We have won the battle of the fleas! After a few too many long
walks/runs in the long grass with the dog, we had a mild flea problem on our
hands. But after washing every single thing imaginable, spraying everything
down, vacuuming everything, and 6 days straight of Dawn baths, we have won.
Take that little nasties.
This week was also full of a Harry Potter marathon with friends (we made it to the sixth movie...),
an ice-cream date, chicken fajitas, and making caramel apples.
~~~
The weather was cool enough today to put on a sweatshirt as I
walked the dog. It was nice to feel a taste of fall, since we have still been
hovering around 80-90 degrees with lots of sun. As I walked and enjoyed the
crisp air, I thought about fall - my favorite season, hands down.
For many years, I spent fall in Minnesota. Fall in Minnesota was made of leaves
quickly changing color, and then falling swiftly to take on their new role of
underfoot crunch-makers. It was made of fields of corn and beans slowly turning
brown and then getting gobbled up by combines. It was made of running
cross-country meets, watching football games, and hearing NFL games on the TV
(I rarely watched, but the sound makes me nostalgic). It was made of the smell
of burning leaves. It was made of thin gloves and earbands.
Then, after getting married, I spent a fall in Iowa. It was almost
the same as Minnesota, only this time I got to live on a farm. That fall was
even more dreamy - newly married bliss, new adventures, and experiencing the
harvest from a much closer distance. Fall in Iowa was made of walks down
the gravel road surrounded by corn fields, a new job that I loved, finding
excuses to linger outside, and a kitten following us around everywhere. We fell
asleep to the sound of a grain dryer, and watched as the fields around our
little acreage disappeared row by row. Oh, and it was kind of dusty, but still pretty dreamy.
The next fall, we were in Virginia. Fall came late in Virginia.
The temperatures stayed steady for a long, long, time, but when fall came, it
was gorgeous. The dropping temperatures were a welcome relief that called me to
walk longer, breathe deeper, and enjoy more fully. Fall in Virginia was made of
long hours for Keagan, and many quiet nights with candles, books, and blankets
for me. Fall was a constant supply of Rolos in a mason jar on the counter. Fall
was gorgeous – leaves of every color that hung on well through November. Fall was
rare trips into D.C. and one of my favorite weekends ever – soaking in the
incredible, breathtaking beauty at Great Falls. Fall was a season of tiredness –
and pushing through the end of Keagan’s training. Fall was finding a way for me to keep busy, by trying dozens of new, cozy, recipes
Fall in Oklahoma, seems just a bit different. Maybe it’s because
it isn’t quite here yet, but I still have high hopes for it. Maybe this fall
will be for staying tanner longer, keeping patio doors open all weekend, and
caramel apples with friends. Maybe we’ll have ice-cream dates instead of apple
cider for awhile. Maybe the leaves won’t change until November. But maybe, that’ll
be okay. It’s easy for me to see pictures of the world back “home.” Falling
leaves and fields slowly disappearing row by row, kind of make me homesick. But
every fall I’ve enjoyed so far has been just as wonderful in its own way. So,
if fall doesn’t come in full splendor here, I think it’ll still be okay. Because this fall, might be for something different.
