Mother Nature is Changing Her Wardrobe

Mother Nature is changing her wardrobe...

Today the sky in Southeastern Nebraska is a deep azure blue.  From the new windows in our home we cannot see one single cloud. Sunshine is spilled everywhere and its radiant brilliance is cheerful.   The air is sweet and fresh and crisp. The squirrels are busy, busy, busy.  Furthermore, the leaves are falling to the ground as if to mimic rain or snow!

There will be a Cornhusker football game for us to cheer later today.  We'll  make popcorn and holler at our TV set as the Huskers make every effort to beat Northwestern.

We toured some of the nearby countryside last evening as we went to dinner at a cute little eatery called Smartville Station.  It's located a few corn and soybean fields away from our home.  As we made our way we marveled at the reds of a grove of maple trees.  We thoroughly enjoyed viewing the varied shades of green leaves, blending in with the vibrant yellows and golds across the hilly fields.  We pointed out the trees which are now naked, or nearly so.  There were gigantic clouds of dust where the farmers were combining beans.  Those farmers are doing all in their power to beat Old Man Winter and get the beans and corn out of the field and into their bins!

In a very short time the yellow, green, gold and red hues will fade to brown as Jack  Frost does his annual thing.  For the time being there are chrysanthemums dotting landscapes around front porches visually reminding us that Autumn is in full swing.  Before long snow will cover the plants and harvested fields.  The very thought of snow makes us shiver!

Summer was not unkind to us in 2014 but the heat caused us to wither under its spell.  We always vow never to complain about the coming cold when we are sweltering under the hot Nebraska sun...We welcome the fall months and the cooler temperatures when September rolls around.

We have relatives who have chosen to live in climates where Autumn  is only a page on a calendar.  They do not have the variety of changing seasons as we do here.  That's good for palm trees, I suppose.  I prefer the anticipation of changing seasons and Mother Nature's ever evolving wardrobe.

After we have endured Winter's brutally cold winds and all the snow shoveling that goes along with it we turn to welcome Spring, watching eagerly for green stuff popping up!  Spring offers us hope.  Spring is my favorite season until Autumn arrives.  Autumn reigns supreme as my favorite every October. 

Winter's arrival finds us dreaming of cozy fireplace fires and big mugs of hot chocolate. There are snow men to build and snow fights to entertain us! We plan for "blizzard projects" like scrap booking or 1000 piece puzzles.  We make plans to have card parties and soup suppers.  We think about adding heavy new sweaters to our closets and we bundle up for ice skating events.  We even carve out more time to curl up with a good read during those snowy months.

Nebraska life is always good. October brings its special gifts to us and brings into sharp focus the beauty of the countryside and all the treats that are part of that package!  Not everyone gets to choose where they live.  I am so grateful I live in Southeastern Nebraska!

Yes.  Life is good and I do love my life!

~Connie Baum