The Battle Belongs to the Lord

The odds were stacked against a good garden this year between my surgeries and the cool weather. But all in all, it was a great garden year. We had unusually warm weather in September which allowed the tomatoes and peppers to finish strong. We had strawberries up to the bitter end. Yesterday, with a large snow storm looming in the forecast, I pulled in the remainder of the carrots, potatoes, and apples. With four trees, the dining room floor is covered with boxes and baskets of apples. Next week the canning will begin.

What I love about having a garden is all the fresh produce. Last night we had “bangers and mash” (sausages & mashed potatoes). I speared a bunch of potatoes when digging them out so Emma suggested we make mashed potatoes with them. We also finished up the last broccoli and cauliflower. Tonight we had Chiles Rellenos with fresh salsa and apple cobbler. I am thankful to God for the privilege of being able to grow and enjoy food from our backyard. Tonight it is snowing. Such is the weather in Montana. The growing season is over. God is good.

It was -13°F this morning (yes, that’s a minus-sign in front of that temperature) and the garden looks like this.

I’d say there’s no better time to get my seeds started for the garden this year: peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. I have seen a robin already and a raven having a gopher (a.k.a. Richardson’s Ground Squirrel) for lunch, so spring can’t be too far away.