Seasons

Morning all. I woke up early this morning, took a quick shower and dressed even faster, all so that I could make coffee and sit outside for a bit before heading to work. The cat enjoyed the change in routine and I got to sit watching the birds until it was time to leave. A perfect morning. I might have to start making that a habit.

When I opened the door this morning I was instantly surprised by how cool it was. After weeks and weeks of over 70 degree weather in the mornings, today's mid-50s felt positively cold. And refreshing. I'm always seduced by this time of year. I LOVE the summer! Love it! But right after the fair ends I start wishing for fall. I am seduced by the cooler weather and the desire to play in the falling leaves. I start spending more time at home sitting on the patio. I may be a summer fanatic but I've always enjoyed the fall.

The only problem with fall is that it is followed by winter. I've often described it as the Sunday of seasons. I enjoy my Sundays but always in the back of my mind there is this reminder that I have to go back to work the next day. I enjoy the fall but always in the back of my mind there is the reminder that winter will be here tomorrow. And we all know how I feel about winter.

But for the moment I'm enjoying. I love my long-sleeve fall sweaters and jeans. I love sitting in the cool air sipping coffee and watching the leaves fall. I love the colors and crispness of fall. I love playing in the leaves and carving pumpkins. And today made me think that fall is just around the corner. I'm excited.

Early Fall

I'm sitting on the couch typing in front of my front window when I hear an odd sound. Particularly an odd sound for August. The leaves are rustling on the front patio. That's when I look up and realize that half the leaves in the tree are yellow. The trees at the other townhouses are the same way. All day the wind has been blowing strongly and the leaves are falling.

The summer has been one of the coolest on record. This July has not had one single day over 90 and we've had most of our nights below 60. There has been almost no rain and no serious storms to speak of. So I think the trees are confused and are heading into fall early. I know that I've been confused. I keep thinking it's September. My sweaters have not yet been packed away for the season. The office is constantly freezing. It simply doesn't seem like August.

With this said, I've been enjoying a little bit of outdoor time this weekend. Jeff and I went driving yesterday and found a new lake to explore. We got lost and discovered a beautiful new neighborhood with some incredible houses. We spent some time walking and just hanging out. And my big excitement for the weekend is a bird feeder. (Yeah I'm apparently old). I finally bought a feeder and hung it up yesterday. I've been avoiding buying one because of my mother. She feeds the birds, obsessively. It's a testament to her generosity but she carries it to a bit of an extreme. I don't want to get to that level. But I figure one won't hurt. Now I just need a bird to find it. I've been sitting in front of the window, playing on the laptop, and watching for the birds to arrive. I love Sundays. I just wish I didn't have to rake in August.