Thursday, September 10, 2009

Rambling about the Rain

"Rain, rain go away - come back some other day" I said as I looked up to a sky filled with angry gray clouds. We had some rainy weather recently. Rain poses a few challenges for us. We have to strategically plan when to send the dogs outside for "potty breaks" between rain showers. That's followed by us wrestling the dogs to wipe off wet (possibly muddy) feet. Shelby goes through tennis ball withdrawal. Bianca just wants a warm lap. Tiffany poses no problems on rainy days as she simply finds a spot to nap all day.


Exercising is also a challenge for us during rainy weather. Since May, Ira and I have enjoyed a "lifestyle" change. We have reduced the size of our dinner portions, eat sensible breakfasts and enjoy bowls of fruit for our lunches. We also started walking after lunch. This consists of a brisk stroll to our mailbox and back - roughly 1.5 miles. We also play badminton every evening after dinner; usually the best 3 out of 5 games.




But when it rains - Ira and I don't get to take our walk and we have to postpone our badminton tournament until the rain clears. Instead, we play games on our Wii, but it just isn't the same.




However, we have "Plan B"...we have a treadmill (or "dreadmill", as I
like to call it!). One rainy day I decided that I was going to have my
walk - no matter what! So I boarded the treadmill and started my trek. I finished my 1.5 mile stroll in around 25 minutes.




I "discovered" something while walking on the treadmill. When it rains, I miss our walk on our road. Ira and I almost always notice something new on our walks. Sometimes it's tracks on the road left by deer or wild turkeys. In the past couple of weeks, we've noticed the first few leaves changing color. After several days of rain we see lots of colorful (and probably poisonous) mushrooms. The most important thing that we miss during rainy days is "our time". This is time that we spend together without the interruption of phones, e-mails, or even the dogs. While we walk, we enjoy having conversations. We find all kinds of things to talk about; from places we'd like to visit to stories from our respective childhoods.




While we don't have a plan to save the world from impending doom, we are making life better in our own little place on the planet...one step at a time.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Bittersweet Bloom

One of the things I love about life here at Grassybranch is that we have all four seasons.


The winters here are, for the most part, pretty mild. We might have one small snow; just enough for us to take the dogs out and play. What I like about winter is seeing the "bones" of the trees, and the clean, cold air. I welcome the end of winter, though. We get a couple of pleasantly warm days that give us a taste of the season that's just around the corner.


Spring is just beautiful here. the trees all have a sheen of pale green, the grass starts growing, and I take to the greenhouse to start my summer veggie crops. I particularly enjoy that part of springtime where we can open the windows for fresh air before the the pollen blankets everything. The temps are warm with low humidity, and the daffodils celebrate the season with blooms everywhere!


Summer arrives and brings with it, lots of heat! Luckily, the humidity doesn't get uncomfortable until August. The veggie garden is full of plants promising to fill the pantry and freezer. The flowers are all starting to bloom; butterflies and bees are everywhere and we start watching the wild blackberry bushes for the perfect day to harvest. Summer is also the season where the daylily garden is in full bloom; seeing the garden is like watching fireworks in the night sky ~ each bloom is prettier than the last until everything is blooming at once, offering a dazzling array of color.


Fall is the most restful of all the seasons. It's much cooler, and the humidity eases. The leaves begin to change their colors, transforming the entire area into a picture perfect palette of reds, golds, oranges, and purples. Although I enjoy this season, it carries with it a sadness. I must bid farewell to all the beautiful flowers that have decorated our home for the summer.


This past week I witnessed the final bloom of the season on one of my daylillies. It's my favorite; a vibrant red that was named for my grandmother, Anne Bridwell. When she saw it, didn't really care for the color. She preferred pale pink and dusty rose to bold colors like orange and red. But I think the flower is perfect. Even though the color is bold, this daylily has the sweetest, most gentle fragrance ~ I honestly believe that this is why the flower was named for her. My grandmother was a vibrant woman; she was independent into her 90's. She drove her own car, paid her own bills, cleaned her own home, cooked for and entertained friends and family. She had a wonderful sense of humor, a quick wit and warm spirit. I miss her still; particularly her scent...sweet and gentle...kind of like her daylily.