24 October 2007
For the first couple of days this week, I’ve been afraid to write about the weather for fear I’d somehow jinx it. But, now that it’s Wednesday, I figure it seems it’s for real . . . autumn weather has come to north Texas! Woo hoo! The electric bill will be less painful than normal. And it makes me happy to be able to wear long sleeves and jackets and still be comfortable!
After all these years in Texas, I am still a northerner at heart. The cool air quickens my heart and makes me homesick. I miss snow and icicles in the winter. And I miss crocuses and the spring thaw. But, autumn has always been the most difficult season for me—fall in the north is such a beautiful, energetic time of year. The air is crisp and thin—breathing it brings a natural high. The leaves change and provide a colourful backdrop to busy lives. Dry leaves and nuts and other seeds crunch under foot and pumpkins adorn porches. The wheel of the year spins visibly, and there’s something about that fact that grounds me, fortifies me and yet reminds me of the magic in the ordinary miracles around us.
Most folks who know me very well, have heard me say time and time again, that I am not a Texan—I just live in Texas. In fact, I’ve lived in Texas for a very long time! For most of the last decade, I’ve been forced to admit that although I still think of myself as a northerner, I’ve logged more years in Texas than I ever did in New York. As a college student I never thought ahead as far as this one way or the other, so it’s not like I can say I didn’t plan to stay this long. But, I can say that I’m surprised to still be here!
So, when the temperatures in this great state of Texas drop below eighty and stay there for a week or so . . . and when the nighttime temperature is only 40-something . . . I start to get excited. Some years we wait much longer for these signs of changing seasons—and certainly warmer weather will revisit us many times during the fall and even throughout the winter here. But, it sure pleases me to have proper fall weather for the upcoming holiday!
Today’s photo has nothing whatsoever to do with the weather. For beautiful photos of leaves and autumn scenes, I invite you to visit A Little Bit of Jelly or follow links from my flickr page to some of my northern contacts–I never get tired of seeing photos of Mother Nature’s fall tapestries. Instead, my photo is of Artemis—she who is so often the subject of my picture-taking. On days when I change the sheets on our bed, she always gets very wound up. I have never decided if it’s because she likes it, or she hates it, but whatever her reason, she’s a lot of fun! Today, we played with a Q-Tip and had a great time. I’m not sure what that says about me! 
~MB
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