Summers end

I always think of Labor Day as the official end to summer.  Everyone is done vacationing and kids are back to school.  For me it is the end of the big gardening season.  Time to put the garden to sleep and start cleaning up the dead flowers.  I officially put the flowers to bed in October.  We have a late fall and late frost here in Mid Mo, compared to NE Mo where I grew up.  I get to enjoy the fall colors longer and the late flowers bloom longer.  I have this interesting perennial daisy like flower that has just started blooming in the last few weeks.   I  no longer remember it's name.  I enjoy the surprise of the blooms in August.   Most of the garden is done.  We have some late stragglers of tomatoes.  The last of the Peppers were picked today.  The sweet potato vines are still green and vigorous.   We are having friends over for a barbecue tonight.  We dug into the sweet potatoes.  The picture is of one plant that the Husband dug.   He started the plants from a sweet potato we purchased in the store.  Just one potato sprouted over 30 plants and a great big vigorous row of vines.   The potatoes look to be excellent.  Not many potatoes to a plant but the size is outstanding.  We purchased a buschel of pie apples from the local Organic garden store.  On Friday ( my day off) we froze eight 8 cup bags of sliced apples.  I made two small apple crisp as give away gifts and made an apple pecan spice cake with cream cheese icing.  I took the cake to the church carry in dinner yesterday.  After church, I went to the Marys Home church picnic in Marys Home, which is near Eugene.  I have to say I don't know when I have seen so many people crammed into such as small town.  The entertainment was Bingo, a quilt auction, a country store and of course the dinner.  Fried chicken, roast beef , lots of deserts and vegetables.  They serve it home style.  You sit and they bring bowl, after bowl, after bowl, of good hot, home cooked food.  They serve mashed potatoes with sour kraut mixed in.  I was a little afraid of it, so a I took a small spoon ful to try.  I like sour kraut but wasn't sure I would like it with my potatoes, but I do.  Very good and unusual.    This is the last Catholic parish picnic for the year.  Now they start in with the fall suppers.  If you like to go there is a dinner about every weekend in the summer with lots of good food and good people to see and visit with.  Quite the Mid Mo experience.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.   GOD BLESS.  In God we Trust.