Toasty

Coming in to a warm house (fine - apartment) from the chilly outdoors is one of the simplest and most sublime joys available. The only way to top it is to have some toast spread with peanut butter and jam. Throw in a cup of tea and nothing else in the world matters. The more I fall into winter, the more I remind myself of a hibernating bear. I just want to curl up with a book or a video game or watch a movie, eat some snacks, drink hot tea (cold beer works too), dread going back outside and enjoy being inside.

Today was actually pretty warm - I can't believe I live in a place where 61 is 'pretty warm', and I suspect that it may be one of the last warm days of the year. I made a point to enjoy the weather when I was out walking the dogs. Despite my obvious love for being snuggly warm, I do love the cold weather - don't interpret this as a complaint. I am really looking forward to the rest of winter (which hasn't even technically begun). I still have my giant stack of paperbacks (I'm enjoying Lincoln), I have plenty of tea, a full catalog of my favorite winter music (I'll confess here that I have a huge weakness for pseudo-Celtic pop musicians like Enya and Lorena McKennett), plenty of hours left on my video games, plenty of movies to watch, plus the never-ending fountain of Neflix, as well as Bronwen, Lux and Julian. It is going to be a fantastic winter!

Fon-don't

Fondue: delicious, sexy and hip. The perfect slow, leisurely dinner for friends. Enjoy company and conversation as you dip bread and fruit into tasty, tasty cheese. But of course it doesn't work out quite that way. Future reference: here's a recipe that does not work. Sounds delicious, yes? But it turn out lumpy and thin and gross. Twice.

We had friends over (yes, we have friends) and, after nearly two hours of stirring and watching, we gave up and ordered pizza. The tragedy is that the ingredients were fairly expensive and the fondue set was a birthday gift that we were eagerly looking forward to using. We'll try again, I'm sure, but it probably won't be next week.

Chilly dogs

Here are some pictures of Lux and Julian in their nice, warm winter coats! Outside temp says it's 40 degrees but feels 35. Pretty cold!

Paperback reader

Yesterday we found heaven. A library book sale! Unlike the Orange County library system, the Wake County libraries do not have a used bookstore. Instead, they save all of their old and excess books and blow them out in a gigantic sale! $1 paperbacks and $4 hardbacks... how can you resist? We obviously did not.

The smell is intoxicating - if you like books then you know. Old books, especially old paperbacks, have a certain earthy mustiness, dry and bitter but sweet at the same time. I do see the danger in this: we got rid of dozens of books - perhaps over a hundred - when we moved from Orlando, and here we are, just buying dozens more on a whim. But again - are $1 paperbacks really hurting anyone? I think we have found a new Fall tradition. And I think I'm not done. The sale is going on for the remainder of the weekend. I want to go back!

So this is what I'll be reading through the winter.

Do amino acids make you sleepy?

So here's a fun fact: there's a story, ages old, that turkey contains tryptophan (it does), which causes drowsiness (also true - tryptophan does cause drowsiness). What is not so true is that eating turkey causes one to fall helplessly asleep and thus skip out on the cleanup. I have always been skeptical of this assertion, but I would be plagarizing a large amount of research if I simply declared it false. Instead, check out this link from the Food Detectives, where they test the premise about as scientifically as you could hope The Food Network could manage. Spoiler alert: the turkey element of a Thanksgiving dinner does not cause the drowsiness. What makes people so tired is because they eat too damn much! But watch the video. It's pretty fun.

Cloudy with a chance of snow

It wasn't much snow, but still. It's more snow than I've ever driven in before. I did not have time to take any pictures - in addition to having little time available, there was also no accumulation on the ground.

Slow times

I apologize for the long delay between posts. This one doesn't even really count. I've been pretty busy lately; plus, there hasn't been too much for me to even talk about. The Fall colors are pretty much over - the ground is covered with a soggy carpet of browning yellow leaves and the trees are stark and naked.

There are a few items to discuss, and I will certainly get to those, maybe even tonight. But in case I do not, I wanted to apologize for neglecting to write as often as I would have liked to.

Misty river

Ahh, November! Such a fantastic month - it has traditionally been my favorite, although we'll have to see how that plays out with some actual 'winter weather.' We went to an apartment sponsored Halloween party last night (sorry, we forgot to take pictures) and got to meet several of our neighbors. One of our main topics of conversation was the weather - we regaled them with tales of warm winters and 80 degree Christmases - and, in turn, we were given a clearer idea of what to expect as fall turns into winter. For one thing, many residents come from colder climates - Wisconsin, Nova Scotia, etc - so our shock at the cold weather did not really impress them.

But time marches on and the seasons change with or without us. The temperature this morning was 40 degrees. I took some pictures of the river that was steaming in the cold air.
Remember - there is an open invitation for anyone to come visit. We have a spare bedroom with a view of this very river.

Sleeping dogs

Here's some pictures of our sleepy dogs.

Julian never got up on the couch before. This is an entirely new thing for him. It's probably because the floor is so cold...
And Lux is keeping warm under her fleece.

Is it winter yet?

