Changes in the Air

I'm not saying I've put the shorts away or that we're no longer getting strawberries from the garden. But the signs are there.

This weekend, Ali and I engaged in some activities that, for sure, signify that changes are afoot. For one, the overarching theme for me was "get the woodpile done." We're getting there: we have 3.75 cords split and stacked -- out of the 5 that we usually go through each winter.

We also -- and yes, I realize it's only September -- had our first fire in the woodstove. Usually, Alison doesn't let me do this till November... and even then not till it's freezing -- maybe even snowing -- outside.  But this was her idea. And boy was it nice. In addition to being nice and cozy in here on Saturday night, the laundry dried right out, and that wet-dog smell that has pervaded the Aiken home for most of the summer... Gone! Amazing what a woodstove fire can do!

The fall signs continued Sunday. Ali wanted to go for a hike, but she didn't want to do one of the same old hikes that we always do. So I found myself following her, Oscar, and Gladys up a route that none of us had hiked before: White Rock Mountain to Hunger Mountain from the Middlesex side. The weather was fickle -- one minute it was sprinkling, the next it was sunny; and I went from sweating and hot to wearing my sweatshirt and raincoat. Like autumn, it was all over the place.

The route, too, was varied. At times it was flat and smooth; other times we were scrambling up sheer rock walls. Gladys loved it; she went up and down the worst Class 4 pitch five times. The summits were deserted, and it was a beautiful hike. On the way home, we followed the backroads through Middlesex to visit Steve and Marisa's new place -- a totally perfect spot in the woods of Middlesex. (I still think they should find a way to use the garage as a woodshop AND carport and not just wood shop -- just me though!)

Finally, the last sure sign of fall: everything went on hold Sunday as I watched the New England Patriots play their home opener at Gillette Stadium. Staying about 30 minutes shy of live-time, I used my DVR capabilities to fast-forward all commercials. They didn't play their best football, but as usual, they still put themselves in position to win. Somehow, however, their kicker missed the last-second field goal that would have given them the victory.

And that's fall. Sometimes it sneaks up on you, and you never know just what to expect... except that somewhere on its heels will be a long, cold winter.

Better get that wood stacked.