Fall has fell...

IT WAS ALREADY LATE FALL AND THE INDIANS ON A REMOTE RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA ASKED THEIR NEW CHIEF IF THE COMING WINTER WAS GOING TO BE COLD OR MILD.

SINCE HE WAS A CHIEF IN A MODERN SOCIETY HE HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THE OLD SECRETS. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE SKY HE COULD NOT TELL WHAT THE WINTER WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.

NEVERTHELESS, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, HE TOLD HIS TRIBE THAT THE WINTER WAS INDEED GOING TO BE COLD AND THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD COLLECT FIREWOOD TO BE PREPARED.

BUT BEING A PRACTICAL LEADER, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS HE GOT AN IDEA. He, using his cell phone, CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND ASKED, "IS THE COMING WINTER GOING TO BE COLD?"

"IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE QUITE COLD," THE METEOROLOGIST AT THE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONDED.

SO THE CHIEF WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND TOLD THEM TO COLLECT EVEN MORE FIREWOOD IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED.

A WEEK LATER HE CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "DOES IT STILL LOOK LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER?"

"YES," THE MAN AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN REPLIED, "IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER."

THE CHIEF AGAIN WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND ORDERED THEM TO COLLECT EVERY SCRAP OF FIREWOOD THEY COULD FIND.

TWO WEEKS LATER THE CHIEF CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE WINTER IS GOING TO BE VERY COLD?"

"ABSOLUTELY," THE MAN REPLIED. "IT'S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS WE'VE EVER SEEN."

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" THE CHIEF ASKED.

THE WEATHERMAN REPLIED, "THE INDIANS ARE COLLECTING FIREWOOD LIKE CRAZY."

Ya know I just have a funny feeling about this winter myself...The squirrels are stealing all the apples off the trees and carting them down the fence line to their burrow/hole/nest/home. The cats are getting a really thick coat of fur, and I have already had a fire in my woodstove last weekend! It might be because I needed blood, but I have been cold for several months.

Tonight coming home from the Playhouse, I came home along the back way..."Sleepy Hollow" and it was so pretty! THe full Autumn moon otherwise known as the harvest moon, was shining on the really low lying fog in the already reaped fields, and it looked just like snow on the fields! THe fog was just coming in as I went into town this afternoon, and it was creeping up over the bluffs, on the West side of the Island and covering the trees like a big white fuzzy blanket! It creeps in from the water just like it was alive, a monster eating the land as it goes. COOL!

The trees are all turning bright colors, and the geese are heading South. I wake up smelling woodsmoke from the neighboring houses, and the morning air is cold and crisp! I just LOVE it!

I am feeling somewhat better today but still not good. I sure wish the Dr could find "something" and fix it, like they did the Blood! That worked like magic! I really can breathe again!

Schroeder is taking his "loss" with great gusto. I dont think it phased him at all. He has not stopped being a big bully. Maybe once all that testosterone is out of his system he will calm down. He is a big Mama's boy though. A big Purr baby! Just like Chitters was!

Can you believe it is only 4 more days until OCTOBER? where in the WORLD did this year go?