Preparing for the "Polar Coaster"

This big brown sycamore leaf looks kinda pitiful frozen in a tub of water, don't ya think? 

We've been battening down the hatches, so to speak, preparing for an early blast of winter around here.   

Autumn isn't officially over until late DECEMBER, but this week is supposed to bring snow and temperatures in the teens. 

While it seems too soon for that, there's little can we do besides prepare.  

This afternoon, I gathered up a couple more buckets of the big ol' juicy pears that keep falling off the tree. 

Later on, some of "the girls" and I raided my brother's garden.  He has the most beautiful rows of kale, mustard and turnip greens, and I so hate to see the cold claim them.  We picked a few bags full of those, then swiped a couple of the cabbages and broccoli that were growing beside the greens. 

Here at the house, we closed off the upstairs of our house with a temporary ceiling in the stairwell.  Big ol' drafty farmhouses are hard to keep warm, ya know, and nobody goes up there very often anyway, so there's really no need to keep it very warm.   

The hubby spent some time making sure the windows were snug with those little plastic window kits.   I carried down the rest of my coats and sweaters and put them away.  

The hubs also mowed up the leaves (easier than raking, and they fertilize the lawn!), then he put the lawnmowers away.  If it warms up again, we'll probably mow them one more time.  

If.

Maybe you've heard about some of the dire weather predictions made in the new 2020 Farmers' Almanac.  

The almanac is predicting a "Polar Coaster Winter" with wild temperature swings and several major snowstorms.  They're already saying many parts of the country will not only have a white Christmas but a white Thanksgiving too.  

Brrrrr.   That's why I was determined to spend every possible moment I could outdoors today.  It was an absolutely beautiful day!