We are in a season of waiting — waiting for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and, especially, fall.
Meanwhile, the savvy, well-prepared wives have had their homes decorated for weeks with pumpkins and bright foliage. Kudos to them! But I find it hard to get into the spirit when the thermometer climbs into the hundreds every day. Pumpkins, colorful leaves, and berries suggest cool, crisp weather. Where is it?
Our farm pastures and roads in and out remind me of the thirties “Dust Bowl.” The agriculture farms and cattle farms suffered with no rain for a long time. This year, our pasture lands are kicking up dust and debris until it’s hard to breathe and our ponds are so close to being dried up.
I remember one year we had this same situation facing us and I threatened to do a rain dance and speak a mantra for rain and it rained within the next few days. Can you help me “chant” for rain? We don’t have to dress in regalia but just pray for rain.
I can hardly wait for cooler temperatures, when I can sit on my welcoming back porch and watch the leaves turn gold and red as they drift onto the withered grass.
The geese have returned to the lake behind our house, and I can hear them squawking to one another. My husband dislikes the mess they make, so he placed a large goose decoy near their nesting spot to scare them away. Instead, they seem to love the “big mama goose,” gathering around her and squawking as if she were one of their own.
When I visited with my folks across the road yesterday, her house was so festive with all the fall decorations I got somewhat in the mood to embellish our house. Somewhat. But then Christmas is not that far off, so I think I’ll just be patient and wait.
Let’s make a pumpkin cake.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 can pumpkin puree
Mix all well — mixture will be thick — and pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
