So I hope yer termaters were covered last night, because there was a frost.
whimper, whimper…sigh…sniff.
Yup.
There was a frost. I saw it with my own eyes when I woke up, rubbed out the crusties and scrounged around for the dog food only to collapse in a heap when I noticed that the water in the dog dish had a little crust of ice on the top.
Sob.
How do I get the defrost button to work on, you know, the earth?
Anyway, I suppose it is about that time. It seems like it went too fast didn’t it? I mean, I hear Texas is still feeling 100 degree weather. It’s weird how quickly the season’s change around here. Just last Saturday I had on my swimming suit and was splashing in the big lake.
Just last week I was using my little window air conditioner while husband and I screamed casual conversation over its rumble! Just last month I was cussing the rain and the cows who ruined my lawn. And just like that, the lawn really doesn’t matter much anymore.
Oh, but it’s not so bad really, when considering last year at this time we had SNOW!
Oh, North Dakota and your weather games. No matter how many tricks you play we always wonder where the hell we put our sweaters.
Anyway, I’m not complaining. (Does it sound like I’m complaining?) Fall is a sweet time of year, even though it’s a bit short. Fall means hunting and camouflage beer, colors changing in the trees, cute sweaters, pumpkins, being able to ride horse and jog in the middle of the day…you know, if I were the type of woman to exercise on purpose.
But I am going to miss summer, just like I do every year. I am going to miss my summer skin that makes me look more human and less pasty white alien. I am going to miss my cutoff jeans and bare feet, my horse’s slick coat, husband’s t-shirt sleeves that hug his arms perfectly, vodka tonics, and wildflower hunting, brats on the grill for supper once a week, not having to plan my outfit around a jacket and sunshine that lasts past 10 pm.
However, the snow will be a good disguise for my destroyed yard, it will also send these mosquitos into hibernation as well as the necessity to shave my legs every other day.
Yeah. I guess a part of me, perhaps a large part of me, is looking forward to snuggling down in my sweaters and traipsing around in my boots. That will be good.
As for the pug? Well, I think he’s kinda pissed about the whole colder weather thing…
Anyway, I can almost taste the soups that will be boiling in cowboy’s kitchen. Oh how I’ve missed you dumplings. Maybe this winter I will find myself a free weekend to enjoy a blizzard under the blankets while I watch a good girly movie. The happy hot summer sunshine doesn’t allow for such excuses.
A blizzard? Well, that’s a perfect reason to do nothing but eat Red Vines and cry at Sandra Bullock movies.
But it seems like just yesterday I was hunting out crocuses and now I have a few tubs of chokecherry juice waiting for my domestic side to come and make it into something delicious. Wasn’t I just sleeping on top of the covers with the fan blowing on me and the windows open? Didn’t I just document the first buds of spring only to wake up to find the leaves kinda droopy?
Man time flies when you’re trying to find a way to stop it. It changes right before our eyes every day out here. We know it’s bound to happen, yet it seems we never expect it. It seems the seasons, with the exception of the North Dakota winters, leave us all too quickly. So I’d like to do something fun here. As you have probably noticed, I have been keeping up with a photo a day for about a year now. And the point of that endeavor was to help me open my eyes to something beautiful, something interesting, every day. But you will notice when you visit the Daily Photo page and scroll through the pictures that it also does something more. It documents the subtle changes around here, not only in weather and season, but in the animals, the vegetation, the mood and feelings of each day. It’s amazing how that in one spot there is so much to see, so much to document, so many different perspectives constantly shifting and moving with the spin of the earth, the rise and set of the sun, the changes of the moon. So I invite you to take a moment to visit the Daily Photos page for a quick recap of the past year in photos.
Because we can’t stop time, we can’t change the weather or make our favorite season stay, but we can keep our eyes and hearts open to the beauty, subtle strength and mystery nature displays every day of the year.
In the horses:
In the pastures:
In the vegetation:
And even in the pug:
Wasn’t that fun? Now pull on your sweaters and hunker down for fall weather North Dakotans. It’s going to be a beautiful day.
Now where’d I put my earmuffs?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... 
I hear ya..like spring better than fall but do enjoy the cooler temps.Winter can come for two weeks. The allergies and the colds kiddos bring home from school are not fun. Hope to get out that way next year. Time sure does fly when when life get’s busy, but w/o seasons we might be bored although I’m thinking of my Hawaiian friends now where it is usually nice. Wishing you a blessed day.
It’s warmer today Nicole and that’s just fine with me!
Wonderful blog, you have a great voice and a really good sense of humor. I really like that. I will have to check out more of those pictures soon.
Hi Neeks. Thanks so much for stopping in to have a look!
Beautiful, just beautiful your photos and writings of the changing seasons.
That was well done.. nice work.. and we also had a wee nip in the air this morning.. BUT summer is coming back soon yeah.. i mean surely that is not IT! c
Well, it is going to hit the 70s again this weekend, so we still have some good weather to look forward to. I just hope we get some good colors on the trees…hope the frost didn’t ruin that! 🙂
No, NOT yET! I’m Not READYYYYYY!
I know! I know! 🙂
This is SO TRUE! I lived in Montana, and remember this all too well. I happily stumbled across your blog a month or so ago. I check it daily. It reminds me so much of what I love about the West…such as planning an outfit around a jacket (!!). Thank you for all your hard work on it and pointing out all of the details…photos and all. I am definitely envious as I live on the East Coast now….so I am living vicariously. And I love, love the pug!
Hi Ashley, so glad you stopped in. It is funny how connected to the weather and landscape we are up here…I don’t think that ever changes, no matter where you find yourself. Happy I can bring you “home” for a bit: )
It was cold here last night. I went to the store and got another comforter because mine got soaked in the flood in our basement. The pug looks more content with one eye than two, and Jessie, I saw that crazy nail polish you crave in several stores. Want me to send you some?
haha, I hear ya girl. I am trying my best not to complain, too, but before I know it, I’m complaining! I think it’s how ugly the farm gets with the mud and the brown and footprints all over the house from dirty paws … it’s supposed to get back to the 60s today, but I’m not seeing it yet. Hopefully tomorrow. Have a great weekend!
such pretty territory – even if it is a bit harsh thru the winters. our summers in texas stretch on for too long, so there’s just never a happy medium. 🙂
We need to meld our seasons to find a happy medium!! Hope you’re cooling off down there. It was a gorgeous overcast day here today.
Fall’s arrived here in Michigan…. and I’m loving the teeny bit of color change and abundance of apples … but the nights have been brrrrr cold of late. Would like to see it “slow up” a bit …. cheers to crockpots, football and autumn 🙂 MJ
I’m with ya emjay. I am liking watching the colors change…nice and slow…just like the beef in my crockpot…and me trying to understand football…;)
The fall temperatures are here in Ohio, but no frost yet. I’m wondering what I’m going to do with all of the green tomatoes still on the vines.
The photo of the pug in the winter gear made me laugh out loud!
Oh, the pug. Yes, the outfit is his least favorite part about winter 🙂 As far as your tomatoes, I just don’t know! My pops is having the same problem..bring them in and see if they will ripen up on the windowsill ?
My mother-in-law just give me a recipe for green tomato relish. Apparently you can use it just like pickle relish. I haven’t tried it yet, but she says it’s amazing. If I make it, I’ll post a blog about it.
Great set of photos! Thanks!