Asian beetles....not to be confused with the common lady bug. Lady bugs are sweet. They eat aphids. You see one on the rarest of occasions when it lights on your sleeve. You pick it up on your finger and hold it to the wind and make a wish when it flies away. Asian beetles? You walk into your house on the first really hot day after the first freeze and hundreds...HUNDREDS of them are on the Windows, the curtains, the floor. They're tap-tap-tapping on the ceiling. You vacuum them up only to have more an hour later. They stink if to smash them. They leave unremovable yellow spots on everything. Gross!
I usually dread the change from summer to fall because it means winter isn't far behind. Those of you who have been following me since early on know how much I hated the winters in Colorado. They say Colorado has three seasons...July, August, and winter. They aren't far off. In general, winter is better here in West Virginia. At least it doesn't usually snow till mid to late November. And once March hits, spring is close behind.
"It's just a jump to the left..." Sometimes that jump is a big one. I'm not shy about stepping boldly out of my comfort zone and doing wild and wacky things. But for some, it's a big stretch to reach out into the unknown. Last night I got to do something I've wanted to do for years. There was a showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show at a newly refurbished historic theater. I've seen the film before, but never in a theater.
Wednesday's are long days for me. I have to get up long before dawn to take the trash out so the critters don't get into it. (I'm still working on a raccoon-proof trash can.) I had a laundry list of things to accomplish yesterday and before I knew it, the sun was setting and I hadn't made it to the grocery store. That doesn't count the drive back out to the farm. I needed to settle down and catch my breath. My favorite grocery store is just across the river in Ohio and I remembered a beautiful park nearby with a great walking path. I headed there and walked the long outer loop, stopping to read the names of the individuals and businesses who sponsor the large planters hanging from the lamp posts. By the time I got back to the truck, the sun was giving off the last bit of light and I grabbed this shot. While I love living at the farm, this river holds big magic for me and I needed her energy after a long and busy day.
I scraped frost off the windshield yesterday for the first time this season. I had to have the truck in the shop bright and early and the sun was just peeking over the horizon when I headed into town...sipping my coffee and watching for late browsing deer. Everywhere you turn these days you catch the bright orange flash of pumpkins tucked here and there. Porches, storefronts, and garden centers are ablaze like a sunset and it reminds me my favorite color is "October"!
It was dark when I drove up the long driveway to the farmhouse the other night. I couldn't pull into my parking spot because there are low hanging electric lines crossing the driveway. A friend came out yesterday to hold the lines up so I could drive under. I mentioned that I needed to winterize the camper but hadn't done it by myself before. I don't know why, but there are certain things that really intimidate me. Programming a VCR. Hooking up a sound system. Winterizing a camper. They all seem terribly complicated which is ridiculous. I have done jobs a lot tougher than that. My friend has had campers for years and assured me I could do it. Step by step, I walked through it...easy peasy. I felt proud of the accomplishment.
I took my time getting home yesterday and decided to stop at Tamarack near Beckley. This is an amazing gathering of WV artisans showing and selling their wares. I had to stop in the grill and have some fried green tomatoes. Yummmmmm! I walk the full circle and when I got back around to the front, a small group of musicians had gathered for an impromptu demonstration of Appalachian mountain music. What a treat!
Wow...a few days in TOW-Wanda made me a happy camper! What a beautiful campground. In keeping with my safety plan, I don't divulge where I stay till I'm gone. This trip was to Little Beaver State Park in Shady Spring, West Virginia. I think it's in my top five all round favorite campgrounds! Most of the campsites are nestled among mature oak and pine trees. Being a senior and having a West Virginia ID gave me the delightful rate of $14 per night for a pull through site with water and electric. You can't beat that!
I awoke in the night with the drumming of a hard rain on the roof of my camper. I love rain...especially in the camper or on the tin roof of the farm house. The roof of my truck was a solid mat of wet leaves. The air was dense with the humidity of an autumn fog. The soft unfocused green of the pine boughs formed tear-like droplets as the trees mourned the passing of their season. The air was still. The smell of pine sap mixed with the gentle wisps from a neighboring campfire. It was a good day.
I'm on my last camping trip of the year, I believe. While yesterday's high was 82, the next few days will be in the 50's with rain. Not a problem for me...I see naps in my future. I love listening to the sound of the rain on the roof. I'm camping in very dense woods. I can hear the katydids skritching at each other over the steady drum of tree frogs and crickets. Soon, these night sounds will be put to bed until spring.
