This is my first fall in Texas and I’m enjoying the weather. Temps have dropped into the high 70’s, low 80’s and most days are sunny. Our lows have been around 60 with a dip for a couple days to around 48 as a cold front passed through. We’ve had a few days with foggy mornings which do make you want to stay in bed coupled with sunrise being so late. I guess we’re not far from the return to standard time, which I don’t enjoy the sun setting so early. The lowered temps are invigorating and Lillie and I have enjoyed some hikes along the Guadalupe river where we always see deer. Yesterday we spotted a magnificent buck in the bosque .
The trees have not begun to change yet, and yellow cow pen daisies dominate the pastures.
It’s truly pumpkin season here and I’ve never seen such a glorious abundance and variety of pumpkins from grocery stores to roadside stands. People have decorated their gates and walkways and its beautiful. I love the star shaped gourds, the white goblins and all the warty orange varieties. It’s probably time to take a drive to Medina where there will be apples being harvested. I visited Fredericksburg Trade Days this month as well, and it was fun to poke thru all the barns and vendor stalls.
I am trying to stay present to the beauty of the season ,and not overly dwell on the sad news of my delayed tiny house, rising costs and the general political scene which is beyond depressing.
I am also experiencing a lot of frustration feeling financially drained by the delays to getting back on track with my own life. I need to get back to some kind of work but out here in rural - ville it’s a challenge. The commutes are long and the road treacherous with deer when dark. I’m not seeing any “jobs’ I can really do on a part time basis or that I feel safe wit, with Covid still a problem. I had the J&J shot, the loser in the bunch, and hopefully the confusion over boosters, mix and match etc, gets clearer.. Some days I feel like I will burst with frustration. Its an odd feeling and I don’t like it.
Seeing William Shatner at 90 go to space was a joyous occasion this month. He was deeply touched by the immense fragility of the earth and I wish more people would pause their mundane lives and focus on the problems facing us as a planet. Especially those with children. What the heck are we leaving them!? As I go through our “recycling” I am angered by the packaging that food comes in. The horrible plastic clamshells are the worst but it’s harder and harder to buy food in a smaller quantity, free of all the plastics.
What about you? Is life normal or frustrating? Were you affected by the pandemic financially or emotionally? Surely I’m not alone…
