AS THE DAYS GET SHORTER, so do these newscasts.  In today’s edition, we thank the several thousand (!) of you who tune in each week, and the handful of diehards who have been shopping at the stand this December.  That’s right, we’re still open every day with apples, cider, and sundry foodstuffs.

We have to keep the show going, after all.  That’s what Farmer Sergei says.  He’s machining the winter mud with obvious urgency.

Just a few more weeks before the ground is hard.  So Farmer Ducky is mucking, too, under a darkening sky in ice-cold slop.

And Lewis Billy, he’s mucking around with a faroff stare.  His revery is evident: rhythmic daydreams of summer bounty.

But there are bright spots.  Get 4 gallons of cider for only $5 each!  Please call the Cidermeister (607-793-3560) to arrange a pickup.

We have mutsus, honeycrisps, and other apples for snacking, pies, and sauces.  Just come inside and use the self-serve thing.

Last chance for the cutest Brussels sprouts ever.  As you can see, perfect size for packing in your holiday travel bags.

The Boston architect John Rufo, principal at Form+Place, is a friend of the farm.  He has never been here, but he reads the Crop Alerts.

He has been painting Indian Creek tractors, inspired by photos on the blog.  John calls the paintings “Machine Motifs.”

They are lovely, architectural pieces—especially to the eye of a tractor-lover.   The mechanical beasts are part of our farm family.

They are rendered in oils and mixed media on 8- and 10-inch boards.  You can see these paintings and many others on John’s web site.

You can contact John Rufo with inquiries about the paintings, purchases, and so on.  Many thanks, John, for taking a painterly view of the farm.  And to the rest of you, hope to see you at The ‘Creek.