The changing seasons

[Pleater]

I have summer and winter sets of clothes, and in the last few days the temperatures have dropped, there has been rain and wind, the apples are ripening in the garden, windows are being closed, the summer visitors are leaving - the people and the birds, the winter geese have arrived on the grass around the lake in the park along with the horse chestnuts shedding their 'conkers' and the seagull chicks are losing their juvenile colours and starting to look like their parents.

Six months ago I would have been setting aside the cold weather garments, washing everything, drying items thoroughly and ironing lightly if required, then packing them away until needed again.
The heavier kilts, knitted jackets and jerseys, caps, scarves, hose and gloves, all went into a large chest - probably originally a 'blanket box' which would have been kept at the foot of a double bed in previous generations, to protect them from moths and carpet beetles.

Now I am removing the items from the chest as I need them and beginning to collect up the lightweight kilts, short sleeved knitwear, washing the broad brimmed cotton hats in the machine rather than just rinsing them, putting away cotton jackets and open sandals along with the kit I wear when out with the morris dancers and there will be a day when I empty the chest completely and refill it with the warm weather garments and then it will be winter officially.

I think that as I have grown older the marking of the changing seasons has become more important to me - along with ensuring that I dress appropriately, not getting overheated on chilled through lack of preparation.

Anne the Pleater (feeling a bit philosophical)

[kiltedsawyer]

"Aye," and very well written.

[OC Richard]

Lovely poetic reflections there, thanks for sharing that.

Being that I'm in a place that doesn't have seasons makes your post all the more poetic, almost invoking a different time, my childhood memories of being cold and seeing snow.

My son, who always wore flip-flops, cargo shorts, and Hawai'ian shirts went off to university, far to the north, one September.

It got colder. He had to buy a light jacket, and blue jeans, and proper shoes (and socks!)

It got colder. He had to buy a heavier jacket, and the kind of blue jeans with plaid flannel lining, and boots.

It got colder. "Dad, I had to buy a kind of jacket they don't even have in California, it's like you see when they're at the South Pole."

[MacKenzie]

I think that as I have grown older the marking of the changing seasons has become more important to me

Same.

This time of year I used to be in "count down to hunting season" mode. No more. Not for 10 years or better. Now I watch out the office window and monitor the fading spots on this year's fawns... and the sun as it progresses to the south... and the afternoon shadows get longer.

[stickman]

Know what you mean pal, I used to love to hunt. Now I just can’t be bothered. I finally put an electric fence around the back yard. There are way too many deer here. Before I put the fence up there was 19 of them in my yard. Now I didn’t mind seeing them, what I minded was they devoured my Camila bushes. I now consider them rodents. Thank goodness my fence is working well. Hopefully it will continue to keep the rodents out this winter.

[Pleater]

Last Wednesday I went aboard the paddle steamer Waverley for a clockwise trip around the Isle of Wight - it was a bit wet, but I put on an all wool jumper and I still have my waterproof coat from my sailing days. I took a groundsheet to sit on and wrap around my legs - and my Tilley hat.
The schedule was disrupted by the weather, the course was changed to an anticlockwise circling to avoid the wind in the later part of the day, but that also meant going into Southampton and being bussed back to Poole.

The Waverley docked to disembark the passengers right next to the Queen Mary 2, which meant that the last of the paddle steamers was tying up next to the last of the ocean liners.

When we got back to Poole I went along to the pub, the Portsmouth Hoy on the quayside, for the regular evening music session, along with some hot coffee kindly supplied by the landlord.

Not that I was cold - but it had been a long day.

Some of the passengers, though, I think were lucky not to suffer hypothermia - having made very poor choices about what to wear.

Anne the Pleater

[Kitfoxdave]

Living on the treasure coast of Florida, we observe some seasonal changes as well.... we are currently at the peak of hurricane season... although summers humid heat is beginning to moderate... we have been fortunate so far that the hurricans have been tracking out to sea, hopefully that trend continues.
Cold fronts are starting to meander down our way with temperatures in the 80's instead of 90's... starting to think about wearing wool kilts in a month or 2.
As the weather cools, activities move from the house A/C to the shop...
I have 1 kilt resizing project nearing completion, and another kilt project waiting in the wings just after.
Soon the sewing will be set aside for wood chips and sawdust!
In about a month or so fall will be upon us with beautiful weather... dropping temps... the colors of the license plates on the vehicles will change...
In December the cold fronts will set in to their regular weekly assaults, temps will drop below 70 and we will all be looking for our jackets and sweaters (jumpers). The colors of the trees in the swamps will change from green to the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. The local traffic will become crazy, and the locals will stick to the back road ways of getting about town.
A very busy time of year for getting projects completed before the return of the high temps and humidity.
Enjoy the cycle of the seasons wherever you are, hopefully in good health and humor.