Horse Camping...

Along with 4 other women and their horses, my sweet Halflinger mare Chanel and I went camping at the beautiful Wildwood stables located at Acadia National Park. There were all the good things about camping... including food cooked outside in the crisp air. Something about camping food tastes better than any other sort of food there is.

We slept in friend Liz' fabulous horse trailer. With a feather bed mattress and sleeping bags and a thick down comforter we were more snug and comfortable than we could have imagined. The campground was endlessly silent at night, and so dark that when I opened my eyes I could not see any more than I could when they were shut. It was peaceful and warm offered delicious rest.

Each day we rode the carriage trails for miles. Chanel was wonderful, totally unfazed by people whizzing by on bicycles, pedestrians, barking dogs and horse drawn carriages. She had to trot much of the time to keep up with the longer legged horses we were with, (a Tennessee Walking horse, an Arabian/Saddlebred, a Dutch Warmblood and a sweet, green Quarterhorse.) When the other horses were a bit cautious about proceeding over or under a bridge, or past some "scary" thing, Chanel continued on calmly, leading the herd. She even cantered a bit, something she rarely wants to do. I shrieked with glee, unabashed!

In the barn she seemed to relish time together, searching my pockets for peppermints, apples or carrot chunks and standing quietly while I brushed her and petted her and drank in the sweet smells of hay, pine shavings and HORSE. (I wish I could bottle the smell of horse!)

My favorite ride was up Day Mountain. We were treated to the sight of New England fall foliage at its peak, and the endless blue sea and sky spread below us.

The entire weekend I had the thought, "I am SO lucky" echoing over and over in my mind. Surrounded by epic beauty, the companionship of good humans and wonderful equines, I was exquisitely aware of my blessings.

Chicks and leaf peeping and a supper suprise...

Today I brought home four new Partridge Rock pullets. They have the most beautiful feathers. I am going to slowly introduce them to the flock. They were raised in a cage, and when I let them out in the coop they were quite fascinated. Note the two gaping out the window. I can hardly wait until they see the big world outside, filled with bugs and grass and dirt and dust baths. They will lose thier little chicken minds!

When I woke up this morning I thought: we should mow the yard and clean the garage and scrub the toilets and do some laundry and wash the windows and scrub the floors and NOT go look at leaves, we can do that another time. Then I remembered that the foliage does not wait like chores do. So we went leaf peeping up north. Up close the leaves glow as if lit from within, yellow and orange and flaming red. From a distance the hills look like some retro '60's shag carpet in shades of russett.

We didn't see any moose this time, but there were SIGNS of their presence. >grin<

Scenic vistas appeared around every corner. The sun was bright the air was crisp and the music on the iPod was excellent. The company was pretty nice too.

When we got home our friend Meg was visiting daughter Rachel. And the house smelled of an exotic blend of spices. The girls were cooking Indian food! Chicken curry, samosas and chapati. Here is Rachel, flipping a chapati (flat bread) with great skill.

The table was set, the candles lit, the food cooked. It was beyond delicious... not just the food but the fact that the dinner was prepared and I didn't do it. The fact that when I came home my house was full of life and laughter and flavor. Just as the day was filled with color and wonder, (and new chickens!)

To do lists...

Today dawned crisp and clear, and the morning warmed up swiftly to gift us with a slice of perfect October day. I had a cup of hot apple cider and wrote out an ambitious "to do" list. On the list were normal day-off cleaning chores, plus putting the gardens to bed for the winter, planting spring bulbs, working on refinishing the two tables I am stripping, polishing candlesticks for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, re-potting some plants and oh! so much more.

Then the phone rang:
"Hi! It's Jane. Want to go riding?"
I looked up from my tidy list, and out the window where the trees and ground alike were painted in tones of burnished copper, sun drenched. I replied:
"Oh, I really can't. What time?"

We had a wonderful ride. There is something magical about how the world looks when viewed between a horses ears.

I still manged to cross a several things off my list, and stored away a memory of a few magical hours. All told it was a day well spent.

Signs of autumn...

There are signs of autumn. Chrysanthemums, ornamental kale, scare crows, pumpkins....
There is frost on the grass and piles of wood to stack. Today I turned on the furnace for the first time of the season. I've been keeping the wood stove burning 24/7 for a few weeks, but it needed to be cleaned out so I let it burn down and allowed the furnace to stretch its legs.

It is bittersweet to hear the furnace rumble in the old stone cellar. I am so grateful for the warmth it quickly sends surging through the rooms of our home... but twisting that thermostat seems like the final nail in summer's coffin. Before I turn that knob, I can lull myself into believing that there will be more warm days coming. Once the furnace starts it seems the cold weather is here to stay.

And yet... and yet... it was sheer luxury to step out of tonight's shower and feel warm air billowing out from the bathroom radiator. My towel had been lying there, so it wrapped me in toasty comfort that was oh so welcome.

And tonight? Snow flakes are dancing in the pool of light cast by the lamp over the door. Perhaps that is a sign for another post. Signs of winter. They are coming soon... to a blog near you!

Decorating my life...

Decorating for fall makes my heart happy. Tonight I draped grapevines and twinkle lights over the hutch in my front room. This is the first thing one sees upon entering our home. I stacked an old dough bowl with squash, gourds and Indian corn. Tomorrow I'll polish up my favorite copper bowl and fill it with dried Hydrangea blossoms. Apple/cinnamon pot pourri tints the air with the scents of the season.

Chris is busy stacking cords of wood in the basement. When I open the cellar door the smell of trees and soil wafts up. A basement full of wood makes me feel rich as we head into the cold, long Maine winter. It is a whole different kind of decorating.

The Magic Window...

There is a small window in our upstairs bathroom. The three little girls who lived in this house before we did called it "the magic window." When I look out of it, this is the view I see. I (and the little girls before me, and doubtless the people before them) have seen wondrous things through that glass. Autumn foliage and mist, rainbows, sunrises, moon rises, shooting stars, flitting birds, deer, fox, wild turkeys. Once, I even saw a porcupine.

In truth, every window of this old house is a magic window.