October First

I was about to scoot out the door when I got the no power at the office call. Stay home. I've been trying to get to work earlier. Trying being the operative word here. This morning was rough. I'll spare details, but it had to do with staying up too late and my alarm and this gray morning that begged more sleep. 

I resisted and for that I'm grateful. Now I had the whole day ahead of me...a welcome blank slate. I sat with my coffee taking in the neighborhood sounds as delivered on the morning breeze. The expected drone of so many lawn mowers and the chipmunks chirp chirping away. Dog calls from every direction. All normal and then piercing sounds of skeins of geese remind me that despite the warm summer weather, here we are at the first of October.

It's my favorite month for many reasons...all of them good. I rallied for a stop at the farmer's market I have not paid a single visit to this summer. It used to be a weekly ritual. I was on a mission for tomatoes and I was picky. I haven't had a tomato sandwich yet this summer and that's all that was on my mind. I found a basket of beauts and a loaf of multi-grain bread from a local baker. Some green beans and zucchini too. In the next few weeks, I'll stock up on squash. When picked fresh from the ground and kept in a cool, dark place, they last for months. 

I felt like a drive. My country road color tour landed me at the apple farm. It's a family tradition to spend an afternoon picking our own, but I really wanted a half peck of Blondies and I knew what was left would be in the barn. There's still plenty of fruit on trees so there is a very good chance we'll be back later in the month to stock up for the winter. Fresh picked apples last for months too when stored in the frig. I'm sensing a theme here...the need to stock, nest and rest. Sounds about right.

The sandwich was well worth the wait and messy. The juicy ripe tomato tasted like summer. I vow to be.here.now every day of October. Here's to fall!