Sunday in MO

It is very fall-like here today, we are still in the 50's and it us noon. This is, and has always been, my favorite time of year. I love spring when everything is "reborn" and we are always ready for winter to be over, but there is just something about fall . . . maybe it's digging out the sweaters and sweatshirts after a long, hot summer, the turning of the leaves or the way the woods smell with the fallen leaves on the damp forest ground. Or maybe it's the anticipating of the hollidays just being around the corner. Fall always makes me reminesce. I remember watching out the window when I was a kid and seeing Daddy coming back from hunting on a fall day -- I can picture him now coming down through the field in his black and red checkered Woolrich with his gun and game in tow. Also treat or treating on Halloween and enjoying those delicious York County apples and apple cider. So many good memories to cherish.

Norman fired up our outside wood burning furnace this week. He wanted to "test" it to make sure everything was working properly before he goes back on the road. Although we really don't need much heat yet, we are going to let it fired up to heat our hot water. What a difference in the air coming out of the registers -- it is toasty warm instead of cool! Take my advice, do NOT ever install a heat pump unless you live in an area with very mild winters because you either freeze or pay very high electric bills! There is nothing like wood heat!

I made sausage gravy and biscuits for Norman and our neighbor this morning since we decided to not trailer away to ride. I don't often have time to do breakfast so Norman felt like he got a treat! Most of you know that Abby, my mule, suffered a pretty major injury two weeks ago so she is out of commission. Last Sunday I rode Lizzy, our two year old, for the first time out on the trail. She did excellent EXCEPT for water. She absolutely refused to go in the river (which is nothing more than a big creek) and every small stream was a challenge. We need to work on this but I can't do it alone and I am trying to persuade Norman into riding around here and working on the water crossing in our neighbor's pasture. He thinks we need to get some work done around here (can you imagine!) and is out on the tractor at the moment, but hopefully this afternoon we will get a short ride in . . . weather permitting. There is a slight chance of rain but I'm hoping that holds off until evening.

Well, I better head to Walmart to grab a few things -- a chore I don't look forward to. I sure miss the nice grocery stores we had in TX and also back home, but that's part of the price we pay to live in the country.

Hope everyone is well and having a restful Sunday.

Love,
Kathy