Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.. in October

This weekend, Greg and I ventured a few hours south to Keene, New Hampshire where we celebrated the seasonal shift into winter with new friends. It was perfect weather for the outing: sunny and warm. The drive itself was breathtaking as it allowed us to witness the peak color of lower elevations.

Keene is a charmingly rustic small college town. The downtown neighborhood is comprised of old victorian homes build in the 1800s which were quintly dressed for the season: Pumpkins and hay, witches and bats. Outside of being a college town. Keene has 2 other claims to fame. The downtown area was the filming location for a scene or two in the movie Jamanji. The other is the Keene pumpkin festival riots of 2014. Yes you read that right. College students started a riot (with no clear reason why) at the pumpkin festival. "USA. USA." https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-new-hampshire-pumpkin-riots-20141019-story.html

After that the annual pumpkin festival was cancelled. There is talk of reinstating the event in all its glory next year. This year they ran a smaller comunitee halloween event which we were able to stroll through. It was like being in a perfect new england storybook setting. Kids running by in costume, trick or treating at the shops, pumpkins being carved on the green. Seasonal music filling the air. The locals milling about. Visiting. Smiling. Good vibes despite the crowds. The video is a bit wobbly. Dont watch if you get motion sickness.

After our stroll, we gathered around the firepit to recognize that the seasons are shifting and pay homage to our female ancestors known collectively as the Disir.

In my own personal faith practice, Im more of a high holiday attendee. Like a catholic who regularly says prayers but only attends mass at Christmas and Easter. When left to my own devices, I tend to practice my 'serious' devotionals at yule and summer solstice. Traditionally, the first night of yule is when I hail the Disir. Having done so, this early in the year, has added to a sense that I am already sliding into the holiday season feels.. which i usually try to avoid until after turkey day and willows birthday.. due to the commercialization of holidays and my disdain for it. But this is seperate from that and so I will allow the depths of winter to roll in on slowly starting now rather than responding more like Im slamming the doors on the year abruptly at the solstice. Of course I will sit with the Disir again on Dec 20 but who says I cant start talking to them now instead. Thats just my own silly made up construct.

Getting back to Saturday, After our prayers to the grandmothers of old were said.. because basically thats all the rite really is... we ajourned to the dining room and feasted upon a fabulous stew provided by our lovely hosts. Talk around the table focused alot around how grateful we all are to be out of the desert heat (They are from Las Vegas) and how peaceful it is here in New England by comparison. It was a lovely evening.

That night however was a rough on for me. The stew had potatoes in it and, although I chose to eat around them, they still got to me. This resulted in a spike in body tempurature (as my body sought to destoy the food as if it was an invading virus.) that made sleep uncomfortable and elusive. Sunday I was a bit more achy ( in my knees -of course but also surprisingly in my toe joints) but the amounts of offending foods were miniscule and it has for the most part cleared up. I just need to stay diligent. This has put my body on high alert and I need to convince it once again that there is no war to fight.

Sunday we saw to the final mow and rack of the year presumably.. however the next few weeks forcast is gorgous and we may need one more go before things truely go dormant. And Greg and Con went ice skating for the first time in a long time. They both enjoyed being back on the ice and will be getting back in the habit of going once a week.

And now its time for me to rework our meal plans, remove some ceiling and lay down some yard treatment.. grub killer.. where the garden is going to be. Beetles where a determining factor in this years less than anticipated harvest. I want to nip the problem in the bud.