Who Would Have Thought...

Here it is almost mid October; shorter days, longer nights, cold morning temperatures in the mid 20's, daytime highs of 40 or so. Abandoned gardens turning brown and black from the clear cold nights and morning frost, leaving vegetables exposed for deer and scavengers. Tree leaves are turning bold reds, golden yellows and crunchy brown, as they are blown from the trees, drifting to the ground for children to play in. Frosty morning temperatures bring ice layers to vehicle's windshields, glistening with crystals to be scraped off before work. Deer come out of hiding to feed on green grass, rotten apples and abandoned produce, trying to gain weight to prepare themselves for the fast approaching winter. People are exclaiming how Summer was just here and how it feels like winter, where did Autumn go? Hunters anxious for different hunting seasons to open, so they can provide for their families and fill their freezers. Stores are displaying Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween paraphernalia before school has hardly started. The years seems to slip away faster and faster each passing year...

YET...I STILL HAVE TO MOW MY LAWN...whoever heard of mowing lawns in mid October, especially in MONTANA! My lawn's as green as it usually is, in the hot summer days of July. Usually by mid September, the mower has been retired until the following spring, which is usually in MAY. I do have to say though, it's been wonderful having such a beautiful yard since we completed installing our underground sprinkler system. (Our greatest accomplishment of the year!) Yet the deer are breaking and ruining my newly planted trees as they rub and rake the branches to rub off the dying velvet from their antlers. Oh if they only knew the cost!

The weathermen have been predicting rain or snow in the valley floors, and how this year could be a long cold, wet winter. The bees must be in agreement, since they're building hives up high, out of the way of snow drifts. Who knows, this year might surpass our winter of 1998 when we received 3 1/2 feet of snow in one night. I guess Arvil and I need to get busy to prepare for winter. Hoses need to be rolled up and put away, bushes need to be cut back and dead flowers cut and thrown away. Sprinkler lines need to be blown out and things put away. Who knows, we may need to have gloves and snow shovels handy soon...but just in case it doesn't snow this week-end. I'LL BE OUT MOWING MY LAWN AGAIN NEXT WEEK!