finally fall

Last Thursday evening a storm front blew through here with gusts of up to 40 mph. The trees and shrubs were thrashing around and the temperature dropped over 20 degrees. The sky was dark and rumbling with thunder but the rain didn't make it this far.

Well, we had a rain of a different sort as the wind shook loose all the dead branches out of the trees. Since we had to spend the day in the city yesterday today we play 52 pick-up.

Today it's nice and cool out. It's enticing me out doors. There is so much work that needs to be done out there besides picking up the debris from the storm but collecting pecans is not one of the chores. No new pecans, green or otherwise, have fallen for weeks and I can't see any up in the trees. A slim crop this year from the drought and the squirrels seem to have gotten every one. I won't miss shelling pecans night after night but I'll sorely miss the nuts.

The work drought continues as well but I have renewed hope that it may lift soon. The art director from the church that has the two proposals has been in touch and hopes to have good news for us before the year is out.

Later...

I spent most the day outside, flitting from one little task to another. The day is just too nice to be indoors. Among other things we raised up and leveled the front yard bird bath. It wasn't high enough for me to be able to see the birds from my end of the couch.

We keep our eye out for our neighbor Frank. He's 83 I think. His wife and life companion for 64 years has been sick, in and out of hospitals and nursing homes for the last year or so, and she died last week. He's sort of lost. One of his grandsons is staying with him for now and his son comes over every day. One of us tries to go over and chat every day when we see him out in the yard.

He's always been out in his yard a lot tending his wonderful food garden or any of the many fruit trees he has or the roses that she loved, mending and doing repairs but now I see him out there just sitting sometimes. I went over to visit the other day.

I don't want to be inside, he tells me. I guess inside is too painful right now since she's not there. She's not there but her presence is all around him. Outside is better.

The next day...

It's downright chilly out there today and the morning is full of birdsong. Hard to believe just last week we had temps in the high 90s. This week mid to high 80s and still dry as a bone. I've never experienced a year so devoid of humidity here as I have this year. My aging skin which has always been on the dry side now looks much like parchment. Or perhaps leather with all the fine and not so fine wrinkles and cross hatching.

Another day to be spent outside after that long miserably hot summer.

Another day to watch for my neighbor Frank.