Ready for Winter
Winter is about to begin here at Moose Lodge. I suspect that yesterday was our last 70-degree (21.1°C) day for the year. Two of us had to get the winter pool windows in place, which form a greenhouse around the pool’s south side. It keeps the pool room windows from freezing up, and it’s a big job. The giant glass and wood frame doors have to be carried up from storage, one at a time. It’s the one thing I least love about Moose Lodge. Thank God for the tractor.
I blow the leaves into big fluffy piles in the woods to give small animals some protection during those extremely cold days. We don’t have a lot of sub-freezing days here in southern Missouri, but we have enough. I was watching raccoons busy on the east side of the house while a fox was busy on the west side, completely unaware of how close they were to each other, as if neither side seemed to care.
My dog and I were in the yard when we watched a coyote dart in both directions in what looked like a panic, as if it was cornered in spite of the nearly a mile of woods behind it. I couldn’t tell if it was trying to size up my big dog or if it was just curious. It was surprisingly fast in the thick woods as it raced one direction and then the other while watching us. It almost looked like it wanted to play. (Probably not.)
The property here has no shortage of giant, hollowed-out hardwood trees at the base. I blew leaf piles at the entrance to each as I thought about the approaching winter.
I’m coming up on the completion of my third year at Moose Lodge. I’ve slowly gained new Midwestern clients, much slower than I ever anticipated, but I’m still not finished with my grand experiment of building a life as a combination writer and consultant. I’ve worked longer hours here than I ever did in the Seattle area, except I spend far less wasted time in traffic or in meetings that could—and should—have been a Slack message.
I’m settled in, doing my best work, and look forward to racing through another mild winter like last year. At least, that’s what they are predicting. Cheers to another upcoming winter. I’m ready!