Apples and Harvests

Clone sitting pretty while I check the firepit; Apples ready to work with on the kitchen table

Fall is coming!

It's still warm out, even at night. But there are little signs that the season is
changing. For one thing, there's the rumble of tractors daily now, as local farmers
bring in the hay and soybeans and corn. Sometimes in the evening there's the sharp
smell of woodsmoke, as neighbors check and test their stoves for the winter.

And there are apples! Everywhere, there are apples, in every colour from emerald green to topaz gold to ruby red, and in every flavour from tart to sweet.

Centuries ago, when people's lives were circumscribed by the seasons, and not by clocks and calendars, the apple harvest was one of the first signs that summer was ending and the resting time of fall and winter was beginning.

Even today, if you stop a minute, and smell apples, and close your eyes and just breathe, you may feel the little stirrings and nudges within yourself that tell you fall is coming.

Some of us like to do a fall cleaning around this time of year. Well... No one actually likes to clean. What we like is the results of cleaning!

But here's a quick list of things you may want to do or check or organise, now that kids are back in school and the season is changing and the smell of apples is in the air.

*Check roofs, gutters, drains, and so on. If you can't see your roof from the ground,
borrow some binocs from someone; if you opt to climb a ladder and physically inspect your roof, be careful!

*Check woodstoves, fireplaces, outdoor firepits, and woodpiles. Make sure chimneys, dampers, draughts, ash and ember trays, and so on are in good shape. Make sure there isn't any funny fungus growing on wood, and if there is, discard that log; let it compost and break down, but don't burn it!

*Go through closets and cupboards and sort out anything outgrown. You can have
yourself a little yardsale, or you can donate these items to a charity, church, or grove-circle. Sort out seasonal clothes (but don't store them away just yet, you know if you do, the weather will change drastically!) and do any mending needed.

*Have the oil in your car (or in my case, your TRUCK!) changed, and have your tires checked, and have your radiator checked.

*If you like to cook and bake, now's a good time to sort through pans and supplies, and make sure you have ingredients on hand. (More about cooking and baking in the next few days!)

*Start your holiday gift crafting and sewing now! It's not as early as you think. I like to make a list in September, of all the people I plan to share my winter holiday with. I talk to them to get ideas of what this year's interests are, or in the case of Visions, one of my bestest friends who's impossible to figure out gifts for, I ask straight out! Then I list off what each person wants or is interested in, and start looking for the items, or collecting the materials to make the gift. If you have people on your list who are just totally impossible to figure out, remember Gift Cards.... You can find a gift card for dang near anything, from online games to phone minutes to grocery stores to... well, if you can name it, there's probably a gift card for it!

*And of course, some of us like to turn the house upside down and clean everything. I think I do this partly to antagonise my housemates -- after all, everyone's a slob but me! -- and partly as part of an "autumn nesting instinct" thing. I like to wash curtains, shampoo carpet, deep clean upholstery, and clean cupboards.

Whatever September and Fall mean to you, enjoy!