...about how the seasons change my daily pace.

Back Yard

As the fall progresses, I find (just like most animals) I begin preparing myself how life gets a little more compacted and quieter.  The tourists depart, many waterfront homes are closed up for the season, and Maine's population gets a bit smaller as some Maniacs head south to warmer climates.  The days here get shorter and the nights get longer.    Still, the fall also gives us a spectacular show bursting with bright fiery warm tones of colorful foliage.  The colors are getting stronger in southern Maine at present, and we are appreciating the cooler temps that have finally arrived.

Fall is my favorite time of year but does remind me that a long winter will be following.  As the nights get longer and longer, I feel appreciative that I can zero in on indoor hobbies like reading, playing piano, doing my crafts or snuggling under the covers and watching old movies.  The dogs seem to embrace the darkness by sleeping more and of course, cuddling with Ralph and me much more.  Ralph, in order to beat the dark, has to hurry home to do agility with the dogs.  Together, Ralph and I tend to do all the tasks we can after school so that we can have the the evenings to settle in.

Sometimes it is refreshing for our lives to become less complicated and "smaller" for a while.  Unlike living in a big city, things don't go on the same year round.  "See you in the Spring" is often seen on business signs the closer we drive toward the coast.  The miles of beaches become ours once again and no one cares if we take our pack of dogs to run up and down the shore in the middle of the day.  There is no bumper to bumper traffic on Route One to avoid.  Maine is just for hearty Mainers once again.

Peace, serenity, and simplicity become the norm in the winter months.  We are forced to take the time to come to know ourselves once again, to listen to our own thoughts, and rediscover who we are.  It is an introspective time for the most part.  We learn if we are capable of living with less and still able to feel comfortable within ourselves.  I am not a snow person but can still see the lesson being taught when snow shuts everything down and we have to be patient and wait for it to set us free once again.  


 Just thinking....