Officially Autumn

So thankful to have four different seasons here in Northwest Pennsylvania.  Autumn officially began on September 22nd. Yet -- I am still waiting for brisk afternoons and evenings.  The season seems to have the cool mornings down pat, but as for the rest -- too warm for me.  Still waiting, a bit impatiently as well, for the brilliant colors of changing leaves.  Fall is my favorite of all the seasons. I love to walk through leaves and have the occasional evening fire in the patio firepit.  I love to wear thick socks, jeans and sweatshirts, or soft wraps over long-sleeved shirts. I love the comfort of flannel sheets.  I love to warm my home with a welcoming fire in a fireplace. I have one in my living room and a smaller one in my book room where I write every morning in the predawn hours when the world is quiet and calm.  Fireplaces are a double blessing in this neck of the woods when winter hits and sometimes before. They are warm in the comfort sense and they take the chill off as we say around here.

I have been working in the pasture cutting up downed branches to use as firewood and have cut back all the wild geranium and weeded around the house. I am letting the rest of last year's Spring cleanup go until next year.  Ready for snow here. Even Margaret, my trusty old Bush Hog Trail Hand utility vehicle has been serviced and stored for the season - although am going to keep her in the garage this winter instead of the barn ... just in case I decide to put her in 4-wheel drive and head to the mailbox on a snowy day, use her to take the garbage to the road, or decide to take a trip around the pasture to see what is going on.  Ready here.  Yet -- the days are still in the 70's, low 80's. What's with that? I am sick of this nice weather.  I would move south if I wanted to sweat. I live here because there is usually more cold/cool weather than hot/warm. Some years are just weird.

Maybe Fall will come tomorrow and set in to stay for a while.  Hope to have a few days to enjoy my favorite season before the snows hit ... breezy open window days between AC and furnace days.  Just sayin'.  We will see. Before we know it, it will be time for hats, gloves, scarves, heavy coats and time to move from flannel to fleece sheets.  Mother Nature has a mind of her own.  Sometimes one just has to go with the flow.  I remember putting snowsuits over Halloween costumes -- more than once. It's a common practice in these parts.