Good morning from Steve’s Country!  I know that for most of my readers it is no longer morning, however, here it is still fairly early morning.  It’s kind of a lazy type morning too.  Not sure why.  Just feels that way.  I’m glad that feeling doesn’t come along too often. I like keeping busy.  And I am busy this morning too, I just don’t really feel like doing anything.  Probably due to the weather.  It is a cloudy, dull, cool and rainy morning.  Sunshine always gives me more energy.  Even when it’s cold in winter.  AAAAA!!!!!!  That terrible word again!  I need to be more careful.  I mean, it’s still August.  Which brings me to the title of this post.

Seasons as marked on the calendar don’t affect us here in the far north.  Seasons happen when they happen.  And for us, fall, or autumn if you prefer, often begins the middle of August.  That is what has happened this year.  The leaves on the trees are beginning to change color, the brilliant golds and reds have begun to show.  Most of the low plants and summer flowers are finished and have died (or gone dormant) for another year.  The long grasses have matured and turned a golden brown signaling the end of summer.  And the fall flowers are now in bloom.

Then there is the coolness in the air.  The mornings are very cool now, the time for wearing jackets has arrived.  At least for mornings.  The days still warm up slightly though the temperature stays in the high 60s (20C).  A couple days have been a bit warmer but that is about to change after today.  The nights are very cool now.  Then there are the birds.  I have mentioned already that birds are flocking, getting ready to head south.  Many have already gone south.  Remaining birds are getting their fall and winter colors now.  When I go out in the morning I hear the chickadees calling their name, the nuthatches are beeping, the blue jays are calling loudly, pine siskins have returned.  All of these bird sounds just say plainly, fall has arrived.

Now I will say that fall does have it’s beauty.  The brilliantly colored leaves can be awesome to behold.  The bold yellow of the aspens, the gold of the birch.  More yellow for the maples, except the sugar maple (which only exist here because people planted them) and of course the red maple which is native but a small tree.  Then there is the brilliant oranges of so many of the shrubs, dark red in some, mountain ash with it’s bright orange.  Really very beautiful, though the time to enjoy these colors is very short.

But I am getting ahead a bit.  Fall is just beginning.  And I am hoping for a very long and mild fall this year.  Hey, I can dream, can’t I?  Muffin doesn’t like the changing seasons either.  She likes having her window open.  Now that it’s cooler that window is only open during the day.  She wants it open at night.  Sometimes we have a discussion about that. But when it comes to having that window open at night now, that’s too much, and I just have to put my foot down.  And she bit it.  The window was open last night.  Sigh.

Okay, I’m just kind of rambling this morning.  So I will stop.  I hope that everyone can enjoy their weekend and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

© 2019 Steve McLeod.