Fall Life 2012

Life has settled into a 'normal' here.  The school year is underway and the fall routines are being played out everyday.  The weather here has turned chillier and the leaves are changing colors offering to me a show of natural beauty that is breathtaking.

Zak's first day of school - 4rth grade

 Zak has grown accustomed to his daily routines and prompts and reminders of what to do next have been put away as he knows the 'next thing'.  He leaves for school with Dad and Rachel every morning.  They drop him off at school and then they head to work.  He rides home on the bus, bids his bus driver goodbye and starts the walk up the driveway.  I wait for him on the porch.  The weather growing colder will fin me soon with a jacket on as I sit on my perch and wait for the bus coming down the road.  Truth is, I have heard the sound of the bus coming down the country roads long before I actually see it.



The school days here on the home front follow a pattern.  There is required reading and speech in the morning; along with math and music.  I sit at the head of the dinning room table and flash flashcards and utter phonetic sounds as my youngest learns the basic skills needed to start reading.  Today there was a cup of hot tea by my side as we began our school day. (Coffee has been taken out of my list of warm comfort beverages.  Seems there are sometimes dietary changes needed after a gallbladder surgery.) sniff sniff.




Anna's first day - Kindergarten


The garden is done.  Some fall greens have been planted and are thriving.  The freezer is filled with the beans that came from the garden this summer.  Tomato plans still stand; but their productivity has been limited in the past couple weeks.  Green tomatoes are still abundant and salsa is on the docket to be made sometime this week.

The herbs has been cut and tied and are drying.  The mudroom windows now has an 'all natural - organic' valance.  The aroma from the drying herbs causes the house to smell homey and inviting.  The pumpkin outside is about ready to be brought in and cooked.  Soon the herbs will combine with the smell of pumpkin as bard and bread are taken from the oven to the table for family dinner. 

Walnuts are heard falling from the trees night and days.  It is my guess that if a walnut fell just as one of us walked by it would cause quite the headache.  Perhaps worse?   The make quite a crashing to the ground.  I have plans for those walnuts.  I will collect them, dry them, crack them and have them for winter baking.  However, the locals just look at me with eyebrows raised and then say, "more power to ya..." So, we will see how my plan plays out.  The locals all have been here for awhile ( a LONG while) and it is best to heed what they say. They mention staining of clothes and hands, needing a cement block and hammer to crack the "unusually" hard shell and have mentioned running over them with the car several times to get the outer shell off the actual nut.  Despite their stories I still want to give it a try. 

We had a baby calf born this afternoon across the road.  It was fun watching the wobbly legs try to maneuver the little body to find the mother's milk.  Somehow, anything new in nature seems precious.  God's creation amazes me!

I love the county.  I love the deep dark of the nights and the twinkling bright starts overhead.  I love the beautiful sunrises and the breathtaking sunsets.  I love listening and watching as birds call to one another in the daytime and the howl of the coyotes at night. 

I am so thankful for the place God has brought us to  Everyday I am living the dream.  Watching nature unfold in front of me and taking in everything I can from this experience.

Yes, life is settling into normal and I am loving the country life!