It's raining

It’s raining today which is a good thing. We are on the highest level of water restrictions again. Apparently the pipe that broke in June has other issues that need to be repaired so it won’t break again. Calgary is getting all of its water from the smaller of the two water treatment plants. The birds will like the bird bath filling up with water and the lawn and the trees will like the rain. We didn’t get a rain barrel earlier in the year so we aren’t collecting that water. Maybe next season we’ll get one.

Rain drips off one of the deck lights

I don’t mind the rain as long as I don’t have to be out in it for very long. I’ve done my share of cycling, hiking, and paddling in the pouring rain and it isn’t my favourite thing. Today I’m fine with it. It gives me a chance to drink tea, put on a fuzzy shirt and hunker down,  I don’t feel guilty about taking the car to an appointment this morning rather than riding my bike. I have another appointment this afternoon that is a few blocks away and I can walk there. Even if I get soaked it's a short time before I can get home and get dry again.

Reflecting puddles

I’m enjoying the cooler weather. It hasn’t been overly hot the last week or so and I really do like ‘sweater weather.’ It’s currently 9°C which makes it perfect for a light wool sweater and a breathable rain jacket.

With cooler weather comes fall, my favourite time of year. The leaves, though not like the red maples of Central Canada, are lovely enough for me. The nights are cool and one of the things I like to do is camp in the fall when I can reach up from my sleeping bag and turn on the furnace to take the chill off before I crawl out to face the day. Pretty luxurious camping and I love it. We won’t be camping this year but I will call to mind the fall trips we’ve taken in the past. Last year we camped at Writing on Stone provincial park and got to hear and see a rattlesnake at fairly close range. A couple of years before that we spent a week at Tunnel Mountain Campground in Banff and had a lovely time wandering into town for lunch or dinner and then returning to the van. Often we have left Little Elbow Campground in Kananaskis Country on the day it closes for the season and we have watched in our rear view mirror as the park staff tip up the picnic tables for the winter.

While it isn’t fall yet, the signs are there. I spotted the first yellow leaf on our Manitoba maple today. The wasps are super annoying and nighttime temperatures are dipping toward freezing although tonight is the only one forecast to be in the single digits for the next week.

A sign of fall

Then there’s the fact that the kids are back in school tomorrow. I hardly even notice that milestone anymore, this being the beginning of my 17th year of retirement, and also of this blog.

So what’s the point of all this? Nothing earth shaking, except to say that it’s a good day today. I’m comfortable with my cup of tea and Odie beside me whistling softly. I have work to do on my latest ukulele and I’m looking forward to actually having a reliable source of heat in the shop as the days grow colder. For now, I’m going to sit in the quiet of the house, drink my tea and admire Odie. Today I am content.

Odie enjoying a snack