Old Man Winter?

I wasn’t expecting him to show up quite yet but it looks like he’s do to arrive any moment.  We have a winter storm warning with 4-8 inches of snow possible…yikes!  We brought in our peppers and such..who knows, maybe we’ll save ‘em this year.  These plants have been good to us this year.  I hope to grow some hotter ones next year but these look hot don’t they.  Looks like a hot pepper ammo belt.  Speaking of hot events…my daughter turned 18 at the end of August.  Why the Lilo cake you may ask?  Long story…to make it short my daughter felt ripped off when she wanted one in her younger years so what did we do?  Got her a Lilo cake!  Looking outside today it’s hard to imagine warmer days in the park.  Sun shinning brightly still in the evening…even flowers blooming seems hard to remember on days like today.  Storms have rolled in big time.  This isn’t your thunder storm variety…it’s heavy rain now thinking of turning to heavy wet snow this evening.  It makes me wonder if I can hide my head like our salamanderbut I don’t think I’d pull it off do you?

Dying Echoes

Sounds kind of scary doesn’t it?  Well, it’s not so scary…more mildly melancholy.  The sign that summer is really pretty much over is our fair .  This year it was really nice because we received free entry thanks to my Dad’s work place giving tickets away…it was a festive thing.  It was so nice having a little extra money in the fair.  Things are always expensive but this gave us some extra for rides and food.  Not having to wonder how we’d cough up tickets for rides was nice.  Stuff toys beckon…rides beg to be ridden and here Mike and Gabby oblige.  So much to doand so much to see.  Gabby was far more adventurous this year and joined her older brother and sister on Moby Dick.  Still the kid’s roller coaster remains one of her favorite.  She’s growing up now…I know, so I cherish these moments.  I don’t usually join the kids on these rides…though in Disneyland and world and Universal I sure did.  I like being thrilled by a ride…not getting sick.  How about a gunny sack and a big slide?  How about a catapult?  I like the vivid colors and tentseven if I don’t play the games myself.  Gabby loves the stuffed toys.  The petting zoo was fun too.  These miniature goats were hilarious!  Next we watched a  dog and pig race.  These seemed like such good old fashioned ways to enjoy our time.  We also got into the rodeo free which was a lot of fun.  We felt like these were our kind of people…down home down to earth people.  The clown was good but didn’t have to work too hard fortunately.  Plenty of other acts like these trained dogs who were all rescues.  This is classic rodeo stuff.  I’m glad for the kids to experience it.  They even had some amazing trained bulls.  Night was coming on nowand soon the rodeo finished upand we headed back to our carbut not before glancing back while eating our funnel cakes wondering if we’ll get to enjoy the fair next year.

Season of Harvest.

Some relish the crisp air, the change of colors on the leaves and are happy but me?  Well, I often look ahead to bitter cold, often enough snow to make going anywhere miserable…and cold, did I say cold?  I’m a solar powered person I don’t like short days either.  Judging my options here makes things clear:  enjoy the day or be depressed…I chose to enjoy the season…there’s fruit for each one really…spiritually for sure.  Our peppers are showing real progress again.  They don’t seem depressed at winter’s distant approach…these produce their own heat even if the days are cooling down.  There’s a lesson to be learned here.  Attitude from within can make what’s going on without a lot more tolerable.  The flowers aren’t any less bright today.  No, they are blessed for today…openly showing their joy.  The pods behind our fence insist on living day by day.  Thistles take it a step further…protecting their blooms with an ‘I dare you’ attitude.  I like what there is to learn out there.  The still small voice is speaking to anyone willing to listen.  Bloom today for tomorrow will take care of itself.