A Taste of Autumn.

I haven't forgotten my blog... it's just the weather this week has been calling me outside like a siren’s song.

All of those projects inside… Like painting the dining room and finishing the cabinets in the kitchen; they were put on the back burner for more interesting and weather-suited projects.

The weather has been that of autumn; Crisp, cool and breezy. Not typical for early September in this area. I have a feeling it won’t stick around, this is just a teaser of what’s to come. But I’ve been sucking every last drop out of these cool days. Such as trimming overgrown bushes and trees, cutting the grass, and basically, catching up on all things that got out of hand during the wet and sweltering heat that was August. I’ve been living outside and it shows. I helped my grandmother spiffy up her yard and her happiness makes it totally worthwhile. She is thrilled with the finished look.

The chickens, ducks and Lucy have certainly enjoyed the influx of yard work. It seems wherever I’m at, they’re behind me gobbling up whatever insect I scare up, pecking at grass clippings and scratching in the newly turned dirt. They are very happy birds every evening as they slowly waddle into the hen house… Kind of how I feel about coming inside on these days myself. Dragging my feet on coming inside because I want to stay outside just one more second, suck just a bit more out of the day.

But while it feels like autumn, there are missing pieces. The vibrant yellow hues, that distinct smell in the air, the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet and the last burst of life bustling around. Squirrels hoarding their winter stash, birds that I won’t see again until next spring and frogs stretching their legs once more before going into their strange form of hibernation.

There’s something about living here… Small town, rural road. The seasons change for me in ways different from the typical person. It isn’t just a leaf changing color, turning over a calendar page or autumn holidays. I can feel it, see it, hear it… I can see it in the way the animals begin to get frisky and playful as if to have one last hurrah before the cold comes, the way my flowers dwindle and the garden dies off slowly. The birdsong changes, the wind rattles the trees a little and the crickets don’t sing as loudly.

And it reminds me why I stay… At times, small town life frustrates me. Yet at the end of the day, this little piece of earth where I am surrounded by nature, my animals, a garden that produces an abundance of food and so much more; I realize it’s worth it. I’m connected to this place in ways I cannot explain. It goes deeper than that of words can express. Perhaps someday, I’ll be able to explain this often complex and difficult relationship I have with this little world I live in… But all I know is I love it.

No pictures this week just due to drinking in the days… and forgetting the camera existed until it was too late.