Changing seasons

Everyone who knows me knows I am a summer person. As a little girl I would lay on the dark green grass and look up at the beautiful mountains and blue sky with big white clouds. I loved the feel of the sunshine on my face. I still love the sunshine. Fall brings a stillness over me. As much as I love the colors of the leaves and the crisp sweater weather, I know that winter is approaching and a sadness comes over me. It is like saying good-bye to an old friend and not knowing what life will bring before I can sit and feel the sunshine again. Over the past 2 weeks as I have organized the packing of all our patio furniture, pots and outdoor things to be moved to storage I have contemplated the last few months. It seems my life has a pattern to it much like the seasons. The summer was full with laughter, friends and family. There was a crazy Cinco De Mayo party which I have now officially renamed the Stinko party for obvious reasons. There was Viking (I know but San Francisco isn't a 2 hour drive) training camp. Lake Superior boating and sailing. Buffalo herding, golfing, playing with the new granddoggie and campfires at the cabin. Oh, let us not forget that the end of summer brought that crazy time in Vegas when I turned 50 and somehow half of the photo's disappeared! September surprised me with a reconnection of a friend whom I had missed and love dearly. October blew in and took my dearest friend Vivian and shortly thereafter I learned that Tom's secretary of 16 years, who is family to us, is terminally ill. The tree's are now empty of leaves, the world outside my window looks dead and gray and the stillness lays heavy upon my mind. Yet .......... there is a smile in my heart. For there is a place I call home where the second spring is calling my name. There are people I love just waiting there for me. You see, we can always go home when the road gets too lonely, too long and too cold. So ...... before I find my way home, I leave you with a few summer photo's. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.