The smell of that delicious, roasted goodness awakens me from slumber, and I follow my nose to the kitchen. Winnie pads softly at my heels stretching and yawning as she awakens to a new day. I slip to my back porch, rocker cup in hand, while the stars still twinkle in the waning darkness. Winnie sniffs around a minute or two and then jumps into my lap for a little extra snuggle time before her day begins in earnest.
Winnie gets excited about literally everything. Whether she notices a bug or a butterfly, it is all brand new to her. Her eyes light up and her entire body wiggles with delight with each discovery. Soon she is all tuckered out and falls asleep dreaming of her next escapade. Puppies are great.
October brings with her cooler mornings and the hint of crackling fires to come. Fall festivals, trick or treat, and all sorts of yummy goodness fill my head as I remember days when the kids were small. They looked forward to dressing up, I think, more than getting candy, and I usually dressed up with them.
My neighbor’s persimmon tree is loaded, and they have graciously offered me some for baking when they ripen. I can almost smell the delicious persimmon bread soon to come. My friend, Joy, gave me the recipe a few years ago, and it is absolutely divine.
With the sweltering summer heat’s demise, folks in the Deep South gratefully enjoy the cooler temps. While our neighbors to the north surely have more beautiful and colorful displays, we revel in the subtle beauty of our autumn. The goldenrod and black-eyed Susans are simple sunshine along our country roads cheering us as we take in the beauty.
After church yesterday, Mike and I took Winnie for a country drive. You know we went for Winnie; it couldn’t possibly have been for me to see the wildflowers in bloom. But anyway, it was a lovely day for it.
As we meandered down one country lane after another, I was transported to childhood days on my grandparent’s farm. The smells are even different. I still love the scent of fresh cut hay and soil after it has been tilled for planting. After a while we found ourselves at a dead end. We had stumbled upon a beautiful farm with fresh cut hay in the fields and a big, red barn. I saw someone on the front porch so I yelled out an apology.
“So sorry for disturbing you! We were out for a ride and didn’t realize this was a dead end!”
Much to my delight the sweet young woman was very friendly and graciously invited me to see her new baby goats. I jumped at the chance! While goat petting and chatting, I soon realized that I knew almost all of her family. What a nice surprise on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Now I want a goat. Maybe I’ll accidentally get lost again so I can pet hers.