Sustainable Saturday - It's the Turn of the Season

To everything, there is a season.

Sunset over the Susquehanna River 10-24-14

Today is the last outdoor farmers markets here in the Binghamton area of upstate New York.  After today, the cold  drives the one market that stays open year round indoors.

Binghamton Downtown Farmers Market, 10-17-14

In some ways, it is so hard to believe that the growing season is over.  In some years, we would already have seen snow flurries and, in fact, snow has been seen less than an hour away from us. Yesterday was mild but windy, with a chill. But this year, it is possible we may have highs in the 70's (21 C) next week.

Farmers have picked whatever is left in frost-killed fields and are selling it.

Our community garden closes Sunday. Our chard is picked.

The peppers (pictured above, "Fooled You" jalapeno peppers) are done.  Tomato plants are a frost-bit memory, lying in brown tatters.

We've said goodbye to our basil.

The last of the trees are now turning color.

The season continues to turn.  The sun turns its face from us, as the days grow shorter.

Soon it will be time for snow, wind and below zero temperatures (sometimes) as the now dormant trees sleep. Some people enjoy winter sports and can't wait.  Others call snow the "s" word as they dread the slipping, the sliding and the shoveling.  That is the order of things in upstate New York.

What is the order of things where you live?