September 2012 - In the fall of the year

And so starts my favorite month. I always want to go buy pens and pencils. Stock up on office supplies and buy lots of paper. I search around for notebooks and ring-binders I keep stored away for when they might have a use. 

The air smells different; crisp and as the leaves change color then fall to the ground I miss my dog and dressing up in hunting clothes to take him to the woods and watch him quietly stalk a grouse or scare up Chukar or Pheasant.

Farming being over for the most part, I remember starting school days before the Labor Day holiday then immediately having a week off for the Adams County fair. I saw a picture of a young woman sleeping curled up with her cow on straw in a stall in a New York fair barn. I had a dairy calf and huge Columbia sheep to get ready then load into the truck and haul to the fairgrounds. And after settle them in, begin the long and tedious job of hand blocking them for show in the ring. 

Watermelons were free in the fields as Labor Day always marked the end of the season for melons. Every melon farmer allowed gleaners to come pick the melons before turning the hogs into their fields.

It was time to bring our siphon tubes in from the fields, draining out the water and piling them up neatly for winter. We always burned weeds as we found them during the farm year, but now we had bonfires and would often gather around them just to enjoy the fire, even to roast marshmallows.

We drove to Wenatchee to glean apples following their harvests and brought the apples back to make sauce, apple butter, apple cider and hard cider. 

We cleaned our farm equipment when it’s season was done but now we did repairs and covered equipment up for winter. We began to “batten down the hatches” in our preparations for winter. 

I remember when I went to Jr. College in Spokane and lived in an old mansion turned into apartments in Browns Edition. I had a new pup (Piper) who needed to go out every two or three hours to train to ask to go outside. We went to a park near the house and rain or shine we played in the leaves, jumped in puddles when they presented themselves and generally had a wonderful time among the pretty maple leaves and crisp weather.

We’ve just experienced the last Blue moon of 2012, a Dragon moon, I’m told. I have gone to the www.gotohorosocope.com/txt/2012-chinese-year-of-dragon.html and offer their exact description of the summer and fall of Dragon moon. “The Summer and Autumn of the 2012 Water Dragon year is predicted to be filled with a steady flow of additions, corrections and positive developments. This is as the Dragon prompts adjustments and improvements with a sway towards less dependence on artificial foods and materials. The remainder of 2012 is destined to be quieter giving a time of reflection to assess the first results of any changes. This quiet year end may have a couple of unexpected occurrences that although unanticipated are forecast to improve our environment. Any ideas generated in this favorable time span are likely to be groundbreaking and highly advantageous to mankind's future. There are plenty of ways to take advantage of a Water Dragon's reign on the year if we trust his intuitive vibes of optimistic fearless progression. His message of reassessing situations and determinedly moving forward will make 2012 a year to remember for the enrichment of knowledge and understanding in many areas of life.”

For me the pull toward the implements of writing draws me in to going into the cave for winter as in Native American belief we grow more introspective in winter. 

I was married the 11^th of September and my step-daughter K-2 celebrates her birthday on the 20^th. Friends are coming today to pick the last of the Black berries with me as we have had them now for several weeks. We need to get them before the rains start. Another friend is bringing her first fish (a 13 pound Steelhead) over to share with me for dinner. I am so proud of her. Fishing is a satisfying fun and calming activity and for her to not only have two salmon on her line but to bring in a fish at all her first time out is a great accomplishment. She sent me pictures from her cell phone. This is the sign of a real fisherwoman – bragging pictures!

Often I writer here of spiritual topics. I’ve been reminded there is no difference between what is spiritual and what is temporal. Everything we do large and small is spiritual. The soul only asks for experiences. The Universe always says “Yes”.

Enjoy a happy and beautiful fall season wherever you are. Take time to smell the air and really “see” the foliage change and leaves fall. Give thanks for this turning of the circle toward year-end.