Aug 17, 2012 Autumn in the Air



Our "new" great room




Another view
















Yesterday was the day I first felt Autumn in the air.  Our high was 76 and it only cooled of to 62, but there was that certain something that says the colors will soon be changing.  It will be a refreshing change.

Another indication that the season is changing, we drove down to RJ's cabin yesterday to say goodbye to Mike.  This was his last visit Up Here before school starts and may be his last until next summer.  That goodbye is always hard because the boy we say goodbye to now will not be the boy who returns next year.  He turns 14 in a couple weeks.  A time of constant growing and changing.  I always take photos on his last day to record the changes, even though I have taken many while he was here. 

They had come up Wednesday afternoon for an evening of cards, dinner and a movie.  We had just received Avatar and Mike was the only one who had seen it.  What a great movie!  I can only imagine what it would be like to see it on the big screen.  Can't even imagine what it would be like in 3-D.

JB harvested our first red potato yesterday from the south end of the row where the plants are dying.  I guess that indicates the roots are ready.  We will be laying mulch and chicken poop on the garden this fall after everything is dug up.  Hopefully the plants will really thrive next year.

Larry and Elsie came up Monday evening while RJ and Mike were again here for dinner.  We had just finished eating, so we had a great visit and the guys played horseshoes.  Mike and JB put up a good show, but RJ and Larry are still the reigning champs (and won't let us forget it).  Elsie brought eggs for us along with potatoes and a head of cabbage from their garden.  Oh, goodie.

Today through tomorrow has been red-flagged for forest fires on the east side of the Cascades so we will be extra watchful.  It has been so dry and hot that conditions are such that the least little spark could set one off.  The big one in Cle Elum must be out by now but there is still a haze to the southwest and we can actually smell smoke.

Our "new" great room is amazing, as shown in the photo above.  Today we plan to put up one or two of three shelves on the east wall (the one with the door).  There will be one 8' and two 6' long.  I hope it turns out as well as I picture it in my mind.

There is a very interesting article in "The Week" magazine entitled "Awe to nourish the soul."  It says, "Gazing at a beautiful landscape or listening to a majestic symphony may make people feel less rushed, more patient, and more compassionate toward others.  Stanford University researchers have discovered that awe - as opposed to joy or other positive emotions - gives people the sense that time has slowed down. . . Researchers say the participants reported that the "small dose of awe" had given them "a momentary boost in life satisfaction."  I can certainly attest to that. . .

Thought for the day:  A healthy and refined nature would always derive pleasure from the landscape.  Henry David Thoreau