I can't promise that this will be the last post about how amazed I am at the 'new weather.' To tell the truth, I'm a little bit concerned. It's cold - as cold as I've ever really seen - and it is only October. What will it be like in December or January? And understand, I'm not particularly complaining. I love the weather here. But every passing day I realize how inadequate my former wardrobe is to handle this climate. I've tripled my sweater and long sleeve t-shirt collection, and now I'm looking for a warm hat of some kind.

This is a screenshot of our current forecast. I know it may not look like much, but the part that gets to me is the low, not the high. Because the dogs still have to go out at 10pm and 5am, no matter what the weather. And that's a pretty cold morning. And there was ice on my windshield again. I'm going to have to get a scraper or something. This is crazy! I had no idea people lived like this.

Again, though - I don't want to come off like I'm complaining. I really do love everything about this place, including the weather, even if it scares me a little bit. I am absolutely in love with Fall now, and seeing leaves drift down from the trees through the crisp afternoon air is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Even Lux was fascinated, watching the leaves fall lazily down, ready to pounce if one of them showed any further signs of life.

A Veritable Smorgasbord

We went to the North Carolina State Fair last night. I've never been to such an event before - it was just like I would have hoped it would be. The Midway was raucous and loud, pumpkins weighed in at over 600 lbs and the funnel cake and nacho cheese flowed like water. The only thing that did not flow, in fact, was beer; at first I was a little disappointed, but soon discovered that with all the noise, lights and food, it was probably a good thing.

There was so much fun to be had that we barely scratched the surface - we didn't go on any of the rides because they were nauseating enough just to watch. Maybe it means that we're turning old, or maybe it's just that we have been spoiled by living so close to Disney and Universal Studios for so long. Whatever the case, paying money to climb into such a loud and violent machine was not much of a temptation. And although we did not go on any rides, it isn't to say that we didn't enjoy watching. The walls were covered in honest-to-god carnival pictures, lurid and lively images of astronauts and zombies and witches and freaks.

Far more tempting was the food. Even for a vegetarian there was more than enough to eat. There were nachos, freshly-pulled taffy, freshly fried potatoes, apples, candy bars, pickles, mushrooms, freshly grilled corn and zucchini. And for non-vegetarians there was meat aplenty, and in virtually every form possible. A tie for most absurd: Chicken boats and chicken on a stick.

This sounds as though the only thing there was the Midway and food court, and that is just not true. There were many exhibits that showcased North Carolina's agricultural diversity. From livestock to produce to honey (which we bought), I felt as though I actually learned a bit about my new home.

And then there was hot cider served from a log cabin. Templeton was on to something.

Hanging Rock

We went to Hanging Rock park today. It was our first excursion outside of Raleigh since moving to North Carolina this July. It wasn't just next door by any means, but it only took us two and a half hours to drive there. And it was absolutely beautiful. I am not used to such views, and certainly not used to having them so close at hand. I have put up a few pictures here, but I took 143 (after removing the blurry ones), and started taking them from the car on the way up. I know we must have looked like tourists, but who cares? The Fall colors are really coming in brilliantly, and the color just gets better the further west you go. So by the time we got to the park, we saw leaves green, yellow, orange, red and cranberry. And it was cold. Actually cold! Well, what we call cold, anyway - 60 for the high (not cold) but starting the hike at about 50. And that's cold to me.

It is amazing how fast the time seeps away in the mountains. We were there for hours and did very little actual hiking - 1.5 mile treks to this point, half mile treks to that one - I guess it all adds up, but we did not really cover too much ground. What kills you is the climbing uphill and lurching back down. Frozen fingers at the base of the trail and overheated at the top. And then there's the view. And it is breathtaking. It isn't even very high, but it feels like you are on the top of the world.

Cold weather dogs

It may have been a little premature, but we were so excited by the cold weather (today's high is 60) that we put Lux and Julian's jackets on. They weren't thrilled about it, but I think they'll get used to them. I'll get better pictures later, but for now, please enjoy these.

Lux has an acorn!

In Florida, one of Lux's favorite things to do was to play with acorns. She was certifiably a puppy then, so I wondered if she would still have the same crazy. She does.

Our camera is pretty old and we have no audio. But please enjoy this video of Lux with an acorn.

Let me tell you about the flowers and the trees... and the bees

We went to the JC Raulston Arboretum this weekend and were, yet again, astounded at the amount of free cultural activities that Raleigh has to offer. This is one of the best gardens I have ever been to. It is quite large and diverse and is framed by some lovely architecture.

I forgot to bring our camera and Bronwen had to go back to get it. I am very glad that she did. The day was beautiful - nearly perfect for an afternoon among the flowers and bees. It could have been cooler, I suppose; it was near 80 at the peak. But since it is so close and so free, there's no reason to think that we won't go back often. I got a little trigger happy with the camera - this is merely a tiny sample of what I took. I hope you can forgive my self indulgence and enjoy the pictures!

