Did you hear about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift? Me neither.
Shifting our attention from the world of celebrities, it’s now the squirrels’ time to shine. Much like CPAs buried in spreadsheets during tax season, these little marathon runners are currently in full swing, darting across streets, leaping from limb to limb, and tirelessly hustling about.
Just the other day, I was startled by loud thuds on my neighbor’s pickup truck hood and bed. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was a result of juvenile pinecones being methodically sawed off. This intriguing behavior wasn’t foreign to me, as I’d encountered it while hiking the Wonderland Trail. One morning, I was abruptly awakened by what I thought were rocks being hurled at my tent. Peeking outside, I found my dad perched on a nearby stump, sipping his morning coffee. “What’s going on?” I inquired, assuming he was trying to rouse me for an early start. As another pinecone “bullet” hit the ground before my eyes, he chuckled and explained, “It’s a squirrel collecting pine cones for the winter.” That revelation led me to a game of gathering up these scattered treasures, ensuring Mr. Squirrel didn’t have to work too hard.
Besides squirrels, our area is teeming with frogs, particularly tiny green ones. One has made a cozy home in the unfurling leaf of an elephant plant on my front porch, another perched on a broken broom handle I almost discarded at the dump (but thought better of it and placed it gently on a pile of nearby grass). The most surprising encounter was finding one of these little critters on our toilet seat. Dave initially mistook it for a leaf or, um, something else, but it turned out to be an unexpected bathroom visitor.
Fall has also brought with it an abundance of spiders. Their intricate webs glisten with morning dew, capturing unsuspecting gnats and other insects, creating a scene that’s quintessentially autumn.
It’s fall decoration time! Inflatable pumpkin man, a spooky front door mat, stretchy white cobwebs illuminated by black lights, and fake spiders – it’s all there, waiting to transform our home into a Halloween haven. With Evelyn becoming more engaged in the festivities each year, I can’t help but anticipate the fun we’ll have decorating together.
Will we host another grand Halloween pumpkin decorating party this year? Absolutely! I should probably start brainstorming my pumpkin design ideas early.
Even though it’s still five weeks away from the big trick-or-treat night, Evelyn last night chose an incredible dragon costume to buy while out on our date night. Her snout, protruding a good 11 inches out from the top of her head and adorned with fangs, is absolutely priceless. We had to gently convince her not to wear it again this evening, promising that she could dawn it first thing in the morning. Her rawrs, clawing antics, and adorable all-fours dragon walk make it impossible not to get into the Halloween spirit.
As I lay here listening to the soothing sound of rain, my mind drifted to what’s next on the agenda. We shall see. Have a wonderful night, everyone.
With love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 