Won't Be Long

Morning Glories

It won't be long before the first frost puts an end to the morning glories flowering on our mailbox at the end of our driveway. For now we can enjoy the early morning dash of color they provide us as we make our way out into the work-a-day world.   

A Few Ramblings About the Weather, Life and Whatever Else Crosses from My Mind into My Fingers and on this Blog

Anyone who knows me knows that I would rather spend my time outside than cooped up in some stuffy room.  The change of seasons always excites me while I anticipate the unknown that lies ahead. I read a weather forecast on the internet this morning and basically it said the low temperature this morning would probably be equal to the high temperature we will experience on Saturday.  Yes, fall is on the way.

That reminds me. Our Aussie friend Vanessa didn't know what we were referring to when we mentioned fall.  We talked for several minutes and then finally, only after we mentioned fall and winter in the same sentence, her light bulb lit up brightly and she exclaimed, "you mean autumn!"

Radar looks like he is dozing but
 he is always on duty guarding
the fields.
Photo by: either Logan or Holden

Anyway, fall is on the way and I am ready for it.  The leaves this far south are very slow to change but they have begun in earnest to progress through the spectral colors of the season.  Acorns have begun falling, much to the delight of Scooter our Vietnamese potbelly pig.  Acorns are his favorite natural treat.  His house is located under a huge old oak tree and as they fall they clatter on his roof.  I am certain that as he lies there resting he hears them raining from above and, when he can't take it any more he rises from his sleep and goes about the yard searching for and finding hundreds of little "midnight snacks."   Our horses and our donkey have all put on their winter coats of thick hair.  It is not as thick as it will be when winter arrives but it is plenty thick to keep them warm during the cool days and nights immediately ahead.

Not my photo but wish it were.
Gotten from the WWW and there was no credit .

A walk the other morning alerted me that many of our migrating raptors have arrived.  As I walked about a half hour after dawn I could hear the call of the red tail hawk high above.  We have had a mating pair that has wintered near our house for the past several years. I am hoping that some of the calls are coming from one or both of  "our" hawks. I have caught a couple of glimpses of one here and there in my travels around the place but have not yet seen two at the same time so, I am not sure they are both here yet.

Along the road on my commute to work I have seen several deer; most of them miles from our house in a creek flood plain between Richland and Jackson. They seem to have consistently darker colored coats than in years past.  Occasionally I see a lighter tan one but, they seem to be, on average, darker than they usually are.  I don't know if that means anything at all, but I thought it was worth making note of and mentioning it in my ramblings today.

Casting a Vote for the Next President

Last among these ramblings.  We are less than two weeks away from the Presidential election.  I don't figure I am any more or less qualified than anyone else to give out advice as to whether a person should vote for one candidate or another. In fact, when I look back at some of the decisions I have made in my life and the consequences that have resulted from those decisions, I wonder sometimes wonder about myself in general. So, I won't give out advice as to which candidate you should cast a vote for.  Rather, I will say, by all means vote on the first Tuesday of November.  Cast a vote for the candidate you think will represent you better over the next four years and cast that vote with sincere conviction.  Know exactly why you are voting for that person and why your are not voting for the other one.  If you cast your vote honestly, based on your beliefs, convictions and in good conscience, you will have done your part to preserve this constitutional republic we call the United States of America.

Until next time... John