Early Autumn Right On Schedule

Not only did the kids go back to school, but autumn on the mountain seems to be keeping calendar time. The nights have been cool, low 40's high 30's and the days glorious. No smoke, clear as  bell and hovering in the mid 70's tops. Of course some rain would complete the perfection of the season, but it too will arrive at some point. The horses are all putting forth their winter coat efforts. Curls and swirls and the promise of fuzzy cut velvet like pelts are sprouting. Even the donkeys are beginning to lay in coats over the almost shiny slickness they had this late summer. The little spotted fawns of June are spotless and darkening. Their coats becoming the color of bark and tall dry grass and earth. The seasonal shift has happened and even though subtle, it has been duly noted and welcomed.

The weekend was a busy one. Gene was running amok up at the Greensprings Mountain Festival and the turn out for this first big community fund raising effort went surprisingly well. Of course there were problems and small emergencies, but the only big one involved a loose horse that wasn't recovered until Sunday morning. All proceeds from this event go to the Greensprings Fire & Rescue, The Pinehurst School and the local food bank run by our small little mountain church. I spent my time holding down the fort, starting to put summer clothes away and some pattern cutting. I prefer my mountain experience quiet and unpopulated.

Yesterday I decided to do a much needed bit of organizing and cob web cleaning in my messy little tack room. Buzz and Juno gave me an obvious heads up about an early morning visitor in there the other day. Neither would go through their little kitty opening in the wall. A sure sign something was afoot inside. I opened the door very slowly in the dark and spotted one of the biggest raccoons I've seen to date up here. The mountain version of a fish story goes like this. He must have been over 40 pounds! He went up onto the table and I closed the door and waited outside the barn. I should have left the door open for him. Just as I was going back to do that, two shiny eyes and a pointy nose popped up in the cat opening. I lit the escape route for him and off he went after squeezing back through the way he got in. Our morning routine continued as if nothing happened.

There are other changes coming besides the season, and the deck, but I'm saving that until it all falls into place. And please excuse my almost picture less post. I'll leave you at least with parting shots!

Raccoon Spotter.