Autumnal Equinox

 As the equinox nears (less than 3 hours from now!), I find myself with a rather common reaction - joy and sadness.  I love this time of year, as the air dries out and cools, the bugs lessen (as does the tourist traffic), and sleeping generally improves due to less humidity.  I enjoy being able to wear long pants and a light jacket, to take a long walk and not feel wiped out by the heat, to really revel in the skies which seem a clearer blue.

There is sadness as the sun starts its journey south, bringing shorter days and longer nights; watching the blooms, both floral and edible, fade and wilt; realizing that open windows, which both bring fresh air in and endlessly engage the cats, will shortly come to a close.  Winter comes so quickly to this latitude, so the immense relief I feel from the muggy summer heat is quite short lived, unfortunately.  I'm not a huge fan of snow, and don't really like the other challenges winter brings, so for now, I look forward to every day as they come and try to not focus on the future, no matter how near.

On my walk yesterday, I saw some stark yet beautiful reminders of the season.  These sun-dappled leaves are mid-change, harkening future bursts of color;

There is a small fire pond on my road, which my kids named the "frog pond" due to it's many amphibian residents over the years.  I've walked past this pond almost daily since 1987, but yesterday the light and lack of wind were just right for this reflective shot;

On another note, I had my thumb/wrist surgery Friday morning.  All went well, and I was home before noon (the round trip itself is over 3 hours).  My entire arm was numbed and I got some conscious sedation, so immediate recovery was quick.  My right hand has a half-cast and is wrapped in stretchy Coban, with my fingers fully uncovered.  My thumb and fingers are swollen but improving, and there is bruising at all of the openings in the dressing.  All three incisions are quite itchy (totally normal), and there is some discomfort at the thumb incision site.  My hand lets me know when I've done too much, so I'm trying to be mindful of that.  Sleep is still a bit fitful, but that should also continue to improve.  This shot was right after we got home - I had to hold up my arm with my other hand.

I know that the recovery is supposed to be 12 weeks, but I'm hoping I can get back to the loom and knitting needles before then.  I've just finished drafting my next towel warp, and I ordered yarn yesterday, so all will be ready to go when I am able.  In the meantime, I do have a few things left in my shop for sale.  If you are local, I'd be happy to have you come by to see and touch my textiles for yourself!

Happy fall, all!