Summer is fading

The signs are all around me that summer is fading and fall time is just around the corner. Today we had our first load of firewood for the coming cold months delivered. Naturally the talk that surrounded this event revolved around the question of, "will it be a hard winter?"

The man that we get our wood from is an amazing man. Served in three wars, not many of those around. WW2, Korea, Vietnam. This is the last load of wood he will be delivering, as he decided to cut back a bit and just farm now. He shared with me that the blue birds are here and there are lots of them...its early. A sure sign of a cold winter and the black vultures are numerous too another sign. I am fine with the idea of having a long cold winter. I love the cold and snow, it means a certain kind of excitement in preparing for bad weather and there is such a homey feeling that comes from sipping hot cocoa, afghan wrapped around your legs, the fire burning brightly beside you. I enjoy bundling up to do chores and hanging clothes up when they freeze dry in no time. Of course Texas winter is nothing like what I knew the first 28 years of my life. New England is home to some whopper blizzards and cold temperatures.

The ground under our circle of oak trees is carpeted with brown crisp leaves, leaving the trees a bit sparse, looking like a bald mans head and the morning air has changed...its different somehow. Not something I can put into words, but you feel it. Its tangible, but not something I can describe well.

As if God put something in my heart to draw me closer to the fall time, my color choices have changed too. I like the burnt oranges and the tans and browns of autumn. Most of the year I simply don't like any shade of orange, but in fall... it calls me as do pumpkin foods and cinnamon apple foods. I think more about baking, having the oven on for hours, filling the house with spicey goodness. Tomorrow I will stack the wood and be bone weary at the end of the day. I won't mind a bit !