Finally, after an entire day of gusting winds and freefalling leaves, it was calm and serene, albeit gloomy looking, when I set out for my walk this morning. The weather has taken such an abrupt about-face over the past few days, and now I hear there may be a freeze warning and f-l-a-k-e-s. Well just say it isn’t so that there could be snow! It’s a rude awakening after our recent beautiful weather. My mental “to do” list now includes getting all the warmer clothes handy, since it doesn’t appear that adding a layer or two here and there is gonna cut it.

This morning I was in a hurry and just dug out an old plaid flannel shirt to wear over my sweats to keep the chill at bay, but it has been washed so many times, I think the flannel has worn off. As a result of the windy day yesterday, still more leaves have fluttered to the ground and the trees are starting to look a little bare – kind of like my shirt.

I’ve had this shirt for years and years and it was one of the first clothing items I bought when I began working at the diner. As I recall, that was during my “dress-like-a-logger” phase. It seemed like we college kids wanted to dress in lace-up construction shoes or boots, heavy socks, blue jeans with the cuffs rolled up and a plaid flannel shirt tucked into our jeans and … you had to have a man’s long-sleeved thermal undershirt under that plaid flannel shirt. And don’t forget a wool cap. Well, all I needed was to carry around an axe and the lumberjack look would be complete. I can recall my mom tsk-tsking as I walked out the door, and throwing out a snide remark like “what is wrong with getting dressed up for school instead of walking around looking like Paul Bunyan?” My quick retort was to say my new look beat the “dress-like-a-hippie” phase where all the girls donned maxi dresses, wore granny glasses, tied their hair in curly ribbons and carried wooden purses that looked like mini treasure chests. I recall that while in my senior year at high school, I saved my allowance to buy such an outlandish outfit (and perhaps “costume” would be a better description for that garb), and then my feelings were hurt when I wanted to wear that get-up to a family friend’s 50^th birthday party and my mom said “you’ll wear normal clothes or not go with us” … well, some 40 years later, when looking back at those old pictures, I’ll concede that perhaps she had a point. Her comments on the clothes usually preceded the expression that “if everyone else jumps off a bridge, do you have to follow?” … it’s hard to tell a teenager anything though.

I got my walk in the book, though shorter than usual, but the sun is taking longer every day to rise and shine – just another two weeks ‘til we change the clocks and longer walks will be on the agenda once again. I can’t wait!