October chill

A Basking Ginger in the October Sun

Hello to all,

October has settled into northern Ohio and brought cool, dry air from Canada. It is the time of year when I shine as a husband and the great spider killer of the house because the spiders seek relief from the colder nights in our warm house. Ants fail to traverse the side yard to forage for food and drink within the confines of our home.

The October chill starts sucking the humidity from the bones of our home, making the cooler nights feel colder. Tammy and Sarah don the sweaters and hoodies to stay off the chill in the drying house. Then there is the old gal of our abode. The queen herself is feeling the effects of October in her old bones.

This means spurts of energy as she shakes off the chill. It also means hogging the sunlight beaming through the patio door. There, she allows the sun to roast her body, restoring the heat lost to time on this Earth. Her royal gray face reveals the years of guarding us from the delivery vehicles, neighbors, and that evil Bentley next door.

Time has taken the ability to generate heat on her own. It might be her metabolism slowing down, or her more sedentary lifestyle decreasing the blood flow, leaving her more chilled than in her puppy years. I think it is just old age catching up to her. There is something in the gray on her face that makes winters feel colder. I know because I feel it too.

October is the prelude to winter days. The weather people increasingly talk of frost advisories and freeze warnings throughout the month. The warm, humid temperatures of summer yield to the cooler winds of October, and everything feels a little colder each day.

I see Ginger basking in the sunshine, and I feel a little jealous seeing the contentment on her face. I would join her if my old bones could handle lying on the hard floor. October brings many beautiful things, including fall colors, magnificent sunsets, and pumpkin spice everything. It also brings the first tremors of winter, chilling old dogs and men alike.

Grace to all,

Danny Mac