It happened as we slept last night.  The declination of the sun was 0 degrees latitude as it hung directly over Earth’s equator.  This marked the autumnal equinox and the beginning of [astronomical] fall.

Sylvia has harvested over 30 pounds of potatoes and there are more in the ground.  We are still harvesting green beans.  It has been a strange year.  We were harvesting peas well into August and we’ve never done that before.

Meanwhile near our back door our old friend thrives.

Peppermint is a long-time tradition in Sylvia’s family.  Her mother’s parents and maternal grandparents were pioneers in mint cultivation in Clinton County, Michigan.  For that reason, we’ve always grown some close to our back door.  It’s nice to pick a leaf and chew on it.  It smells good to just crush a leaf for that fabulous fragrance.  Or crush it into your tea cup for a refreshing flavorful sip of brew.