carrots, beets and squash?

I spent a wonderful afternoon outside in my garden today. This morning started out dark and dreary with gusts of heavy rain falling at times. I thought for sure this was going to be a curl up-in-my-favourite-sweats-and-read-a-book kind of day. And although I did do a bit of that I was also pleasantly surprised when the sun peeked out and the temperature seemed to rise by 10 degrees.

I have been meaning to clean out my vegetable gardens and figured today was the perfect day. I cleared out a lot of rotten tomatoes and old pumpkin vines. I dug up a lot of carrots (that will be used somehow in tonight's dinner), pondered what to do with my parsley that has grown a little bit out of control and dug out some beets. The beets I do hope to "pickle," perhaps with more than just vinegar ;)

As all of this clearing was going on I came across what looks to be a squash. I've never bought a squash or cooked a squash, I actually don't think I have ever even tried it, so I am very confused as to how this squash like vegetable began growing in my garden. Anyway, it was a fun little surprise, just not sure what to do with it.

I thought while I was outside and enjoying the fresh fall air, I should give Hannah a good brush. I took a lot of fur off of her. I then thought that maybe she could use a bit of a hair cut. Now, since I am not a hairdresser and have never cut dog fur before things got a little out of control I think. Not that it won't grow back or that her owners are coming back anytime soon, I just feel a wee bit guilty that it is going into winter and her coat just got 10 pounds lighter.