Saturday's Scribbles: Fall Has Arrived!

Last year's beauty 

It is the first day of Fall and the weather is cooperating with the change of seasons.  Our low last night was around 40 and we are enjoying dryer air, cooler temps, and sunshine today.  This is a nice change from earlier in the week when we received over six inches of rain, the river flooded and our large park was a lake.  A few streets were closed, including the river road that runs below our neighborhood.  It was completely covered with river water, but has receded quite a bit now.  Fall is beckoning us to step right in to the crisp clear air, cooler temperatures and amazing colors.  Oh how I love Autumn.

In this short season of  harvest, the geese flock, the birds gather, the squirrels store, and we humans begin preparing for what we know will come.......the white stuff.  It is also a season of Friday night football, and during home games we can hear the play by plays from our living room.  The high school is just across from the river so the sound carries well.  

Someone at the church where Joel is now working, gave us a large mum plant to enjoy.  Sturdy bright yellow buds will soon bloom.  Some of our plants are still showing off their beauty.  Especially the geraniums. 

Joel has had a very busy first week as he returned into the work force.  He is trying to set up a Confirmation program, and work out the kinks of having his main office at home.  Visits on Wednesday to a home receiving hospice and later driving an hour to a hospital for another member  brought with it a funeral for next Tuesday.  Between then and now are visits with the family, mortuary, a sermon to write and a service to officiate at, besides the two services at two churches tomorrow.  Yeah.....welcome back to the pastoral life.  If you think pastors only work one day a week?  Think again.

Getting back to fall.............this time of year reminds me of the year I went hunting with Joel.  This was before we were engaged and before Joel stopped hunting.  We went duck hunting which resulted in one landing dead right at my feet.....then while cleaning them we found out they had lice.  Creepy....crawly...... I tried to deer hunt with Joel and his parents ~ no gun for this novice though.  We  were down in a low brush area and I heard Joel's mom say she did not see where the buck they were tracking had gone, so I stood up, saw the deer, and loudly proclaimed...."There is is!"  Needless to say, the deer ran off and that was my last day hunting with them.  "City girls!"  I have shared before the story of squirrel hunting where the woods were were in was filled with garter snakes sunning themselves.  When we walked, they slithered and when we stopped they stopped and put up their heads.  I still have an aversion to snakes.  Joel, himself, had never seen anything like it.  And even though squirrel tastes alot like chicken it has only been eaten in this family one time.  That was enough!  

In case you did not hear me the first or second or third time.....I love Fall!   I sometimes think God created this perfect season to give us relief from the hot and humid summers and bitterly cold snowy winters. And there is harvest too. I just wish it lasted longer! 

So if in your corner of the world Autumn is showing off, enjoy it!  Take in the smells, the sounds, the colors and give thanks.  It is a season to give thanks, and for the first day of Fall we are doing so today!