The Silence of the Season

It seems that fall is landing upon us here in Louisiana and I really don't mind it too much. I originally noticed this on my return drive into Louisiana coming back from my trip. With my sunglasses on, I could see the leafy trees just beginning to get that slightest tinge of yellow. I also spent the first three days back wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, as a dry cooler front had come in and the dry 80 degree weather left me with goosebumps on my skin. Even with the return in mugginess and temperature over the next few days, the AC had been dropped considerably and the last two days it has pretty much been shut off. It dawned on me this morning how consistently the AC was running, as there seems to be a silence that's settled over the house now. The AC this summer has probably been my biggest environmental downfall.

My husband just started a 14 day training program yesterday. Luckily he gets to come home for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it does mean for even earlier mornings for him than normal and working on the weekend again. This morning I woke up when he got home for breakfast and discovered he was soaked by rain. Thus with the rain coming down non-stop, I'd cleaned the entire house and taken care of the animals' needs by 9am. With the husband long gone already, the dog and I headed out into the drizzle to do our usual 1.5 mile loop around the neighborhood. I was surprised to once again notice the silence that was surrounding us. Although we had the occasional dog barking greetings at us, we only passed one other person and minimal vehicles on our jaunt this morning. I'm sure it was partly due to the rain (something this Oregonian isn't afraid to venture out in), but also to the fact that it was mid-morning on a Saturday and I'm sure plenty of people were still tucked up comfortably in their beds. It was sort of a nice change to have the neighborhood and paces to ourselves for once.

I'm sure that part of today the silence of our household will be pushed away. I have a girlie movie and the Sicko documentary waiting to be watched while the husband is at work this weekend. We also have been watching the 30 Days episodes on DVD and I'm sure that either that or football will be turned on this evening for my husband. However, these rainy fall days make me want nothing more than to be curled up with a good book, a tasty cup of coffee or tea, and snuggle down into a blanket--something I've been doing quite frequently lately. I recently ordered fellow blogger Green As a Thistle--Vanessa Farquharson's Sleeping Naked is Green and have been enjoying it quite a bit.

Thus here's to silence, here's to fall, and here's to my plan to have many blog posts this week! ;-) I hope each one of you is enjoying a wonderful weekend!