Hello, September (It’s About Time)

Everyone talks about how short the summer has been and how they can’t believe August is already over. As a person whose summer has dragged and feels like August was nine weeks long, I am so excited to write these words:

Welcome September!

I tolerate summer. I don’t enjoy it no matter how hard I try. It’s an annoying season and, at times, oppressive. It’s too humid and hot to actually enjoy the outdoors. People I know who say they love summer don’t spend nearly enough time out in it to justify actually liking it.

The humidity makes my straight hair curl and frizz in ways that I don’t approve the minute I walk outside . Summer clothes are ugly. Plus, because the days are longer we are expected to keep pace with the sun and be active longer so as not to waste day light.

What’s worst though is that I do suffer from Summer SAD. It’s the same as the kind of seasonal depression others experience in the winter only mine is because there is too much light. I can feel this loosening its grip a little more every day and I look forward to the more balanced days of September and October.

In southern Ohio, September is still very much summer but it’s usually less intense than August.

So, bring on September with its cooler mornings and somewhat more moderate days. Hello to the month that gives us fresh apples, pumpkin spice and an excuse to indulge in all things maple. Let’s all breathe a little better with humidity levels starting to recede. Let’s stand in the woods and drink in the smells and sights as leaves begin to turn and as the start of Fall approaches.

It comes but once a year and I will rejoice!

The photo above is from last year at this time on Presque Isle in Lake Erie. That place is a little slice of paradise if you ever get to visit.

Eager For What Lies Ahead

Anyone else ready to drive a road that looks like this? Holy cow. I feel like I’m stuck in the eighth week of August and desperately want to be rid of summer.

Fall can’t get here quickly enough.

This photo is from several years ago on a road out of Thomas, West Virginia. That’s the gorgeous Blackwater Falls region if you’re familiar and I was there on Columbus Day. Most businesses were closed because it was Monday but the roads were wide open and I was delighted that this area was enjoying a vibrant fall foliage season.

I’m ready for pumpkins and sweaters, cozy blankets and the crunch of leaves under my feet. Not to mention the hot chocolate, azure blue October skies, and road trips to nowhere in particular.

There’s so much to see and do in October I feel like I need to rest up so I’m prepared to not miss a thing when it finally arrives.

Who else is eager for what lies ahead?

Well, Well, Well

Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. It’s finally Friday and the workweek is about to wrap up for us 9 to 5’ers.

I’m usually not a fan of living for the weekends but, Geeze Louise, I’ll be glad for a little rest.

But first, we must push through today and see what all we can accomplish! Friends, go forth and conquer this day and enjoy whatever will make your heart happy!

Cloud At Twilight

Twilight was upon us and the western sky was crowded with enormous, fluffy clouds but this one was hanging out all alone. It was doing its own thing apart from the crowd.

I admired this cloud for its beauty and for its independent nature. No one was telling it what to do.

Silly, I know. But tell me something. If you aren’t admiring the clouds on a pretty fall evening, what are you doing with your life?

Have a great Thursday, friends. When in doubt, stop and look up!

Are You Ready?

“I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.”

Georgia O’Keeffe

The calendar says it’s fall so I trust that Mother Nature will figure it out again soon. I feel more like myself in the fall than any other time of year and I’m ready for that feeling again.

Life is harder in the summer and I’m exhausted as the warmer weather hangs on, wearing out its welcome in September.

I’m ready for the world to be beautiful again. I’m ready for cool days, long hikes, flannels and the smell of campfire smoke. I’m ready for spooky books and cozy blankets, for hot chocolate and the sense that anything is possible because nature is showing us how beautiful it is to let things go.

I’m ready. Are you?

First Day Of Fall

The first day of fall 2025 opened with fog and closed with a thunderstorm so severe it shook my ridgetop home.

We suffered through relentless rain for the first half of the year before everything dried up and drought took hold again. Last night, though, was wonderful. Relentless rain, thunder and bright streaks of lightning kept me looking out the window. It was a nice night to read a mystery and to drift off to sleep with the rhythm of the rain on the window.

There’s just something about fog and rain that make the world seem a little more mysterious and more enjoyable. I don’t know what it is but I’ll enjoy it all while it lasts!

I once read the line “some folks feel the rain and others just get wet.” Whatever you do, please try to enjoy it!