October welcomings

Welcome October!  Bring your cape of colorful leaves and sunsets and blanket our lives.  A chill enters the air, and every breath we take brings a crisp shot of life with it.  We sift through closets, finding blankets and warm socks to trap our heat while lazing on the couch this Saturday.  The on and off rain keeps us at bay in our shipyard of toys and magazines and books yet to be explored.  While the darkness is finding more and more of the light to overtake, we laugh and play inside our house, not caring that a frost is on the way and rumors of snow may find their way into truth.

This is the season of transition.  We sleep a little deeper, play outside a little harder, savor the sun just a little bit more.  For we know that winter is not too far off, and the leaves falling are the same as grains of sand in an hourglass.  We are finding layers of clothes in preparation for our constant battle with the elements, hoping to retain that much more body heat with each shirt and sweater.  While we still get outside, we no longer play in shorts and a shirt, but in pants and something thicker with long sleeves.

Audrey and Violet are noticing the fresh chill in the air, and the moon rising earlier and earlier each day.  A season of brisk walks and stomping through fallen leaves awaits these two little sprites.  Phoebe the dog seems more energetic with her cooler environment.  The rabbits still outrun her, but not by much, as they must dive into nearby bushes to avoid capture.  Our little family is organizing and cleaning this weekend, trying to find more space for blankets and getting indoor activities prepared for when we can no longer stay outside.

So we huddle close, toasting ourselves under thick blankets, feeling safe and secure.  It has been a beautiful day, despite runny noses and some hacking coughs.  Thoughts of Alaska and family fill my head and heart.  Fall in Juneau is always a beautiful, special time.  Foggy memories of rosy noses and the frost line dropping down from the mountains make me sigh with nostalgia.  And so I button the top button, and take a deep breath and slowly exhale, thinking about the life I've lived and the life yet to be discovered and explored.  I give thanks to being allowed to enjoy life on this little pebble known as Earth.  I try to learn from my mistakes, and not repeat them despite seeing them from a distance at times.  And as sure as the seasons will change, I, too, try to change with them for the better.  I hope to be a source of warmth and comfort to those in my life and around me as the chill of the night creeps just outside my door.

-a