After a blissfully uneventful Sunday, we were jerked awake at 2:30 a.m. by the ear-splitting shriek of the smoke alarm.

If you’ve ever wondered whether those alarms can pull you out of a deep sleep – trust me, they can.

There’s nothing quite as disorienting as bolting upright, groggy and half-panicked, thinking your house is on fire.

Thankfully, our house is small enough that a quick lap confirmed: no smoke, no flames, no reason for the alarm to scream like it’s auditioning for a horror movie.

We crawled back into bed, hearts still pounding, and, naturally, just as we drifted into deep sleep again, the alarm went off again.

Turns out it wasn’t the smoke alarm at all, but the carbon monoxide detector we’d installed a few months ago. (Battery-operated, of course. All the others are wired, the ones that sleep through the night like civilized alarms.)

We pulled it down, popped out the batteries, and salvaged whatever shreds of sleep remained.

So yes, I woke up in the morning with a headache, a bad attitude, and a full day of field work ahead.

Apparently the alarm was “malfunctioning” .. which is code for “you need to buy a new one.”

Why do these things always happen in the middle of the night?

Anyway, for all you Halloween lovers, Steve’s friend Joe Goddu sent over some photos when he got back home to Manhattan .. clever, over-the-top Halloween decorations lining stoops and sidewalks, the kind that make you wish you still lived there (at least for the trick-or-treating).

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I don’t miss much about living in Manhattan, but I do miss those evening walks Steve and I used to take .. strolling past the brownstones, peeking into those perfectly lit living rooms where everyone mysteriously left their blinds open.

You just know they did it on purpose to make us jealous.

Back to reality, though: the digging has begun in earnest at the farm.

This week’s rotation includes trench-digging for planting tulip bulbs and relocating the peonies to their new spots before the rain moves in again.

Honestly, it’s the kind of physical work that feels good this time of year – no muggy summer heat, just that crisp fall air and the sound of birds heckling you from the fence line.

It’s funny, I’ve been reading about other farmers reworking their growing seasons, scaling back summer production and focusing more on spring and fall.

Tempting, right?

But here in Cape May, summer is our busiest time, so scaling back isn’t in the cards.

Still, I’m planting more perennials so we can ease up a bit when July rolls around.

Farm Happenings​
If you’ve been waiting to sign up for one of our Winter Wreath Workshops, don’t delay, sessions start mid-November and run through December. They’re festive, creative, and smell like a fresh-cut forest.

And for my gardeners: Cut Flower Seedling Kit preorders close on Halloween! These are the kits for next year’s home flower growers — 40+ hand-picked seedlings, already started for you, with a growing guide and access to our private grow-along group. Once preorders close, that’s it until next year.

Don’t forget about our specialty tulip bulbs. They’re not your typical big box store varieties but rather ones that professional flower farmers grow … they’re available for preorder until I’m ready to plant. They should be arriving mid to end of this month.

And since you didn’t ask …​
Thanks to everyone who sent TV recommendations last week! I started watching On Brand on Peacock – a reality/marketing competition hosted by Jimmy Fallon. I had high hopes (you know I love Fallon, and you definitely know I love reality TV). But… meh. Too much editing, not enough actual process, and frankly, not nearly enough drama.