transitions

A few days of rain have made the vague possibility of the end of the warmer months an approaching reality. Turning on the house heat becomes less of impulsive act and more of a "how much chill is acceptable and how many layers of clothing can I put on" instinct.

A friend said she'd been "out for apple cider donuts over the long Columbus Day weekend...and that Fall must actually be upon us." In the NE, after the first or second blush of happiness in the surround of Fall color, regret quickly enters the equation. What we never got finished on the house repairs must wait for another year, the push to finish closing the garden, get outdoor furniture stored, put the finishing touches on the bits and pieces of our life which require alternative costuming for the colder months.

And this year Fall activities are complicated by our warm, humid weather.

How can you put away the deck umbrella when it is still 75 degrees outside? How can you think about Winter clothes when perspiration is soaking through your short sleeved shirt? How can you manage to rake the leaves that are ankle deep when the lawn continues to grow (and needs to be mowed) to be ankle high. There a whole new crop of moths out there that have woken up from their brief hibernation. I've seen flies buzzing around. Birds seem confused about whether they are migrating South or North. Global Warming isn't a vague concept...it's a daily reality.