What's the first thing that you notice about your body in Autumn? For me, it's that my nose and my hands turn cold. I mean, not bricks-of-ice cold, but you know -- no longer warm. And I noticed that last night, just before going to sleep, as I glanced at the thermostat. Hmm, that's a little low for us. I up the temperature by a couple of degrees. Nothing happens.
So much for a furnace that's working.
Clang! Ring! Hoot the horn! Yes, it is the winning week for malfunctioning mechanicals!!
It's not that hard to figure out the problem. There is an error code and it translates into the trouble spot (something about a condensate sensor mis-sensing) and Ed does a temporary fix, promising to return to it on the next day. Meaning today.
To show you how determined we are to check off all the unaddressed issues, we are also up early -- both of us -- so that we can catch Uni as she comes out of the coop. We want to attach a blue tooth tracker to her neck. We want to find out where she is laying her little green eggs!
She's not happy with the device and Happy (the rooster) is not happy with her device either. Both peck at it relentlessly. We predict that they'll peck it off before the day is through. In the meantime, we try to remember to pick up the smartphone and follow the signal, but of course, we get distracted and time passes and by the end of the morning we still haven't located her laying station!
It is, however, a beautiful autumnal day. We can't forget that.
(A warm September means there will be a few lily reblooms! Like summer, only different.)
Crispy clear skies. Even if it is on the cool side of the river. (Remember when 60F, or 15C, was a springtime delight? So warm, after winter lows! Well, not anymore. Darn cold.) We eat breakfast on the porch, but I think we may be nearing the end of that ritual.
I pick up Snowdrop at school. Hoodie weather indeed!
I watch as she plays with the cheepers, collecting some of the feathers that they routinely drop at this time of the year...
... and I see that Uni is not with the pack. Might she be laying? Where? I retrieve the smart phone and hand it to Snowdrop. Find her!
I guess the hoodie conferred upon her super powers of detection because within minutes, the laying culprit is located. I would have never ever looked there -- in the tall grasses beneath the front maples. Strange girl!
Many days have passed since Uni has appropriated this spot for herself and so the egg buildup is tremendous: 16 little green eggs! They survived predators and storms and the lawn mower! Amazing...
Toward evening, I return Snowdrop home and visit for a few minutes with her brothers.
How are they all getting to be so tall?
Yes, even you, Sandpiper!
It's so easy to forget this most basic truth as you're reading with them, playing, feeding them -- kids grow up. They actually become adults pretty quickly. Funny how that works, isn't it?
