It will get down to 40º tonight, and freeze up in the mountains. Right now, outside feels like the end of September - breezy, dry, wonderful weather. Except for the huge cloud of smoke from the forest fire to the north - they're letting it burn out, and it does put up an impressive puff.

I've got ripe apples, ripe plums, and a few tomatoes coming now, but I'm picking a lot green and bringing them inside to ripen - otherwise, they'll all come on at once. Takes 4 - 10 days indoors.

I've been checking out the temperatures in Yellowstone on the Weather Channel thru this summer. It will probably freeze throughout a good deal of the park tonight.

The Weather Channel includes Yellowstone on its get-away page, I suppose that might be true with TV stations throughout our area. One thing I've been surprised with is that it is always, or nearly always, colder in Yellowstone than Glacier . . . !

I had to think about that Weather Service data that shows one has a 10% certainty of NO growing season at all in some Wyoming towns!! I doubt if I could stand living in much of that state . . .

There's a nice article about Yellowstone in this month's National Geographic.

Nothing ripe here that's noted above except a few of the smaller tomatoes. Even Early Girl hasn't shown a blush yet.

digitS'

digit,
Interesting note about Yellowstone vs Glacier. I hope my stepson was ready for the colder weather - I think he's in Yelowstone this week studying snowshoe hares. Most of the summer he's been studying them in the Whitefish area (ok, not Glacier but not far away...)

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

An heir interested in hares - This is exciting, 'Bean! (Okay, maybe only to me ;o).

I was trying to come up with an animal that sort of defines the RMG area. Do you suppose your stepson would help?? Could it be the Mountain Cottontail?

Now, I'm talking about a critter that lives where we can actually garden, not like Glacier or Yellowstone.

digitS'

I dream of Genie, she's a light brown hare. ~ Bugs Bunny [singing]

Here is a link that might be useful: defining RMG by fauna

Well, I'm with you on hoping for an Indian summer, Treebarb! I planted some stuff really late, when I discovered a local community garden. I've actually got a few tiny cherry tomatoes starting to grow, and had a few beans, cukes, and even melons germinate, but unless we have a really late frost, I'm not sure I'll harvest much of anything from that space.

At least I have plenty of cukes, peppers, and tomatoes at my tiny garden at home. I didn't time things right though. The peppers are starting to come in now, and the tomatoes aren't ready, so I can't start making salsa yet. I'm trying to figure out what to do with the peppers. I've got a recipe for Red Pepper Spread that I'd like to try, but most of the peppers that are ripe aren't red, they are Purple Beauty, and Sweet Chocolate. I'm not so sure that would look appetizing in a spread, LOL!

Bonnie

digit, he did take a class on Rocky Mtn flora & fauna last year, I'll have to ask him. :-)

Bonnie, can you freeze the peppers and save them until the tomatoes are ready? or will the texture change too much?

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener