And just like that…

Fall is beginning.

I know it’s not fall according to the calendar but this morning it was 63° in the house when I got up. The high today is only supposed to be 80° and the maple tree next door went from being mostly green to having a lot of yellow in just a few days.

This morning there was a lot more red. It’s like someone flipped a switch.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I think we’re going to have an early Winter. That’s not really a bad thing if it means rain.

This tree has in years past been a good predictor of Winter and Spring. It’s often the first tree to bud, and the first to signal the coming of Fall.

This year’s signaling of Winter is about a month & a half early, so it’s probably time for me to get the winter chores started and hopefully I can be done with them before it’s super cold.

I’m hoping for some nice moderate days up here because I’d like to do some digging in the yard. Digging up here is a bit of a misnomer.

Technically I can “dig” with a broom, just sweeping away the loose dusty topsoil. The tough part is getting the rocks out of the ground. There has been more than one occasion where I’ve wished for dynamite and a jackhammer.

I’ve also broken a number of shovels trying to pry rocks out of the ground. You know it’s bad when the local hardware store has double the number of shovels and digging tools that Lowes has in stock.

I want to see if I can install a bit of a retaining wall around the steps leading up from the driveway. Every year the ground creeps toward the stairs and the house. I’ve got some pressure treated scrap lumber that would fit the bill nicely.

If I’m looking at things right, the lumber should form a nice looking retaining border. Once that’s done, then I’ll relocate the path lights from the ground to the retaining border. That’ll solve the problem of the lights being buried in the winter by snow and also the problem of them falling over as the snow shifts & melts.

While I’m at it, I’m thinking I’ll install a landing pad for the garbage cans that will get them out of the drive way for the Monday pickup. It’s always interesting to find where the trash cans end up on Monday evening when you’re trying to pull into the driveway.

There are a lot of other Fall / Winter chores to do but the retaining border is probably the biggest. If September plays out more or less “Normally” I’ve got warm dry days ahead, so I may get some painting done too. I hate painting only slightly less than plumbing so I may be grumbly off & on over the next few weeks.

Have a great weekend.