A conversation with a lady in the Netherlands reminded me that although our world feels small sometimes, it is a vast planet and our "to-do" lists vary immensely from one country to the next.
Her vision of a Canadian autumn was one of colourful leaves carpeting the forest floor and lacy branches reaching to the sky. It was romantic and lovely, but only partially true.
I told her that I refer to this time of year as "busy ants" time. We scurry around, adding chores to our already plentiful list, much like ants deciding what to devour first at an end of season picnic.
When the first leaves turn orange, our thoughts immediately turn to the wood pile. Will there be enough; will this winter be extra cold or extra snowy? Best chop and pile extra before the snow comes, stacking it as high as we can reach.
Next, we put the garden to bed. It sounds gentle, but it turns the kitchen into a frenzy of activity. Roast the beets/make Borscht/freeze whatever we don't devour (we LOVE Borscht!). Then, blanching and freezing bags of whatever decided to grow this year. Our snap peas were great, the beans a bit tough. Any rubbery carrots will be added to the pot with onion skins and broccoli stalks for vegetable stock, which will taste glorious in a soup on a cold winter's day.
The yard itself needs an end of season raking and the bird bath needs to be emptied and cleaned, to be ready for spring next year.
The little extras, like bringing out our winter boots and warm socks, hats and mittens won't take much time, but there's an emotional toll knowing that a long, dark season is ahead.
The landscape beckons my artist's vision as well, demanding to be savoured at its most radiant. Swirls of paint don't compare to the scenes before me, but each year the challenge is a joy I welcome.
This time of year also ramps up knitting and crafting for charity as well as sewing for Christmas, with new notes added to the margins of some patterns that are years behind the time when I first intended to make them.
The autumn will disappear all too quickly, as it does each year. Despite all the "usual" challenges that winter can pose, there is one that plagues me every year. How; (seriously, HOW...) will I capture all the colours when the sunlight hits the snow and it explodes into tiny diamonds?!
Thank you for spending this time with me,
Lori xx
P.S. Folks, this is Blog #50! Over 22,000 words that were swirling in my head that I decided to share. For those of you who have been on this ride with me since the beginning, Bless you and the ground you walk on. For new friends, thank you for trusting me with your time. You, dear readers, are part of my journey and I'm grateful to share this path with you.