The top places to view seasonal leaf change in the North Carolina mountains are detailed in an article in  Blue Ridge Mountain Life . Our mountains provide a vast array of opportunities. Last year, most of the leaf viewing in the North Carolina mountains was circumvented by the Hurricane Helene disaster. The monster storm devastated the Western Appalachian region on September 27, 2024. Some  sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway remain closed  due to repairs following landslides, bridge outages, and Helene Recovery. Please che...

  Tomorrow, the annual Ashe County, NC Literary Festival begins. On The Same Page,  OTSP , started as a community read of  On Agate Hill  by Lee Smith in 2008. The first full festival was held in September 2009. Both writers and readers enjoy attending the event. As a writer, I have the opportunity to improve my skills in workshops led by OTSP authors. The workshops are FREE but require registration. Click this  link  to review the event options and sign up. As a reader, it’s great fun to hear authors read select snippets of their books. They often share information about the plot/character inspiration. On other occasions, they talk about their writing process or path to publication. And the BOOKS! Every time I attend, I promise myself I won’t buy too many, but… If you prefer Kindle or Audible copies, jot down the titles/authors and go crazy on Amazon. Georgann Eubanks has been a regular participant since the inception of OTSP. Each year the event luncheon ...

  The last of the vegetables hang on the plants, a few straggling eggplants. I look forward to making a pan of eggplant parmesan. Now my duties involve cleaning out the raised beds in preparation for next year’s crops. My first job was to strip the plant debris from one bed to set up a cold frame, a mini greenhouse. I bought a lovely kit from Austria, a well-made product. Although it was a bit unwieldy for a single assembler, I accomplished the task. Note: (not in the photo) I repositioned the frame over a square-foot grid and zip-tied it to the grid to prevent the apparatus from flying away during one of our brisk winds. Soon I will plant spinach and lettuce within the frame so we can enjoy some fresh greens during the winter months. The first step to putting the garden to bed is to  remove debris and spent foliage . Pea and bean  nitrogen-fixing plant  roots can be left in place to feed the new spring crops; simply cut the plants off at soil level. If the plants we...

  The remnants of the garden require attention, as it continues to produce. More zucchini and summer squash have appeared, hidden beneath the voluminous leaves. One of the yellow squash will be seasoned and grilled to accompany tonight’s dinner. The others will be grated and frozen. This morning, I seeded and grated several large zucchinis (these were in addition to the above photo). The process produced six large cups, which I sealed in gallon Food Saver bags. (Please excuse my misspelling of zucchini in the photo lol). Each bag of 3 cups is sufficient to prepare my favorite Zucchini Blueberry bread featured in the July 21, 2025 story “National Blueberry Month.” The big, beautiful green zucchini above will render another 3 cups of grated vegetable. I’ve already frozen three 1-cup bags of blueberries shown in the 8/11/25 “Garden Preservation” story. Saturday, I picked an additional 6 cups of the luscious fruit. More sweet morsels to garnish granola and yogurt, or to bake into tea b...