The Middle of Autumn

November. The middle of Autumn. Fall and Spring are the easy and comfortable months in a tent. Not too hot and not too cold. November is also when my living expenses peak due to heating costs. October days are still warm enough to leave the heater off on occasion, and by December it's time to burn wood, which I get for free. But in November I heat every morning and every night with kerosene, so my heating costs go up to $30 or $40 per month. It's a bit the same in Spring, but by then 40 degrees feels damn warm so I'll leave the heater off more frequently.

November is a time of acceptance. In early Fall, I felt cold when it reached the mid-50s, and I didn't want to think about the cold weather that was just around the corner. But now, a few months later, the trees are bare, the nights come early, and it's normal to see 40 degrees in the morning. I've stopped fretting over the coming of Winter and I'm enjoying Fall. I've accepted the coming of colder weather.

It's a time for rest and reflection. I think about all I've accomplished since my first night in Brandy Station earlier this year. Things were such a mess back then. But now, I'm ready for Winter. My rain fly has proven itself in some pretty good winds, so I'm confident it will hold through Winter storms. I've finished my interior make-over and winterized my front door. My big projects are complete for the year. I can rest.

This is also my second November living in a tent. My one-year anniversary is weeks away, and I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Now, for the first time, I know what's ahead of me. I've crossed the uncharted waters of Summer, and as I round the turn and head back into Autumn, I know what to expect. Winter is cold and dark. And it can be lonely, since those Summer visitors shy away a bit. It's a quiet time. A good time to read and meditate and play music.

November is also a time when warm-weather pests are gone. No more spiders casting webs across my path. No more ticks. No more stink bugs. Even the mice that bothered me so badly last Summer are no longer such a problem.

Once you hit November, there's no denying that Summer is over. It's gone. And when the occasional Summer-like day appears in November, you appreciate it as a gift. A gift that will be gone tomorrow.

Thinking about November, I realize that I am in the November of my life, too. I turned 54 last month, and the analogy is a strong one for me. The Spring of youth is more and more distance, but the Summer of my life, when I worked so hard and raised a family, is just there over my shoulder. November is a time in between. A pleasant, peaceful time, before Winter.

So I'm enjoying my November. I'm enjoying every moment. I'm not thinking about the cold winds of January. They'll get here when they get here, and I'll manage them well. Now is a time to give thanks and to enjoy what each new November day brings into my life.