Friday, September 12, 2008

If Fall is not far off, winter is not far behind

As I took my walk this morning I heard the unmistakable sound of Canada Geese. I looked around in the sky and found them in a long 'V' flying over the river. As I watched, about 6-7 broke away and came in for a landing at a wide spot above the dam. The rest continued to circle around with a few breaking away with each turn . . . I love hearing the geese, but it does tell me that Fall is not far away no matter what the calendar says. It just seems so early this year.

I've also watched the deer, they seem to be eating everything in sight, not that they don't do that any way, but there seems to be an urgency to their munching. I'm hoping that the babies that visit will make it through the winter, they seem so fragile still.

The squirrels that do take a chance coming into our 'dog' yard are getting very fat and furry too. I'm thinking that we are going to have an early winter. I hope we get tons of snow instead of very low freezing temperatures. I'd rather shovel the roof than dig out every warm piece of clothing I own (I'll do that anyway!) and have to wear it all at once!

I love winter - there is just something really special about it. I love being outside (as long as I'm warm) and hearing the silence that abounds. There is a peace on the land when it's snowing, and nothing is moving - just the flakes gently falling. Now blizzard conditions has me hugging the wood stove, and having lots and lots of wood to feed the hungry beast! No, seriously - my stove will heat the house nicely, and this year we got a new blower fan to direct a bit of heat down the hallway to the bedrooms (and bathroom!) There are cold spots in the house, but you only need to hug the stove once in a while and things are fine.

I have some very nice clothes for going outside, and boots that are rated to -100 degrees. If my feet or hands are cold, I'm miserable, but these boots are a dream! Toasty toes, happy me!

It's going up to the mid 80's today, so I'm a bit premature in my 'winter wonderings', but cold weather will be here before you know it. Of course, winter means different things in different parts of the country, but it's still winter and probably cold for the folks who have 50's for winter . . .LOL.

We have one more camping trip of the season - deer camp. The first two weeks of October are designated for rifle hunting, and I will be out there in the woods somewhere. With lots of warm clothes, fixings for warm food, and possibly a warm fire. What more can you ask? Snow and not rain. Snow is easier to deal with than mud, and it does get muddy when you are on dirt roads!

Hmmm, back to reality - there are still some warm days between now and camp, so I better get to enjoying since they'll be gone before I know it.

I leave you with thoughts of sunny skies, prayers for upcoming storm victims, and happy thoughts for the weekend.


"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak."

1 comment:

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

I enjoyed this meet and greet with your animals and the last line gave me a genuine smile.
Thank you for visiting Chickenblog. Truly, since 2002 you've been following?! There ought to be a prize for that kind of staying power.