Rigi Hike

 On a Lovely Autumn Day

Some of the family said we should revive monthly Rigi hikes. So today we started. The day was gorgeous. The children were troopers. And the meal at the top was scrumptious: hunting season, so all fresh venison with all the traditional trimmings: wild cranberries, chestnuts, spiced wine pears, red cabbage, Spätzli. Brussels sprouts, and everything locally sourced - very local, some even from farms on the Rigi. (My phone lost battery about half way, so pictures are limited.)

This is looking across Lake Lucerne to the Pilatus, on the right. 

This shows part of the Rigi and our goal of Rigi Kaltbad. 

“The Ladder way”

Sun between the clouds, and an oversized picnic table 

An excellent dinner of local foods.

More in next post of The Views.

Painting, Pig Market

 In France

Note the details. This is likely the traditional St. Martin butchering day. People got their last meat before the Advent fasts. 

End of Season Canning

 The Little Ones

The tiny apples or impaired ones of our year’s crop do not go into storage. They became apple sauce. Great for winter waffles.

First Frost

 And the Growing Season is Officially Done

Hello, November

 Blessed All Saints Day

From a fine ancient church in France, where the saints are remembered and the weathered, old, chipped saints are still treasured.

Warrior saints, who fought the good - and necessary - fight.

A treasure and treasured church, in France.

A couple of saints in Wittenberg. Some family went there for the Reformation Retreat this past weekend. 

In the Wittenberg market, with the historic Castle Church in the background. 

Winterizing

 In the Rain

We got the sensitive plants in the greenhouse today, before the first frost, expected tomorrow. 

Before

After. The trimming and all will come later. 

And we harvested squash. A good crop, but we could have used a couple more weeks. This is part of the crop. 

And we got these. We had thought we planted Schwarzwurzeln, and while these were certainly black, and they are roots, they were not the long skinny roots with a mild flavor we were expecting. And they had the wrong kind of leaves. These are short, plump, and taste like radishes. Better luck next year.

And one was red!? 

We had several oddities this year.

Autumn Card

 A Collaboration 

I make the drawing and punch the leaves from bright paper, and she gets it in the mail and finishes adding the leaves on the skirt. 

Very Pink

 More Dahlias

Autumn Florals

 White and Bright

More Harvest

 Almost Ready

Some of the rose hips are now in a honey-vinegar concoction, to which will be added ginger, for a winter tonic after it sits for some weeks.