This crazy climate keeps you guessing.  It was in the eighties–80s!!–for a couple of days, then last night it snowed!  My first snow in STL.  Now it’s freezing out.  I’ve been holding off turning on the heat, using solar light and warm temps, some baking, and possibly borrowed radiant heat from surrounding apartments(!) to regulate ambient temps, but I may have to concede.  Summer was nice while it lasted through much of fall!

Still, nature doesn’t stop, just goes underground, aside from the last few vestiges of summer.  I can always scrounge up a bouquet for Shabbat.  Or start up my propagation station indoors, thanks to Avdi’s setup skills.  So far I have some annual and perennial herbs, Asian ginger, lemon seedlings, and tropicals.  Soon I’ll start some lettuces and greens, more herbs, and some wildflowers just for the hell of it.  I also have an evil plan to sow (broadcast) native wildflower seeds along the edge of the drainage culvert behind the apartments, as soon as it gets a little colder, so they can stratify all winter.

Over at the Avdi’s yesterday, J&C as usual were cooking up a delicious vegetarian storm, including these fabulous soft pretzel “rolls”.  I contributed an apple cake I had baked.  Percy the guinea pig supervised.  Here is Avdi pouring our drinks.