When the frost is on the pumpkin…

The average first frost date in Minnesota is about September 25. The average first frost date in Corvallis is October 25. So nineteen out of twenty years it probably freezes earlier in Minnesota. Not this year. We dropped to 29.3 degrees yesterday morning, tying a record low set in 1890. Most summer crops have been harvested, so I heard few complaints, but the frost did kill our tomato and cucumber plants in the garden. We’ve been burning a lot of wood, and I bought a space heater yesterday to keep my room more comfortable as well as to control fermentation temperatures for the beer (see below).

High pressure continues under clear skies, though this morning was a wee bit warmer (34.7). I’m planning to drive to the top of Marys Peak today – at 4096 feet the highest mountain in our part of the coast range.

When homework leaves me alone, I’ve been double-digging our squash plot in preparation for garlic planting and brewing another batch of beer. This batch is an old ale – with lots of malt – that should produce a tasty, syrupy, high-alcohol brew ideal for sipping on cold winter nights. Fermentation has been a bit slow to begin, and I’m afraid I may need to add some more yeast to really get things going.

Check out the photos of the day for brew-pictures.

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