Evelyn’s Pantry is hometown deli on Monterey’s main street

Autumn was on full display on the patio of Evelyn’s Pantry on Monterey’s main street the last day of September 2014. The warm days of fall are an invitation.... (Photos, read more here)

Finding autumn in Highland County, Va.

Over four dozen photos of the autumn colors, scenic farms, and brightly-colored mountains in Highland County, Virginia's "Little Switzerland." Leaves, sheep, clear blue skies, cool air ... bringing fall to you....  (Photos, continue reading here)

Foggy, rainy Shenandoah Valley

Foggy conditions invaded the Shenandoah Valley Tuesday as icy conditions gave way to heavy rain and rising temperatures.

From this spot on the road, the Appalachians are layered against the western sky with higher West Virginia mountains in the background. Not today. As I drove home shortly before dark, the fog had settled over my corner of Augusta County, kind of like a hidden village under the clouds ... our own Brigadoon, if you may.

After dark, the rains increased as temperatures rose. The forecast says the temperature could rise a couple more degrees overnight before a second blast of cold air in the morning moves in to complicate matters even more. We're keeping an eye on NBC-29 for weather updates. Safe travels to all who are headed to Thanksgiving destinations.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
November 26, 2013

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken on a cool Shenandoah Valley day

It was cool this morning in the Shenandoah Valley. In fact, it was downright brisk as the thermometer hit 43 degrees overnight signaling fall is on its way and time to complete those chores that must be done before winter.

Because of the cool in the air, it was a good morning to put the crock pot to use because there's nothing like comfort food when the temps drop. Today's offering is Santa Fe Chicken, a spicy, yummy combination of chicken, tomatoes, chilies, black beans, corn, and more, and I doubled the batch to make enough to share. It's bubbling away on the kitchen counter.

The iron skillet is ready to go on the stove top later this afternoon as I cook apples because, you know, it's that time of year when the plentiful access to local apples makes them a delicious addition to whatever you're cooking.

The most important chore today was cleaning the chimney to the wood stove. SWAC Husband climbed the ladder and walked across the roof in his bare feet because the cool morning temps and overcast skies had prevented the tiles from becoming too hot. Carrying his tools, he made his way to the chimney where it didn't take long to clean built-up creosote from last winter's fires. Cleaned and ready to go, we're now waiting for the first truly cold snap to build the first fire of the season.

Other chores will be taken care of today and over the next weeks as western Virginia slips closer into fall. It's a busy time of the year. Now back to work and to check the crock pot to see how that soup is doing. There will be good eating tonight.

It's almost fall in the Shenandoah Valley....

Thoughts on a late-summer day in the Valley....

There's something cathargic about driving a riding lawn mower on a sunny mid-70s day with the wind blowing and the smell of freshly-cut grass and the mountains clear in the distance.

While mowing, my brain whirred as I planned dinner, mentally sorted out correspondence that needed to be answered, noted tree branches to be trimmed, watched the deer grazing on the edge of the woods, and just enjoyed being outdoors with my thoughts....

Autumn officially starts Sunday....

The grass is growing fast with the warm days and cool nights....

The coldest night so far has been 37 degrees. Our flowers made it through that and I'm hoping to get a few more weeks of enjoyment before the cold freezes them....

We've enjoyed eating dinner on the deck in the warm temps knowing full well it is a matter of time before it's too cold to do so....

The woodstove is cleaned and ready to go. Firewood has been chopped and stacked and seasoned; kindling is stored under cover....

The squirrels are coming out of the woods into the yard carrying walnuts to bury for retrieval throughout the winter....

Deer are wandering up to the house to graze ... had to run them off yesterday and today ... counted 11 at woods' edge which is too many. Hunting season is around the corner....

The skunks are busy ... have smelled their fragrance several nights the past couple of weeks....

Washed comforters and blankets and hung out to dry ... am using these waning warm days to use the clothes line before being forced to turn to the clothes dryer again....

The garden has just about played out with only a few remaining vegetables to be harvested. For tonight's dinner we enjoyed potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, and the last picking of green beans. I'm going to miss those homegrown tomatoes when the last ones are picked....

Some of the leaves on the sassafras trees have already turned scarlet as well as leaves on the Virginia creeper growing up the wild cherry tree....

There's an urgency about preparing for cold weather even as we look forward to the leaves turning colors and the crisp days of October....

Fall is on its way....

Butterflies, wildflowers, and the coming of fall in the Shenandoah Valley ... Part 3

American flag flies from deck in honor of our military.

More photos from roaming around the Sweet Virginia Breeze homestead ... the dozens of butterflies passing through were elusive and in a hurry and I wasn't able to get a photo of them in mid-flight. Last weekend we saw mostly blue swallowtails but this week most of them were orange monarchs.

Aspen tree from a cousin's home in Idaho.

Deer graze under the trees in the back yard on a daily basis....

Two lone blackberries were left on the vine hidden behind this bush ... all the rest had been eaten by birds and critters.

Chicory, found along roadsides and in fields, has been blooming since June. This one is in the sedum flower garden.

Low temps over the weekend were in the upper 30s with daytime highs in the low 60s. Autumn is definitely in the air ... it officially begins Sunday. Some leaves are changing early but usually the height of color season comes in mid- to late-October.

Fall is on its way....

Butterflies, wildflowers, and the coming of fall in the Shenandoah Valley ... Part 1

Butterflies, wildflowers, and the coming of fall in the Shenandoah Valley ... Part 2

Butterflies, wildflowers, and the coming of fall in the Shenandoah Valley.... Part 1

Sunday afternoon was a warm day with temps in the upper 80s as I roamed the Sweet Virginia Breeze homestead. What led me outside with a camera was the number of butterflies that had been passing through the past week -- blue, yellow, orange -- heading south of the border for the winter.

Late summer ... the warm days are waning ... fall is almost here and the signs are everywhere.

A lone scraggly apple.... A late spring frost killed blooms on our apple and peach trees as well as flowering bushes, vines, and flowers. The few apples that made it have been eaten by the deer with the exception of this one high up on a branch.

As I approached this black walnut tree, three squirrels jumped to the ground and scampered toward the woods. I had interrupted their harvesting a winter food source.

Black walnuts are abundant on the trees. They are couched in these green outer coverings that dry and turn black after the nuts are picked. Under that covering is a rock-hard shell that usually has to be shattered with a hammer.

An orange monarch butterfly on goldenrod in a grassy clearing in the woods. I tried to take photos of other butterflies but they were elusive and in a hurry.... Goldenrod is blooming and abundant in the woods, and it is covered with bees and butterflies as they prepare for cold weather ahead.

Berries on a cedar tree. They are not as abundant this year.

Fall mums....

Worked in the yard today pulling old, leggy petunia plants out of the window boxes and replacing them with bright, cheerful, yellow chrysanthemums.

It's almost autumn and the summer flowers are spent with the exception of the impatients which are still perky in the back yard ... but everything else was replaced with mums.

I raked leaves that had fallen from the bass tree ... trimmed some bushes and limbed some trees. It was hot so limited my work during the middle of the day ... went back outside and worked until dark which is occurring earlier and earlier these days.

Fall is on its way....