“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter woods.”
An early morning meeting (9 for me) has slowed down the day. I didn’t get to the papers until I got back home, and my morning doesn’t officially start until the papers are read and my two cups of coffee are consumed. I am now ready to start the day.
I’m wearing a sweatshirt so that should be all you need to know about the weather.
As much as I wanted an empty dance card this week, it seems to be filling. I have a meeting tomorrow and I need to shop on Thursday for the fixings to celebrate my friend’s birthday on Friday. That means making my chili after I shop so it has a whole day to settle. On Friday I have to make my chocolate pudding pie for dessert. Those choices are my friend’s for her special birthday dinner. I think Saturday is still an open day, but the way things are going, it will probably change.
Soon will be the start of the hibernation season for me and the bears. Nothing much seems to happen in winter. A few playhouses stay open, but I usually don’t buy a ticket unless the play is spectacular. In a short time, the house will get that closed in feeling, a stuffiness from the heat and the lack of fresh air. I’ll only go out on the deck to fill the bird feeders and out front to get the papers and the mail. All summer I would stop for a bit to admire the front garden and take in the morning. In winter, it’s a rush to get back inside the warm house.
I chose to live in New England even though I am not a fan of winter. I always think of the other seasons as rewards for living through the cold. My favorite season is just beginning. Autumn on the Cape is beautiful with clear crisp air, the red leaves of the oak trees, colorful mums at the garden stands, the harvesting of cranberries from the bogs and fall flowers still brightening the gardens. It’s still a long way until winter.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: heating the house, hibernation season, morning meeting, mums, red leaves
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September 17, 2013 at 3:28 pm
Hi Kat,
I had an early out the door day as well. A 9AM session at the Apple store to figure out how to move music and photos from one computer to another. Good thing I didn’t try to do it myself because it took over an hour to get it done right. Even with that, not all the photos came over. I had to re-import everything shot after 9/4/13. It could have been worse.
Tomorrow is Peapod and Thursday is doctor. Friday is free so far. Saturday is a fun thing so I don’t mind.
Last night was really cold. I almost shut the windows and turned on the heat but I resisted and added another layer of blanket. Today I am in long sleeves and sneakers instead of t-shirt and flip-flops. It’s my favorite time of the year. I’m not looking forward to heating season.
The turkeys are back. Lots of them. I managed to get some bad photos before Rocky barked them off into the woods. He hates them in the same way that he hates coyotes and cats. I was sorry that he did because they looked very comfy out on sunny lawn eating whatever was out there.
Enjoy the day.
September 17, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Hi Caryn,
When I bought my Mac, all of my picture files and stuff were on an external hard drive which was a lifesaver because I would have lost it all when my computer died. I just still keep them there.
I really don’t like having a full week. I rather like having the day to myself, but it just hasn’t happened lately.
Gracie doesn’t mind the turkeys but she hates the black cat that is sometimes across the street and any dogs who are walked on Gracie’s street.
Have a great evening!
September 17, 2013 at 6:54 pm
My stuff was all on an external hard drive, too. That was part of the problem. The other part was that my old iPhoto format was not readable by my new iPhoto format even though no iPhoto updates were ever sent.
I know what photos are supposed to be on there. I’m not at all sure what I have for music so I won’t know if something didn’t make it over.
If I no longer have it but I don’t know that I no longer have it because I didn’t know I had it in the first place, I guess I won’t miss it. 🙂
Rocky hates the black cat across the street as well.
September 17, 2013 at 7:11 pm
Caryn,
I laughed at your comment, “If I no longer have it but I don’t know that I no longer have it because I didn’t know I had it in the first place…” A little convoluted, but I knew exactly what you meant.
September 17, 2013 at 8:47 pm
I was wondering if you made a wrong turn and went south this morning. Is ‘Fixings’ a New England colloquialism? I would have thought that term came straight out of the heart of Dixie. Here in Texas ‘fixin’ is used in place of ‘going to do something’. As I’m fixin to get dinner ready.
So, there really are cranberry bogs? Can you visit the one where the two guys from the Ocean Spray TV commercial crack jokes with each other? Are they grown near the ocean and do they get sprayed by the surf? I really never gave much thought to where cranberries come from. I always thought they came jellied from a can. One year we were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner and the hostess made a cranberry relish. It was good but I still missed the jellied stuff from the can. I assume that the cranberry harvest is around Thanksgiving. I wonder if the Indians brought cranberry sauce to the Pilgrims on that first Thanksgiving and where did they get a can opener? 🙂
September 18, 2013 at 11:03 am
Bob,
My mother used to say fixings and she grew up in East Boston. She must have heard it used by someone. It was not a usual comment but one for when we had a big, special dinner.
There really are a lot of cranberry bogs on the cape. They are not near the ocean as fresh water is used. In the old days they used a box small enough to carry with a raked top and would harvest that way. Now they flood the bog and a paddle machine causes the cranberries to come to the surface. Guys then rake them to shore to a conveyor belt where they are finally harvested. The cranberry harvest is soon, mostly in October.
I always thought the design was festive on the canned cranberry. I never realized it was the outline of the can. We always had canned cranberry sauce as well as homemade sauce with orange. I love the can stuff still. The best is a sandwich with leftover turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.
Every Indian knows never to travel without a can opener!1
September 17, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Autumn Wind
The Autumn Wind came by today
And begged the leaves come down and play
We have to ask our Mother Oak
They answered in reply
The Mother Oak loved all her leaves
And if they played
Then she’d be pleased
She let them down into the wind to fly
Then in the happy wind they gyred
In colors matching earth and fire
As sunshine split the sky and danced
Amongst the mirth and joy
All day they twirled, ‘till evens bell
The wind grew quiet as shadows fell
And leaf and sun then rested
Exhausted from their cloy
Then Mother Oak bid all sweet dreams
As Mister Moon smiled down his beams
And Night did bed them all away
To dance again another day
September 18, 2013 at 11:05 am
Beto,
I think this is my favorite of all the poems you’ve posted here. It is exactly my imaginings of fall. You have the wind, the colored leaves and them swirling as they get caught by that wind. All so lovely!!