A Chill In The Air

The need to pull the quilts up over me early this morning reminded me that the long hot summer is finally a thing of the past.  We went to sleep with the box fan going in the window and it was chilly this morning to be sure.   Hot cereal was the perfect choice for breakfast. 
Next week we are supposed to have low temps in the 40's and that means the first fire of the season is approaching.  Since I have recently blackened the stove, I will have a fire one morning this week with the windows open, just so I can burn off the blackening smell and not have to stink up the house.   Its not a terrible smell, but not wonderful either, but its a short lived sort of thing.
The bright moon last night confused the ducks and they did not want to go in their house last night.  Emery was out there around 10 p.m. rounding up the ducks to get them to go home.  We have predators in this neck of the woods and leaving them out all night made them vulnerable.   It was just over two years ago that we nearly lost our goats to a mountain lion.   (click the link to read about that attack)
Our hen house is built a bit like Fort Knox to keep out the critters that like chickens or eggs for a meal.
However, we have not found a way to keep snakes out of the nesting boxes, other than by removing them. 
The sunshine this morning is so beautiful.  Giving everything in its path a coating of pure gold.   Perfect lighting on every object.  Masterpieces all around me, even an old bucket looks beautiful.  I must admit, chores took a bit longer this morning since I had to stop every few feet and admire the beauty of Gods creation.   I noticed that our land is full of tiny holes, hastily covered.  The squirrels have begun their winter storage in earnest.  Every few feet is another hiding place for acorns.   Our one Red Oak that survived the summer heat has a multitude of acorns, it looks like a mast year for that one tree, which has made it very popular with the fluffy tailed creatures.  How wonderful it is that in a summer where thousands of these Red Oak trees have died in the area, there are a few trees that survived and went above and beyond with the amount of acorns.   We lost 7 trees in the heat and drought.  Our apricot trees all died and two Red Oaks, along with a Cedar tree.   They will become firewood.  Still serving a purpose.   Time now for me to get busy and do some housework and laundry.   How I love to work towards that feeling of satisfaction that comes after the work is all done and you have 10 minutes to just sit and look at it completed.   How thankful I am to God for my health and my energy.