Indian Summer

"The air is perfectly quiescent and all is stillness, as if Nature, after her exertions during the Summer, were now at rest." That's how one early American writer penned his thoughts on Indian Summer. I think today will begin our version. We've had the prerequisite killing frost and with temperatures predicted to be in the 70's for 3 consecutive days, this is it.  Enjoy it and let the pre-winter "bitchn' begin! The corn has been combined and chopped across the road and is on it's way to happy cows and cornflake factories. The trail cams have been randomly placed throughout the woods to spy on the unlucky doe and bucks that will fill the freezers for the long winter months. (Ours will take their rightful place next to the filets and rib eyes).... The eaves have been cleaned and the lawns groomed for winter. Furnaces have been serviced and the heat turned on low in the Locke houses. Once again we will keep the heating companies in business for another season. Those houses should so belong to someone else. Outdoor accessories have been moved to the back of the storage room while the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes made their way front and center. I think we're ready with the exception of Jerome.  He's still on alert if we decide to make one last quick trip. I'm thinking his next journey is south to N.C. and on to Florida for a couple weeks in February. No big stay for us this year, last year was bad enough.  Lee is heading north to Alaska next summer so we'll keep the piggy bank a bit fuller (is that a word?) by working through the winter. So now that we're ready for winter and Indian summer is here for a visit, I think it's the perfect time to put up the Christmas lights!!!!!!!!!! I heard a bit of grumbling upon mention of it but a gentle reminder that I actually do the "trimming" of the bushes, placing of the deer and running of the cords quieted the spouse to a gentle roar.  We'll see who's the Chief and who are the Indians during this Indian Summer!