Kinds of Honey

The wind blew and blew and blew today. Yesterday afternoon it began, and kicked dust into my eyes as I headed into the Therapeutic Riding Center for my volunteer time. As we waited for our riders and the horse leaders tacked up the horses, out in the half-sheltered grooming area, we kept having to squint and turn our faces. The indoor arena where we had the lesson was quieter, but still came the sound of the wind against the walls.

At the boarding stable that night I looked west to see the sky all blue-gray, and a cloudy white mist suggested snow falling in the mountains. The horses trotted anxiously and tossed their heads. Hurry up! The storm is coming! They wanted their food and their paddocks with their sheds for shelter. We wanted that, too, but it takes time! Hungry horses riled up by wild winds make for an interesting night, but I am lucky in my coworkers. We manage to be careful and focused yet able to laugh at the same time.

So the wind whipped my ponytail and blew through the manes of those lovely horses as they hurried through gates, and at the end of the day I was glad to come home to soup and crackers and my friendly roommate and of course my darling dog.

Woke up this morning to cold air and a pink sunrise. Hurry up, Tassie. The poor dog hears me say it every morning, first thing, while I stand outside in slippers or bare feet waiting for her to do her little business, because I’m always staying in bed until I absolutely must get up or be terribly late. And she usually kind of hurries, because she wants her food (which she gets next), but this morning I had to chase her as she decided to wander far from her usual spot into a cluster of pines. Tass! Come on. And I was late, but not by very much, at least, and I had time to grab a sweatshirt.

Oh, it was a shocking kind of cold this morning – our bodies have been so adjusted to heat thanks to this summer, and even earlier this week I was growling to myself about when the heat would please leave. In the early hours of this day I wore gloves, a winter hat, pulled up my hood, wriggled my numb toes in their boots to try to get blood flowing. All of us sniffed all morning as we brought in the harvest – fortunately, no frost last night! Just the wind blowing from the West, down over Long’s Peak to the farm.

The sun came and the shadows moved out of the way, and by mid-morning I was down to a cozy hoodie. A chorus of blackbirds had settled into two or three trees on the outskirts of the farm, and noisy, they were! Perhaps fussing just as the humans have been – all warning one another about the likelihood of rain and the possibility of snow tonight. I doubt snow will come, especially this soon. It sits on the mountains and teases me most of the winter. But you never know!

We shall see how the market goes tomorrow, with the forecast of “Light drizzle for most of the morning. Cold.” These are most definitely days for dressing in layers, and bringing along just-in-case items. I will wear merino and a scarf, grab a puffy vest and my raincoat, and throw an extra pair of wool socks into my market bag. Bring on the weather, October!