10.06.17

October is delivering her promise in this first week.   After a good soaking of cold rain, sunny days blew in on a stiff breeze and the leaves get more golden and red by the day.  The sunsets linger across the sky and the Harvest Moon sprinkles diamonds on the lake all night long.  I have to force myself to close my eyes and go back into sleep at night, not wanting to miss the moon shadows on the grass.  For the first time, there was mist on the little ponds and light frost on the golf course when we went for our morning run.  We’re moving into a weather pattern in which we alternate between a day of clouds and rain, followed by a day of sunshine.   It’s as if October doesn’t want to disappoint us with any sustained period of rain.

On Monday, winds permitting, the boat will be sailed away across the lake to Somer’s Bay, the mast will be steeped, and she will be put on a trailer and brought back to our woods for winter storage.  It’s going to dramatically change the landscape at the end of our dock, after all these months.  Having completed our first season of rookie sailing, we’ve both felt that the best part was just looking at it, bobbing and rocking on its mooring ball!  Of course, the stories of adventure on the high seas are already fun to tell, but we do look forward to incremental improvement next year, hopefully.

The kitties are eating up a storm and putting on their winter weight.  We had a campfire one evening during my sisters’ visit, and sat on the porch with wool throws.  I think I’ll put my living room furniture back to its winter configuration this week-end so chairs are snuggled closer to the fireplace.  October is a lovely pause, a soft transition, from summer’s exuberance to the slowing down days just around the corner.

“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill–several thrills?”
Anne of Green Gables