Seasons of change

I sit here today and reflect with a thankful heart the splendor our beautiful fall season.  We made sure to make a quick trip back to Barnesville to see my mom and Grandma Rak who just turned 87.  It was a cherished few hours visiting with the brother and sister in-laws as we've been apart and busy with the march of time and families.  Gram could be here for years but her congestive heart failure makes it more likely that she will sooner be reunited with Grampa.  When you are from around here you like to do things before the snow flies.  There were rumors being whispered about our first winter snow system and it would seem as the season was about to change.

Earlier this week I decided I needed to run to the store and grab some eggs and also check the mail to see if some of my early Christmas items had arrived.  The light rain was falling from a dreary cloudy sky and as I started the car I noticed the last treasures of fall clinging to my windshield and wondered at the simple portrait.  Of course, one must slow down and study nature's artwork and I decided to run back inside to grab my camera.  It may seem trivial but it is life giving to live in the moment of time that is a minute.... to appreciate the lines, the drops of wetness and composition.

Nature's tears had created a memorial to the loss of autumn and its fallen leaves.  It was true, those rumors were and the wind sure blew too.  The tree branches danced in the backyard and the old boards of my home groaned with the assault of winter raging down upon us with 60 mile per hour gusts.  Even my cat Perky was somewhat off balance during the darkest hours as she annoyed me to no end with her meowing and complaining.  She is a stubborn one that calico cat of mine who turned down my invites to cozy up in bed.  I guess cats are affected by the atmospheric pressure too.

And just like that, winter has come.  I fret about losing my miles of walking due to the bitter cold coming shortly.  How will I keep my weight loss victories in the time of snow, comfort food and baking?  When I was back to see my mom I took ownership of her cross country skis.  Today, I bundled up and stepped into those skis and enjoyed relearning something I have not done since being a teenager.  I do believe it was a bit of a workout because I feel it in my legs.