Fall has arrived on Digby Neck.
It has been months since we faced that dreaded point when the days started getting shorter but at least we had the warmth. Alas, that too has started to wane. We now close the downstairs windows at night and wake up to darkness- a ritual that will be repeated for the next several months. Soon the dehumidifier will be shut off in the old stone walled basement, its hum replaced by that of the infrared heater to the joy of the two cats.
Outside, the changing of the guard is occurring. The Cormorants are gone, soon to be joined by the Great Blue Herons and their spots on the pier and in the marsh have been filled by ducks and loons. Only the hardy gulls and crows will tough it out through the winter. The starlings are amassing on the telephone wires and we are seeing the odd jay along with the ominous presence of the harrier hawk.
The grass is growing much slower now and some plants are already dying while others, such as the Virginia Creeper, are going out in a splash of brilliant red glory.
Our routine has adapted. Afternoon tea or wine is now taken on the back deck where the sun's now shallow rays linger. It is amazing how important the warmth of the sun becomes as I get older. I feel the cold much more now. One good change is that the stars appear much earlier so on clear nights we are able to bundle up in our tilting deck chairs and search the now dark heavens for shooting stars and passing satellites.
Things are slowing down in The Lap of Lapidary as well. I'll do a few more loads in the tumbler and cut a bit more but the Cab King is now ready to be cleaned for its hibernation. I've recently completed a few pieces that I really like, however.
And I have enough "granite ice" to finally fill my display.
The pace has slowed dramatically, with fewer and fewer cars passing by and only the odd visitor to the shop.
So now the scene will shift indoors where I will take my place, Vickie willing, at my bench in her studio and work on completing some of the beautiful stones I fashioned this year and listing them on our website, The Seawall Emporium. I do cherish this time- feeding off the inspiration from "the real artist", listening to our favourite music and enjoying memories from time now long past. The cats seem to feel the same way as they seem content to spend hours curled up in balls on their beds on Vickie's table.
Soon the gale winds will be howling and the sea ice will be invading our bay, hypnotizing us with its wave driven movement. The cats will be seeking the warmth of the propane fireplace and walks on the beach will be a distant memory. Meanwhile, the oppressive, spirit crushing blanket of covid remains in place with no end in sight.
However, hope springs eternal and for now, we will enjoy this brief window, this welcome calm before the storm that is fall on Digby Neck.
