The expected but still catching me by surprise change in the weather – 30 degree drop from this weekend! oh my! – has me scrambling a bit. I still can’t quite pack away the short sleeves, but it is time to bring out the long ones. A search for jackets that fit (how did they all grow so much, so quickly!), closed toed shoes (farewell flip flops and sandals, hello shoe shopping), and today, even a hat and light weight gloves to wear while on the swings or swinging a racket. (The Middles are listening to The Scarlet Letter, what better place than outside on the swings?)
I still have my garden to tend, as those plants that are done need to be pulled out. I wouldn’t call this my best garden year, but it is far from my worst. After all, I did plant, and things did grow, and I did harvest. While I didn’t get much put up for winter, we do have lots of berries (though we always run out before winter’s end), and I made a few jars of pickles (bread and butter are the favorites here). I still have hopes for applesauce and apple butter, and we’re mid-season for that, so perhaps I’ll still get to it. And I have some bulbs that need planting as soon as I decide where to put them. I had hoped to buy some garlic to plant at the Common Ground Fair, but I couldn’t get anywhere near the booth where I wanted to make my purchase – it seems that many had the same idea.
We’ve noticed a very distinct change in the sunlight and daylight hours, and the moving inside earlier in the day than we had been. The color of the leaves – so very vivid it seems this year – make the early and the evening light so warm and rich, the yellows and oranges reflecting to even our walls inside. The goats need more hay, as their browse has quickly diminished, adding an early day visit to the chores. We’ve (mostly) settled into this year’s schooling, finding our own path among so many options.
Fall is, I think, my favorite season. I love them all, so it’s hard to choose, but the turning toward home and quiet pursuits, the vivid colors and even the chill in the air and the chance to wear cozier clothes and cook and bake comforting foods, these changes are always welcome.