Keep feeding the chickens, keep watering the plants.

When is it time to kill the chicken?
Today we collected a single egg.
20  legs of unknown chicken descent are hobbling around out there.
The price of corn is going to go up, has already gone up to $18 for a 50 pound bag. 
Here we happen to have photographed among our rescued brood, Rose, Daisy, Violet and Hyacinth (left to right, top to bottom).  Probably Rose lays eggs.  We aren't sure about the 3 sisters.  A dilemma.

It rained about an inch here all summer. Still the year ended again, with a bountiful harvest, despite the fact that this weather site  shows 2.5" precipitation for May/June/July/August combined.  In the garage we still have tomatoes to can and a root cellar with tomatillos I plan to process into salsa.  Have enough garlic to plant (still to be done) and last through until next summer. Have jars of pickles, applesauce, jams, juice, beets; frozen bags of corn, rhubarb, peaches, beans, peas, spinach, peppers.  Have pumpkins, some squash, a few cabbages.  Grew a watermelon I didn't even realize was there (it was DELICIOUS). 

Count it all joy.