October Speeds By

Goodness...those beautiful trees are mostly bare now. The lawn is carpeted edge to edge with golden leaves. If they weren't grass killers I'd want to just let them alone. But alas, they turn brown and then snow falls on them and in the spring it's even more difficult to rake them up. I know this from experience.

The pool is closed up, covered up, all safe and snug until spring, which is to say the water lines are blown dry then plugged so they won't freeze and burst, and the safety cover is in place. We closed the pool at the end of September this year. That's the earliest ever. I'm glad not to have to scoop leaves out before every swim, but I miss the swims!

With the pool closed I have to settle for my hot tub. You didn't know I had a hot tub did you? I hear one of my kids in particular getting very excited. Wait. Whoa. I'm totally misleading you. Here's my version of a hot tub...

Thanks to our recent remodel we have, what is to us a rather extravagant master bath. This old tub spent several decades in the barn and a few years out in the elements. We looked into having it re-glazed -- to the tune of 500 bucks, and for another 500 they'd clean up the outside too. Instead, Tom watched a YouTube video, bought a kit from Home Depot, and refinished the entire tub for less than $100. The faucet set was a bit pricey, but hey, we saved enough on the tub to splurge on the hardware.

At the end of a hard day..."Dear Claw Foot Tub, with or without Calgon... take me away." I can read for hours in this tubby. Hence the clock. If the cooling water doesn't remind me to get out, the tic-toc clock does.

But right now, today, this very minute it is gorgeous outside. The sun is shining, a slight breeze is blowing, it's quite warm for October. This is a good day to get outside and work on fallen leaves. And then, and then, and then,.. I'll soak my weary bones, and read a good book for as long as I want. Oh I can hardly wait!

"Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." 

(from Mark 6:31)