Saturday, September 15, 2007

Have you felt it?

That chill in the air? The scent of wood burning in someone's fireplace? The flame bushes in front of the library turning red? The squirrels going 'nuts' (pun intended) under your trees, looking for things to store for winter? Your grass greening up again for one last push before it dies off under all that snow?

Yup, it's that time. Summer seems like it's officially gone by. It's time to put the shorts and camisoles away and pull out the sweat pants and sweaters. It's time go check the winter jackets to see if they still fit. To look in the basket at the bottom of your hall closet for mittens, gloves, hats that can make it through another winter.

The fall catalogs are arriving daily. A week or two ago, the clothing looked ridiculously hot and itchy. Today they look comfortable and warm. Polar fleece, that staple of New England fashion, is starting to appear on the streets. The North Face Logo is all around us. Soon, the Uggs will be on the feet of teenagers and this old mom.

We New Englanders are a hearty lot. We take this change of season well considering that daylight is waning and soon we'll be living in the dark most of the day. From now to December the days grow shorter and darker until one day we realize that we haven't seen the sun at all.

The first snow will arrive shortly. Even though the Farmer's Almanac says we're going to have the warmest winter on record, we can't totally avoid snow. My neighbor, Mr BePrepared, has already put up his snow stakes in front of his house and long the driveway. No plow will make a mistake at his house!

Our family has taken out the down comforters already, but we still have the window air conditioners in. You never know in September. We could end up with a couple more 90 degree days before winters tight hold grips down upon us. You just never know!

8 comments:

Whirlwind said...

I was thinking the same thing as we huddled on the rain soaked soccer field in 50 degree weather this morning. Now as I look out the window - its sunny -if a bit chilly.

Tonight, the girls and I are headed to one of a few upcoming "Harvest" parties. Food, Friends and Fire to warm the body. We went to one last month and despite the frigid weather that particular evening, the girls were not ready to give up on summer and happily hoped into the pool. Our friends said that while they've taken down the pool, they'll happily put out a bucket of ice cold water for my girls.

I hope we get a bit of Autumn before winter knocks on our doors!

Oh and yeah, I saw the winter coats hanging in the basement the other day and threw them in with a small load of laundry I was doing so they would be ready. I just need to buy one more coat - Einey won't get away with wearing the same coat for a third year I'm afraid :(

Fairly Odd Mother said...

My husband is going away for the week and asked if he should take down the air conditioners before he goes. NO!!! You know it'll be 90 degrees at least once more before fall really kicks in!

Anonymous said...

We're desperately socking away the summer days that are left—heading the the beach in RI today, even though it is 47 degrees as I write this----brrrrrr!

Love that I found the New England Mamas, a place for US!

Kris Underwood said...

I had to bring out the winter jammies last night, and I think we actually had a little frost here in Vermont.
Love fall here, but the winter can kill you. But, like you say, New Englanders are a hearty lot.

Woman with Kids said...

I'm hoping the Farmer's Almanack is right. The other one, the old farmer's almanack or something, says it's going to be cold and snowy all winter.

Anonymous said...

It's the droopy tomatoe plants that give the game away.
Best wishes

Kara said...

The part about your neighbor reminded me of the Robert Frost poem The Mending Wall.

Enjoy:
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html

Gift of Green said...

So cozy - it's hard to believe September is almost over, though! Got to get going on all those fall projects I had planned!