Impressions of Fall

Our Fall Film Festival is well underway, and so far it's been a great success. Success, by the way means that we watched the movies. This week's movie, The Brothers Grimm, is one of the most evocative Fall movies I've ever seen. It is significantly underrated and consistently poorly reviewed. Because it is so universally disliked, I approach each reviewing with a little bit of dread, afraid that this time I will see what was so terrible about it. While it is certainly not a perfect movie, I do enjoy it every time and find my original opinion intact. For me, the movie looks like a storybook. It reminds me somehow of an aged ViewMaster reel.

But Fall memories and feelings - while often related to childhood - are not all contained in movies. Several books also come to mind. One that has particular significance to me, and I don't exactly know why, is Family Grandstand. In truth, I cannot remember very much about this book. For example, I have no concept of the plot (I remember something about a local football stadium that could be viewed from the upstairs - hence the title. Oddly, I have never cared about sports, then or now), I can't remember the characters names and I can't even remember how many children there were in the family. So it is probably a false memory that I have, but somehow it is extremely strong. I guess the book left me with an impression of Fall and Fall reminds me of this impression.

Emily (my sister, if you don't know) has a blog in which she writes reviews of children's books, many of which are out of print. And her latest post was about this very book! If you want a more thorough discussion of this book, you have to read her post, which features a charming photo of the very same copy I read (for all I know, the only copy in existance). Although she did not mention anything about a seasonal connection to the book, I have to assume that there is something, because I was always very drawn to this book in the Fall. Perhaps our mom read it to us during a particularly nice Central Florida Fall.

Leaves in full color

This is not necessarily representative of the general foliage color, but it is certainly not isolated.

Today was another of those beautiful ones. Clear skies, cold air - cold to me, anyway. We kept the windows open and wore jackets outside. And it'll probably be too cold to keep the windows up all night. And it's only October!

Speaking of which, there are pumpkins for sale on the side of the road now. All we need now is a cinnamon broom.

Taste of fall

I'm really running behind. Things have been so hectic at work that I haven't even been able to discuss the weather: it is now in full-fledged Fall mode here. The windows are open during the day, but closed at night because it is too cold! Actually, it is warm upstairs where we don't open the windows (no screens), but we shut them at night anyway because we don't want the dogs to get cold and uncomfortable.

We celebrated the arrival of fall by - what else? - going shopping. Some part of me feels guilty and ashamed for being such a consumer, but the rest of me doesn't care anymore. It's who I am and it makes me happy. I'll deal with the issues of being such a consumer and materialist later and in a different venue, but for now, we'll have to accept that I enjoy shopping. And it isn't so much the buying that I love, but the predictable changes in home furnishings, clothing and food that have, for most of my life, stood in substitute for physical seasons. I know it is fall when Old Navy starts to sell sweaters I won't buy and when Target sells pumpkin-shaped soup tureens. And when Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale is on sale. Last year we were tormented when Central Florida had apparently blown through the first shipment of this fine product. We saw it for a few days and did not buy it immediately. When we were ready for it, it was not to be found! Granted, we did not exactly canvas the entire region - we checked our local Publix Supermarkets and a few liquor shops. Really, it wasn't that big of a deal. But when we did find it, we bought a full case of it. It's a great beer. Kind of gimmicky, but it tastes like fall.

Also Einstein Brothers Bagels' pumpkin bagel. I miss that. I really do. There are a fair number of differences between Orlando and Raleigh. Most are minor, and in many cases I prefer Raleigh over Orlando. In the cases where I prefer Orlando, most are things that I have grown accustomed to and simply find replacements for. Florida's free market of liquor versus North Carolina's prohibition-era laws (NC actually has several dry counties!), for example, is something that I can get used to. It isn't as though I can't get plenty of liquor here. But Einstein Bagels is something that is irreplaceable. We tried Bruegger's, which is okay, but just not the same. And because it is such a similar restaurant, the differences are stark. I miss Einstein. Please, if you live near an Einstein, go and have a pumpkin bagel (toasted, with plain schmear) before they are gone. And tell me how delicious it was!

Look at the river flow

Please enjoy this small, quiet video. The building at the start is where we live, although our actual unit is on the other side of the building so we don't have a river view. I know it isn't a huge deal - plenty of people live on rivers and I'm not saying that ours is the best. But ours is ours and we love it.

It is such an ecstatically wonderful day outside that I can't stop talking about it. I love Fall!

Equinox

I am embarrassed for the level of excitement I have for Fall. The Autumnal Equinox is only four days away and the air has actually started to change! I know that it won't remain cold, in fact, it is heating up already and the forecast high for today is 81. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the season is approaching.

What is so exciting for me is that, for the past 25 years of my life (I was born in Illinois and, although I can't recall a minute of it, lived there until I was five) the First Day of Fall was a completely arbitrary date. Depending on the year, the weather did not change until late October, November or even December. September was every bit as hot as August and July.

Yesterday was gray and rainy and it felt like the rain was bringing something. I hadn't thought about Fall really - I'm not used to such a short season - and as I basked in the cool air, I realized how little time Summer has left.

Remember - we have a spare bedroom. If you want to see and feel a real (if mild) Fall and Winter, you are more than welcome to visit!