“And All At Once, Summer Collapsed Into Fall” ~Oscar Wilde
That is my favorite quote of all time. It completely
encompasses the physical experience of living in the Midwest when the heat and
humidity subside, virtually overnight; and everyone breathes a sigh of relief as daytime
highs settle into the low 80’s and humidity hovers around 50%. These days, the quote also reminds me of the
impending launch date for us to head south for the winter tugging at our heart
strings. Fall has always been my favorite season but not without a bit a dread
on the back side. It used to be the inevitable arrival of a Midwest winter with
it’s bitter cold, dangerous driving conditions and relentless winds and cloudy
skies. Now, the inevitability is in the distance that we place between
ourselves and our family to escape the brutal cold.
We’ve had a fun few weeks. Our good friends, John and Cathy, who we met on our first volunteer gig in Marble Falls Texas, arranged their northern travel plans to pass through Saylorville for a couple of days. We had a chance to catch up and of course go birding. It even worked out for Beth, a fellow Iowan who was at the same gig in Texas that winter, to take a day trip and come for an evening so we could all have dinner and enjoy each other’s company. John planted a seed three years ago, that led to my interest in birding. I love the opportunity to go with them. John takes the place of my birding app. He shares his knowledge freely and I learn something new every time we go. Migration is ramping up at Saylorville, so it was fun for me to show off the area to them as the fall birding season reaches its peak. We will be in close proximity to them this winter and had a chance to talk about plans to get together.
John setting up the scope to watch shorebirds
Our group of family and friends made reservations at Saylorville
this past weekend, and we pulled out of our site in Volunteer Village and joined
them in the campground. It was truly like old times. Camping in our favorite
campground from our pre-full time days with the old group. A weekend of communal
meals, hanging out and playing with the grandkids who visited. The late summer
weather has been spectacular so far.
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Fall also means working in my friends store a few days a week. He prints and sells trademarked fan wear and for the state colleges and area high schools. The beginning of football season is like consecutive Black Fridays for about 6 weeks. Working there is a lot like running a marathon. Some days you are cruising through the 5th and 6th mile, working hard but at a steady, relatively easy pace. Days like today are about like the 15th mile when you think you will crumble under the stress and effort any minute. For three years now I return as a seasonal help. Days like today, are enough to make the store employees, including me, want to go to a corner and assume a fetal position, but it is also fun. Talking to everyone who comes in excited for the upcoming game and, for me, running into old acquaintances from my 20 years living in Ankeny when I was raising my kids.
Our launch date is looming. The next 5 weeks will be filled
with last dinners out with friends, a big family feast with the kids and one
more camping weekend away from our home base. We have been in contact with many
of our RV life friends about where we will be this winter and opportunities to
connect with many of them at some point during our time in Texas. Our trip
south is planned out and reservations made. The next weeks will disappear like a
wisp of smoke from a dying campfire.
Until next time…
