Well, the scorching days of summer have past. Their is a definite chill in the air in the mornings and evenings. As a matter of fact I need to cover my tomatoes and chiles tonight because it is supposed to frost. Fall has truly arrived in the Pacific North West.

Some people dread the end of summer, I however, think it is the best time of the year. The salmon have returned (and this year in record numbers). The chiles are ripe. It’s almost hunting season. Most importantly, my favorite holiday is just around the corner, Thanksgiving.

I love thanksgiving the most because it gives me an excuse to spend days in the kitchen cooking and baking. For me this holiday is less about reflecting on the things I am thankful for, and more about eating.   If it were up to me I would change it to thankseating.

Although my few chile plants yielded more than a few peppers, the real chile harvest comes from Eastern Washington.  These beauties came from Alvarez farms in Mabton Washington.  Red, orange and chocolate habaneros, red and orange scotch bonnets, and 7 pots.  These are just a few of the over 150 varieties that are currently available from this certified organic farm.

Now whether you are a fisherman or not, the salmon run this year is more than impressive.  I was lucky enough to catch a few out on Puget Sound, but the opportunities to fish for salmon in the rivers is even more exciting.  If you do not fish you can still enjoy watching these fish fight their way upstream with rivers so swollen with fish that their backs crest the surface of the water.

Since I was a young boy, around 7 years old, my uncle has taken me hunting.  There is nothing that can compare to hiking through the woods and having very close encounters with the wild animals that call it home.  The adrenaline rush is particularly intense when that encounter is with an animal that is not in season, ie encountering a giant bull elk during deer season.  Hunting is just another one of those things that come with the turning of the leaves and the ripening of the peppers.

I would love to see more of your pepper harvest.  Anyone got pics?