Leaves and cool breezes

I love fall. It is probably my favorite season of the year. As soon as the temperature dips into the low 70's and 60's, I come alive. After this summer, when it was above 90 in Philadelphia for 53 days, it would be a relief to sit in the shade and have 80-degree breezes wafting over you. I can't remember a summer when I was less productive. Anything I could get done while sitting in an air-conditioned house on a nice, comfy sofa was all right with me.

I did crochet four baby blankets, for various new babies in our circle of friends and family. It did get warm, as they were in my lap while I was finishing them off, but at least I didn't have to move very much. I also worked on and finished three small paintings, so I guess I was more productive than I felt.

But now that is over, and now fall is beginning to set in. I have energy to get up and do stuff. That is, to do stuff that takes a certain amount of physical exertion. The paint cans will come out and I will finish the painting of walls and doorway that I started last fall in my sun room, which is also my front porch. When I am done there, I will head up the stairs and paint my bathroom, even tackling the sponge effects that I am determined to get on those walls. I am equally determined to not have to pay someone to do this.

The other stuff I have been doing is the best stuff for my mental well-being, and that is the task of throwing out. I recently found boxes in my garage labeled "Halloween," and knew that if I opened and inspected the contents I would find something to keep, but I did it anyway, throwing out two of the three boxes and their contents. For me that is a major victory, and one which will continue through other containers and their mystery contents until it gets too cold to spend time on the porch or in the garage.

On days when cabin fever sets in, and it does at least once a week, I am determined to get in my car and drive out into the country, looking for mountains, rivers, and lakes touched with yellow and gold and the deep green of evergreens. I am happy to have a nice new camera, so my internet friends will get a glimpse of fall in Pennsylvania, which can be pretty spectacular.

Fall is also a great time for walks. I am thoroughly annoyed that I have to deal with nerve damage in my legs, making it less than comfortable to go on any long treks. However, short walks and walks in the woodsy and lake-dotted areas not far from my home are still a possibility. I find myself wishing I had my wonderful Irish Setter that accompanied me through middle and high-school years, as she loved fall walks and playing in piles of leaves, looking for whatever live toy might be lurking.

The true sign that fall is setting in is the bringing inside of the first large canvas bag of firewood. My neighbor has a wood-lot way up in the mountains, and supplies us, for a fee, with perfectly aged oak logs, cut to match the interior measurements of my wood stove. Soon it will be stoked, kindled and lit, and the neighborhood will catch the scent of burning wood and household warmth. Then, of course, we have to think about winter.