Canoeing on a Fall Day in North Florida
It doesn't matter where I am at this time of year, down here in Florida or back in my hometown of Newport News. There's just something about the nip in the crisp cool air after the long summer ends that is invigorating. It's not nearly as beautiful as it was back home with the beautiful turning of the leaves, but the sky is clearer and the air is fresher. I can also accomplish my barn chores and stay fresh and dry, unlike during he long summer days when a fresh shower is required upon completion, day or night.
The Fall is now approaching it's last phase and with it we prepare to celebrate a very special family holiday, Thanksgiving, this week. It's a time when families gather for a huge meal, visit and tell the old family stories, and then groan that everyone ate too much.
And that evening traditionally ushered in the Christmas season although many now start it much earlier. Maybe it's just me, but there's something just not right about going into a store in late September and finding Christmas decorations and advertising everywhere. It was so special as Thanksgiving drew to a close and by the weekend homes were decorated and it was almost like an instant surprise.
But think about this season with all of it's wonders in sight and sound. Some things never change. Children are excited and laughter fills the air as anticipation mounts. With the celebration of the harvest on Thanksgiving, thoughts turn to things to come a month later. We don't even think of that interim period as the Fall, but it is for another three weeks or so. And for some, the weather stays cool but comfortable and one of the greatest times of the year for outdoor fun.
But deep down inside, even if you hate the cold weather, there is always a wish lurking for many that finally they might experience a white Christmas. I have done so once in m life here in the United States, but it was brief. As a boy we came out of church late on Christmas Eve to heavy snow which was sticking well. By the time we went to bed there were about four inches on the ground, only find us awaking to rain and slush. Oh well, at least I could say that I saw a white Christmas in America. I did experience one overseas, but it just wasn't the same.
So be thankful and be of good cheer. We are now in late Fall and will soon find ourselves immersed in the most wonderful time of the year. I can hear Andy Williams singing that song of the same name in my ears right now. Be safe out there, forget your troubles and celebrate the goodness that Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hanukkah, too, represent. It's a time to be glad you're alive.
Christmas is different from Thanksgiving, it includes so much more and instead of American history being celebrated we celebrate the Greatest Story Ever Told. It also offers amazing sights and sounds and the aroma wafting out of the kitchen is, again, an appetite builder. And here in rural America in addition to the other things we have the whinnies, the crowing, barking, meowing, bleating and mooing that comes with living in a farm community. They remind me that I am alive and life itself is such a wonderful gift. And then the stories, all of the old stories of things I have forgotten just start pouring out of my brain. I know I am blessed much more than I deserve. How about you?
If you enjoyed this, you might want to check out these links.
https://www.northfloridawriter.com/my-book-page.html
https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Horse-Husband-Life-Lady-ebook/dp/B077BSTND5/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973307200
The Fall is now approaching it's last phase and with it we prepare to celebrate a very special family holiday, Thanksgiving, this week. It's a time when families gather for a huge meal, visit and tell the old family stories, and then groan that everyone ate too much.
And that evening traditionally ushered in the Christmas season although many now start it much earlier. Maybe it's just me, but there's something just not right about going into a store in late September and finding Christmas decorations and advertising everywhere. It was so special as Thanksgiving drew to a close and by the weekend homes were decorated and it was almost like an instant surprise.
But think about this season with all of it's wonders in sight and sound. Some things never change. Children are excited and laughter fills the air as anticipation mounts. With the celebration of the harvest on Thanksgiving, thoughts turn to things to come a month later. We don't even think of that interim period as the Fall, but it is for another three weeks or so. And for some, the weather stays cool but comfortable and one of the greatest times of the year for outdoor fun.
But deep down inside, even if you hate the cold weather, there is always a wish lurking for many that finally they might experience a white Christmas. I have done so once in m life here in the United States, but it was brief. As a boy we came out of church late on Christmas Eve to heavy snow which was sticking well. By the time we went to bed there were about four inches on the ground, only find us awaking to rain and slush. Oh well, at least I could say that I saw a white Christmas in America. I did experience one overseas, but it just wasn't the same.
So be thankful and be of good cheer. We are now in late Fall and will soon find ourselves immersed in the most wonderful time of the year. I can hear Andy Williams singing that song of the same name in my ears right now. Be safe out there, forget your troubles and celebrate the goodness that Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hanukkah, too, represent. It's a time to be glad you're alive.
Christmas is different from Thanksgiving, it includes so much more and instead of American history being celebrated we celebrate the Greatest Story Ever Told. It also offers amazing sights and sounds and the aroma wafting out of the kitchen is, again, an appetite builder. And here in rural America in addition to the other things we have the whinnies, the crowing, barking, meowing, bleating and mooing that comes with living in a farm community. They remind me that I am alive and life itself is such a wonderful gift. And then the stories, all of the old stories of things I have forgotten just start pouring out of my brain. I know I am blessed much more than I deserve. How about you?
If you enjoyed this, you might want to check out these links.
https://www.northfloridawriter.com/my-book-page.html
https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Horse-Husband-Life-Lady-ebook/dp/B077BSTND5/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973307200
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