It was a good weekend. The weather was picture-perfect Fall weather with sunny skies, cool temperatures and clear air. I made it nearly through my chore list … still half the yard to “pick-up sticks”, but the motorhome and garage are emptied of freezable stuff, the motorhome is winterized, the yard tools have changed places with the snow thrower in the garage and basically we progress toward being ready for Winter.

Saturday was Bear’s 11th birthday and we celebrated with many treats, extra walks and salmon for supper.

By 5:00 today (Sunday), after some food prep for the coming week, I was ready for a sit-down.

From my kitchen chair, the gold of the larch made a beautiful background through the window. The larch are at their peak and now dropping their golden needles. By next weekend, they might be mostly bare. I thought about that as I have been enjoying them through the window from my chair for the past week.

It is a short time from when the trees are pure gold, to when they are bare. Every year, I tell myself to be ready to enjoy them, to not miss a moment of their beauty. This year, even though we still need rain (or snow!), it has been sunshine and blue sky more often than not and the colors seem brighter than ever before.

I sat and enjoyed and counted myself so very fortunate in so many ways. I am so grateful for Bear and Auggie, for our warm and comfortable home, for a nice yard and woods to share with them, for good work I enjoy and the list goes on. I sat and basked in all of the good stuff as Sunday wound down.

Auggie was napping in the boy’s room – not a usual spot, but the heat is cranked up to 68F in that room…

… as my first try at a sourdough starter grows. This is Day 3 and things look good and bubbly and smell slightly sour.

Bear is in the bedroom, behind the bed. That room is a cool 60F and the floor is about 50F. I know the floor temperature because in a different corner is my “cold storage” of the remaining green tomatoes.

A small pizza is in the works for supper, then some reading and a cup of tea before ending the day and the week.

Good stuff.