Shifting Gears

The season is definitely taking a turn, yay! Last week was still in the 90's, steamy mid-day but not too hot. After a month of near 100's everyday, we actually had some water fall from the sky in the form of drizzle. It's been a hot and dry August and I haven't been able to open the back door at all to let in fresh air. One of my favorite things about Spring and Fall is the ability to open the house up early morning and listening to the birds or the heartbeat of the rain. No doubt about it, Fall is just around the corner! I love this time of year in the Ozarks. During the latter part of August our mornings are foggy and steam rises off the lake as it starts to cool off. It happens one day and you can feel just a little "Fall" in the air. My Grandma used to count the fogs in August, Folklore said that's how many snows we would have that winter!

At the end of summer the edges of the lake always looks dry and the trees a drabber shade of green. There are other signs that summer's ending. The crickets get so loud they hurt your ears! The woods have a distinctive "woodsy smell" from the brown leaves.Then as we reach the end of September the trees start their color show. Subtle at first with just a hint of color, then the Poplars turn a bright golden yellow, the Maples orange and the Sumac's a brilliant red.The mornings are crisp and you need a jacket, only to shed it by mid day. The wildlife seems to breathe a sigh of relief to see the summertime temperatures give way. The squirrels and chipmunks spend their days finding and hiding acorns and nuts, scurrying across the yard. It's funny, if you sit and watch they are like they're on a time schedule running and darting into the woods!

Fall arrives in all it's glory in October! Perfect weather for Arkansas Razorback football, pumpkin picking, a hayride or a long walk in the woods!