First (Official) Weekend of Autumn

 

It's officially autumn.  A beautiful time of year.  This weekend should be one of apple or pumpkin picking.  Or maybe a harvest stroll?

Nope...this the first weekend in autumn in the Northeast means...a Nor'easter.  Rain. Wind.  Ick. The crisp air is soggy and the leaves that were just starting to turn to the crisp colors of the season are dripping and drooping.

On this crappy weekend I should be grateful that I'm in the Pocono Mountains and not the NJ Shore.  I still LOVE the NJ shore.  (I always will.)  I'm happy that I sold the house on the barrier island, even though from what I can see/tell it looks like the worst of the flooding (and there IS flooding; there will always be flooding) is further south.  If I still had a house there I would be a wreck.  I'm wreck enough without that, so it's a good thing that I am no longer invested in that.  Again, love it and miss it, but don't miss the anxiety.  And I DO wonder when someone (anyone?) will realize that it's not the best of ideas to build house after house on sandy ground.  Once upon a time, a few houses (which were small) were okay.  All the giant McMansions?  Not such a great idea.  I'm not against it.  (Heck I wish I was wealthy enough to build a multi-million dollar home on the beach.)  I'm just saying that Mother Nature probably doesn't think that it's the best idea.  And, as the commercial said (if you are old enough to remember it), "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature."  (Furthermore, you really can't fool Mother Nature.  She's going to win every time.)  Maybe we should listen?  Just saying...

I have to say that I am disappointed that this is how the first weekend in autumn is turning out. I had fun plans for myself this weekend. Plans which included a harvest fest which sadly had to be canceled. (Not rescheduled…yes, this makes me very unhappy.) First world problems right? But still it's enough to give you the blues on a gray day.

I did manage to get to our local garden center and pick up a couple of small pumpkins. I am always amazed at what the center manages to come up with. They have the most gorgeous mums.

Four of which are currently residing in my backyard in all their glory. (They are glorious!)  I would love to purchase some of the larger pumpkins (they are really LARGE), but because of the weather most everything was covered up.  I really didn’t want to go digging through wet boxes to get one.  (Which I would barely be able to carry.)  To put a positive spin on it (says Debbie Downer) this just means I'll have to go back next week and pick some up. Because I love the colors of fall and want my backyard to reflect that. It makes me happy.

Speaking of the backyard, I would love to be spending the afternoon out there. But the wet and the wind have made that impossible. It even made it difficult for me to put the pumpkins outside. 

Right now, the only things happy in the backyard are my fish. They don't care if it's sunny or rainy, they just swim around and enjoy themselves. However with all of the wind a lot of leaves have blown into the pond clogging the mesh area that protects the pump for the waterfall. I have to go out several times a day to clean it out. (Trying not to get wet pants in the process and not succeeding)  That is not the fun way I want to be outside. Plus I don't think the fish are too fond of seeing me. They tend to scare away as my giant hand (at least to them) comes and pulls out clumps of wet leaves. 

So far we've been lucky when it comes to wind damage. The driveway may be treacherous with acorns and bits of branches, but so far (knock wood; no pun intended) no giant branches or trees have come down. I hope I haven’t just jinxed myself. Fingers crossed that I have not!

So far most of this weekend has been spent inside watching movies and reading. There's nothing wrong with that. But I am restless. It is too early in the season for me to be stuck inside. In my opinion that's the worst thing about the winter months, being stuck inside. Yes, I know you can go out when it's cold, but that's just not my thing. Poor me, boohoo right? (What an entitled you know what I am being here.)

Still there are plenty of weekends left in the season.  They can’t all be wet, can they?  (Tell me no!)  Here’s hoping for some brighter and warmish days to come where Mother Nature can show off all her glory!  If not in my neighborhood, well, maybe yours?  (And if so, please share photos because I’m all about the colors!)