Glorious is the only word I can think of to describe the past few days. Weather-wise, it's obvious that we're over the summertime hump, past the blinding sun and harsh overwhelming heat of July, into the dappled days of nearly-fall. No longer do I feel the need to jump in rivers and lakes and subsist solely on cereal. Instead, the thought of building bonfires is far more appealing, as is lighting the stove to cook a real meal.
During the day, white, cottony clouds scuttle swiftly across brilliant blue skies, while bright green trees on our land chhhhhh and sway in the breeze. Crickets chirp, and resident birds make the most hauntingly melodious songs from dawn 'til dusk. At night, it's sweater weather, time for bonfires, woodsmoke and marshmallows. It's the most wonderful sleeping temperature: not too hot, not too cold. Perfect for snuggling.
Today, Tyler and I worked on landscaping a hillside that slopes away from the clearing where our camper is parked. Someday, this spot will be our orchard, stocked with fruit trees of all kinds. For the moment, we're clearing it of brush and brambles. Later this month we'll try to tame the area with a cover crop of clover. Hopefully that will help keep the weedy chaos at bay until we're ready to plant some trees.
What an absolute joy it was to be working outside on a cool sunny day! We pulled out several rotted stumps, cleared a mass of overgrowth around an enormous moss-covered stone that reminds us of England, and raked up a small mountain of brambles. We burned some of the brush as we went, and oh it was just gorgeous, with the sun shining through the smoke.
It felt so good to claim this space as our own—now we can actually walk down our hillside without getting tangled in a mass of waist-high weeds! What with these "home improvements" and this glorious weather, I've fallen in love with our land all over again.