Signs Winter Is Coming

Apple season is winding down with farmers selling from their coolers. In the cycle of local produce, society and nature lay down such markers that winter is near.

There are signs of the change in seasons all around. Yesterday I noticed a gigantic flock of pelicans near the state park trail. They stretched for half a mile along the east-west axis of the center of the lake. As it is for migratory pelicans, it is time for us to refuel and move on.

While at the farm store last week, a woman told me that what I saw was the last of fresh vegetables. I bought a big bunch of kale and three bell peppers. We’re on to pumpkin season now.

Election day is always a sign winter is coming. In the even numbered years we have federal elections and in the odd, state government and school boards. I almost always have some yard signs up and as we approach election day, they become surrounded by the fallen leaves of deciduous trees in our yard.

It’s open enrollment for Medicare. I encourage my readers to ditch any form of Medicare Advantage and get on the real program. As we age, our health care needs increase as do related expenses. There is no reason to give a cut of this cash exchange to insurance companies. It costs significantly less to the government if we choose the real deal.

Due to lower overnight temperatures I added wool blankets for the bed. I am at two presently and a third stands ready for service in the closet. I brought two of them back from military service. Making woolen blankets for soldiers is something the U.S. Government did well. These will continue to serve as long as I have them.

I adjusted my Goodreads reading goal from 56 to 52 books this year. I took on some long books last summer, and am running behind. While the book count is lower compared to last year, the number of pages read is about the same. Last year, I read 69 books. I read more than 50 every year beginning in 2020.

Lastly, I’m going through my winter collection of sweatshirts to see what needs replacing. I’m unlikely to buy anything new this year. As a septuagenarian, my sense of style, or styling an outfit is minimal. I thought about making a series of brief style videos showing my daily outfits for a month or so. Frankly, my style varies little from day to day. It’s a choice of which jeans, which t-shirt and which socks for the most part. I don’t really accessorize at all. Not sure there is a market for that type of video.

Pelicans won’t stay here long. The next big project is to take up the second volume of my memoir after the election. I’m pretty sure the renewal of effort will drag on into December. I have a full year’s work to do to get the book suitable for publishing.

Whatever you do, if you are a U.S. citizen, be sure to make a plan to vote on or before Nov. 5. So much depends upon the outcome of the general election.