The seasonal shift is upon us, sneaking quietly before packing a wallop this week. I feel as though I hardly noticed the change begin this year. Perhaps it began as a slow creep; J had mentioned hearing that we wouldn’t see the same bright colors due to the drought, so perhaps it took us unaware. Despite that, here is the color, vibrant and blinding in the thin October sun. And yet, it’s already turning muddy in places. Driving the back roads today, the leaves drifted lazily down to the pavement, yellow-brown and spent.

We’re seeing it here in our yard as well. A little less grandly, but it’s readily apparent. Beans decided several weeks ago to harvest our pumpkins, so instead of fighting it, I helped her do it properly, cutting the stems instead of wrenching them from the vines with that superhuman two-year-old strength. They’ve been hanging out under the glider to cure, and today we moved them to the front steps. They’re small, numbering five in all, but they’re ours. Homegrown, and a first for us. I think we will have frost before long, so I will need to find a safe place to stash them inside.

More applesauce, and the last of the tomatoes. There are dozens of tiny green ones out there, but they’re so hard, I doubt they’ll amount to much more than chicken food. Speaking of chickens – our feathered freeloaders still aren’t laying. Not quite sure what’s up with that, other than they’re still just youngin’s but goodness gracious! We’re ready for some eggs!

We’ve begun the shift inside as well, attempting to make our indoor spaces more usable on a regular basis rather than a depository for our junk before running back outside. I’ve switched out the girls’ clothes, moving Beanie up a size and packing away sweet little summer things she never even wore. I’d like to rearrange our books and craft supplies, just for a refresh, and maybe move some furniture. Right now, I’m trying to get a handle on the kitchen counters, though organization is evading me thus far. When our house in Baltimore was on the market, I grew to love the clean, staged look of empty counters, and haven’t been able to replicate it since. Where does all this stuff come from!?

Even as we celebrate this gorgeous fall weather, I’ve got the sense that the next shift is close at hand. J spent some time on the chicken coop today, and as it looks like we may be wintering in place, we need to have more fuel delivered. I made it through last winter without boots or a solid coat, but have a feeling this year won’t be quite so mild – I’ll need to venture out and do some shopping for myself (what a foreign idea!). Thanks to the kindness of dear, dear friends, our girls are set with warm hand-me-downs for yet another year, though I’ll be on the hunt soon for extra mittens. You can’t have too many mittens, hmmm?

How are you shifting gears?