Lack of control is troubling

We made it through September. We are still encouraged to wear our masks and stay away from others as much as possible. Those of us who have been vaccinated against the virus that panicked the world, wish the unvaccinated among us would give in and submit to the needle but we know that is not likely to happen. So we, or at least I, agree to disagree.

The world is slowly, very slowly, returning to normal. The pictures that appear in my screen are of boys playing football, girls dressed up for prom, and distant families doing what they do best. There are dozens of photos of food. Some of it looks delicious. Some of it, not so much. Any political posts get deleted.

I am waiting on the plant nurseries to receive their flower bulbs. I have weeded the flower beds to the point where they are ready for whatever bulbs that jump into my cart. I want more dark tulips as mine didn’t bloom as well as they should have. In this area tulips are often considered to be long lived annuals. Sometimes all they need is to be dug up and spread out. I don’t think that will be enough this year. That is my excuse for buying more bulbs.

The outdoor houseplants have begun their fall migration. The usual process is to clean any bugs or earthworms off of the plants. They are repotted if they need it, watered well and allowed to sit on the porch long enough for the resident bugs to find a different home. I have to take special care that I don’t let the praying mantis come inside. One year one of them hitched a ride on a plant and we didn’t know it until we saw the creature perched on the windowsill. It looked lost. It was immediately relocated. I presume it was happy to get back outside where it belonged.

The warm autumn days entice us to enjoy whatever nice weather there is left. Cleaning up vegetable and flower beds is as much of an excuse to be outside as it is to tackle an annual chore. I planted the garden late this year so I still have tomatoes and the occasional cucumber to enjoy with supper. 

I love the way autumn smells. To me it smells like crunchy leaves, rotten apples, cider and vegetables that didn’t get picked because they were hiding beneath the leaves. It smells like the clothes that haven’t been worn since last year when we used a different detergent. It smells of wet dirt and sunshine. 

The earth also smells like a warning to tidy up both the house and the yard because autumn won’t last very long. Yes, I said that an aroma can give a warning. There are many ways to communicate. I make lists of things that need to be done before the weather changes. I am lucky if I get half of it accomplished.

I hope against hope that the pandemic will soon loosen its hold. The number of deaths attributed to the virus is stunning to me. I much prefer to clean up the assorted flower beds and plant new bulbs in anticipation of a beautiful spring instead of worrying about a disease I can’t control.