Rain

I'm up way too early this morning. I don't know why. I've actually had almost 30 whole minutes to myself but as I type this I hear the first one thumping down the steps. It's Rachel. She wakes up happy and has come to join me in the dark in the chair. She just wants to sit beside me and suck her thumb. I think she's getting a cold. Probably the one Rena has given me.

Outside it's raining. I really can't remember the last time it rained. It's sad and a little scary. While most people down in Atlanta have probably forgotten the water restrictions that have been in place and tightened for the last 2 1/2 years, I drive over Lake Lanier almost everyday and I see our water supply quickly diminishing. I watch this one boat that has been neglected and left to rest on the shoreline by the receeding waters. One corner clings hopelessly to the water's edge, waiting for the day it can be launched again and set free from the muddy bank. Sometimes I wonder if that's truly going to happen. The vegetation optimistically sprouts on the new shoreline, taking over where waders used to tread. Hopefully it's days are numbered. But not by this rainshower. Simply a drop in the bucket that will quickly be siphoned off and processed and pushed through a hoseline in some upscale neighborhood to make sure their grass stays green and the HOA stays happy.

Well the days have been busy here. This fall caught me a little offguard...lolling in the last days of summer. Unstructured days and late nights sitting outside watching my children play barefoot in the street, riding bikes and chasing frogs by the light of the streetlight. The sound of children's laughter coming up from the darkness as they squeeze in one last minute with their friends. But now here it is October. My favorite month. And there's so much I want to do. Many things pass me in a blur. But it won't be those things I've missed that I'll look back on. It will be the things we managed to get done.

Last friday I took the girls to pick apples up in Ellijay.

The weather was beautiful and the apples were plentiful! I was going to take them the week before but I couldn't find gas and I didn't want to use any extra if I didn't have to. So the girls had a full week to get excited about it. We've actually been every fall since we've been here. The first year we went with a playgroup. Last year we went as a whole family. This year it was just me and the girls. The apple house has added a petting farm. It's only open on weekends but the girl at the counter told me we could go in as long as we didn't let any of them out. So we did.

Rachel is a natural around animals. Completely in control.

Rena likes them too.

Riley, not so much.

It was great. I must have been a farmer in a past life. The girls were pretty much done after we saw the goats and they were ready to go! I wasn't and I made them pick more apples as they complained bitterly about how tired they were. Oh well.

Little girls can pick a lot of apples in a short period of time. So now I have a bushel and a half of apples sitting in my garage. So far I've made an apple pie and apple bread. I'm making apple jelly today. It's been a long time since I've canned anything. I figured I'd start with something simple and work my way up from there. I'm hoping to do some applesauce and apple pie filling. Because I have so much free time. I sent some apples to school with the little girls. If I get really inspired I might bake something to send in for their classes to eat and some for the teachers too. We'll just have to see how much I can get done in a day.