Over the river and through the woods

The leaves are beginning to turn orange, and the musty smell of decomposing vegetation is in the air. The nights are becoming very chill, and the days are cooling down. The cats are snoozing on the couch, the dishes are done, and I'm enjoying the peace and quiet of the woods. We're housesitting for our friends who took off last night for Las Vegas. We got here early enough to enjoy a couple of days of their company first, and now we have the place to ourselves. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

I love it out here. It's green, it's quiet (mostly), and the neighbors are an acre away. The birds sing, the coyotes howl, and there are fresh deer prints in the mud next to the house every morning. You can see your breath as it mists away from you in the twilight. I'm very conscious of the fact that every time we come up here, we'll have to leave again in a few very short days and return to the urban sprawl and rush hour traffic in LA. I hate that part. Just as I start to relax and unwind, I realize we only have two days left. I can't wait until we're able to move up here to our own place and our own land and gardens and animals. I'll hate leaving my family and my kids behind, but they'll all be grown soon and off to college and their careers. There's no guarantee they'll stay in the LA area either.

It's bittersweet being here.