Fall Is Upon Us

Signs of fall are all around.  Some of the trees on our farm - the poplars - are starting to turn.  Yesterday, my hubby and I drove our son back to college.  He was fortunate to get a job working for the university, so he had to be there a week early for training.  In two weeks, we'll be helping our daughter move back to her school.  My classes will be starting soon, as well.  The days are clearly getting shorter, we've had a few days of cooler weather and our chickens have started laying more eggs.  (The poor girls really don't like laying eggs in 90+ degree weather!)  


Many people look forward to fall, both enjoying the changing leaves and the respite from the heat.  I'm not one of those people.  I love the summer and the heat and I see fall as moving me one step closer to the dreaded winter.  I'm very sensitive to both the cold and the lack of sunlight.  When I lived in Florida, I was one of those people who never took the (mostly) great weather and greenery for granted. 


Recently, I told my husband I probably came to enjoy the heat due to my family's vacation habits when I was growing up.  My father loved to camp and we spent many weekends and weeks during the summer camping in the Mojave Desert.  Of course, we didn't have air conditioning in our RV, so we just acclimated to the extreme heat. In addition, having grown up in the Los Angeles area, I never was exposed to traditional winter weather.  The few times we visited colder climates and experienced snow and ice, I was miserable.  


 I think when you have this kind of history, the heat doesn't bother you.  For me, like the Greek myth,  winter is the time when Persephone goes to the underworld and I just wait for her return.




Photo credit:  www.wikipedia.org