End of September

After a week of spectacular weather, the cloudy (sometimes drippy) weather of yesterday seemed like a final punctuation mark to summer.  Both Nyel and I succumbed to unusual urges – to clean and tidy up the garden and to finish up a few almost-completed outdoor projects.  The weatherman tells us to expect more of the same all week so I hope time and energy continue to cooperate.

As I hunkered in the flower beds, clipping and pulling, I could hear a wedding party gather across the road.  For about an hour they talked and laughed and enjoyed one another as they posed for photographs before going into the church.  It was such a peaceful, happy gathering!  Another lovely ending to the season, perhaps – although, there may yet be other weddings before the year is out.  I can’t imagine, though, that they could be any more joyous than this one sounded.

Looking Like Autumn

Also, as I worked, I heard gunshots to the south.  It’s early for duck season plus it didn’t sound like shotgun shots. It’s early for deer. as well.  Nor do I think there’s deer hunting so close to Oysterville, as far as I know.  Maybe someone doing some target practice?  Hard to tell.  But it served to remind me that duck season isn’t far off and that familiar pop-pop-pop of the hunters’ guns will soon let us know that autumn is underway.

I’m already making mental lists of Fall Projects that we should see to.  I’m promising myself that this year I’ll dig up and sort the dahlias – we have a plethora of pink ones that need to be thinned and some gorgeous purple ones that, I hope, can be divided and moved to more advantageous spots.  And there are a few things that didn’t get our attention this summer – a lean-to for our firewood, for instance, and perhaps a start on repairing the gazebo.  Both of those are in Nyel’s bailiwick and I stand ready to clap and cheer if he makes moves in those directions.

There’s always more to do than time or energy or money warrants.  I’m never sure if that’s a bad thing or a good thing.  In general, though, I guess looking forward to continued accomplishment is positive – even if it is only one tiny step at a time.