As the days grow shorter...

It has been hard to miss that dusk comes more quickly. Alarmingly so. In a handful of days it will be September. By 7:00 pm, the sharp brightness is already off the day. As every day grows shorter, it seems like I smell snow on the wind.

I'm absolutely not ready for another winter, but I guess I'll have to be.

I love my dinners on the porch. I had Kline Construction out to give me a quote on screening it in. I didn't ask if they would be able to fit it in before the snow fell. The cats will enjoy going outside, and I'm sure Molly would be happy not being confined to her string (cable) all the time she is outdoors. Although on her string she can't reach my tablecloth and chew it to bits!



From here I can watch the entire Owl Creek Road world go by, from cars, to walkers, to bikers, and the occasional horse rider. Once winter rolls in, I huddle inside.



And there is nothing more amusing than watching Molly (who has the "bouncy" advantage) and Bear (who has the weight advantage by 6 lbs) spar on the porch over a stuffed cow (a gift from Nancy C. that Molly ignored until it became an OUTDOOR cow! Bury it a few times and it becomes absolutely fascinating).

So I am trying to make the house more comfortable for both humans an animals alike, since we will be confined in here for the long long months of winter. I bought some cheap pieces of furniture on Craigslist and turned what was once the bedroom into a sort of study for the cats. The art they study, of course, is Napping. With the bed in here, poor Norma was left alone in the great Siberia. Occasionally Nellie came up to cuddle with her (Norma, of feral background, refuses to come downstairs). But now it's the most popular room in the house.



Things are good, I think. I'm surrounded by reminders of all my thoughtful friends. I have a virtual river of them. There are cherry and grape tomatoes in my pasta-tomato-greek olive dinner from Christy and Gordon. And my soft sweater came to me via Nancy's garage sale. If I didn't know better, I'd think she put this pin out there just for me to find, as well.

Because it pretty much sums up my life this year! Cheerful but slightly off the wall!



(ummmm..."slightly"?)

Yes, it's only eight sixteen, it's nearly full dark, the crescent moon is bright, and the automatic lights have turned on. While the heat has only just arrived this year, it is actually not summer any longer. Let's face it (as a breeze brings another flight of leaves down). It's nearly fall.