Miscellaneous Writings

Autumn

"So are we ready to go?" my husband asks.

"I think so."

"Then let's check the lights and get on the road."

"Okay."

He pulls the truck and camper out onto the road in front of our house and turns on the left blinker. I talk into the two-way radio, "left, right, flashers, brakes." Then run around to the truck and get in.

We are off on our first fall camping trip. We have a big, thirty-foot pull behind camper with an air conditioner and a heater. It's our house on wheels.

My husband and I spend about the first twenty minutes thinking about whether or not we brought everything with us that we'll need. We make our way along to the state park, find a campsite and pull in. We get our camper all set up and put out our chairs around the fire pit, hang up our outside lights and water for hand washing.

Finally I'm able to stop and admire all of the trees with their changing colors. I see the squirrels running around gathering their winter food. The wind blows calmly and I watch as leaves of red, orange and yellow fall to the ground.

I go into the camper and make myself a cup of coffee. Then I take it back outside along with a blanket and sit to watch the rest of the day slowly fade into night. I watch as the sun begins its descent and see how it shines through the trees. I love the shadows.

The girls don't understand what they're missing. It was the same with me when I was their age. I never knew what I had until it was gone. They don't know how to appreciate the day and stop to admire nature changing its behavior. All they know is that it's beginning to get cold and the leaves create a mess.

But fall has it's great things like, apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides and hot chocolate, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters and boots and a brisk chill in the air (it makes great cuddling time). Then there's Halloween! We make a cemetery out of our front yard and we'll have a machine creating fog to roll through the cemetery. It's very cool and we have such a great time decorating. My husband loves to hand out candy and harass the kids.

Fall also brings hunting season, and when we give thanks for everything we've had throughout the summer and for everything that we'll have throughout the winter. Thank goodness we don't have to live back in the days when we would only have what we harvested. If it weren't for grocery stores we wouldn't survive!

Soon we all sit around the campfire and roast marshmallows for smores. I thoroughly enjoy watching a fire and smelling the wood burn but it's so much more enjoyable when you do this with your family, even if they don't appreciate it. At least they humor me.

I can't wait for tomorrow morning when I'll get up before everyone, brew myself a cup of coffee and take a nice brisk morning walk with the dog!