Chilly Morning

It is a beautiful Wednesday morning. The warm glow of butter coloured sun shine melting through the maple in front of the house. The light warms the room, making a promise of comfort chasing the morning chill. Daisey rushes out the patio door with a bark to chase of the squirrels that have boundary issues. I watch her bounce through the long grass that needs cut and begin her usual routine of sniffing for the exact spot to pee. Putting the kettle on to make my morning cuppa, I realise that I am chilled and hover near the stove to feel the yummy heat, the same heat that a week ago I was dreading so much that I drank cold water with my toast. It is remarkable how nature just turns the dial over night and here we are in the next season.

So I have become so much more aware of the change of seasons. I remember in the first few years of living in Canada feeling like Canada had two seasons, winter and summer. Those seasons were extreme and long. The little bit of spring and fall seemed like days of transition instead of weeks. The days of spring feeling wet and muddy, the grass still yellowed from the winter snows and only a few gardens had a daffodil or two. My childhood memories would pull me back to the front gardens of my youth, carpeted with daffodils, snow drops and crocus. I would ache with missing that beautiful transition to summer in Scotland. Which if I am truthful, was really only an extension of spring with a few more flowers and the surprise day or two when the thermometer reaches above 70 degrees. How ever I also remember freezing all summer not wearing nylons, wearing summer clothes that should only have been worn on the Amalfi coast! Our family was lucky enough to get off to Europe to spend a few weeks warming up. I was one of the few girls that came back to school with a tan. Now we avoid the tanning and look for cool spots to avoid the sting of the summer heat.

This morning I am feeling the change of the season. The weather man is telling me it will get warmer by the end of the week and my anxiety only raises slightly, I know that cool is here to stay. The morning chill being relieved slowly as the sun warms up, sipping my tea and remembering warms me. Daisey is at my feet licking the wet from her fur with a shiver as she takes warmth from me to relax. I know now that fall is beginning its emergence. I am energized by that knowledge and looking forward to the routines and celebrations the season will bring. And so I begin my day with the " should do list" . I should cut the grass, wash the car, sweep the driveway, put mulch in the garden and get the bird feeders filled and turn over the compost. So I begin my day.