I have a hard time with this season. Sure the colours are beautiful, and my favorite holiday (Halloween) can be found around this time of year, but let’s be honest. Fall has some serious baggage. For one thing, there’s less sunlight, the days are never crisp and warm like we imagine, and somehow, despite a lack of snow, reminders of the impending holiday season creep in and smother us whole.

Well, maybe it’s not that bad. I can still bike around the city… even in the rain. But this morning, when I saw a drenched squirrel run up a tree, it occurred to me that the branches were bare and he would have no shelter from the storm.

That’s just not right people.

The food of Fall is one of the few saving graces. Thanksgiving and its turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie, squash and Ontario harvest apples. How can anyone write off the season entirely?

I finally (finally!) started baking artisan bread, an endeavor I vowed to embark upon a mere eight months ago. You can’t blame me for the delay. Bread baking is best in the Fall. I also made my Thanksgiving apple pie topped with a turkey shape that looks less pigeon like than last year’s. The butternut squash soup was an adaptation of this recipe… and admittedly that is a bay leaf I placed at the last minute for decoration. And finally, some delicious home made jams made by a friend of R’s mom. I suppose all of the above makes the 10-20 degree drop in temperature worthwhile after all.

I love trees. I love the way they provide shelter to creatures/critters. I love the way they beautify nature. And I love the way they provide protection and privacy.

I lived in the same house until I moved away for university. My parents moved in just before I was born, and they chose it in part because of the huge tree that was on the front lawn. An enormous fir tree that would eventually hide most of our house. The neighbours hated it. They constantly harassed my mom to get it chopped down, but she refused. They tried to convince her to at least prune the skirt, but she stood her ground. No saw would touch any surface of that tree.

I understand that concept now. I understand that stubbornness. The fir was beautiful. But, as always, it went beyond the desire to preserve the tree. The need for a cover in a suburban setting makes total sense. The safety of a shield can be a necessity for someone who feels vulnerable.

I haven’t been posting here, in part because what I say is read by people who know me in real life, but who may not acknowledge to me in person that they read this blog. I think I’ve come to terms with that now. On the flip side, I’m sure I’ve said things on this site that I’ve wanted to convey to some of these people. I think I’m OK with that now. I think I owe it to myself to go through life without the need for a cover.

That said, I intend to post here more often (I’m serious this time). I’ve had some sort of a blog for over ten years now, and when I try to put it aside, I miss it in a very big way.

That said, I intend to post entries here with information that you might not want to know. I can’t take responsibility for this. Your choice to come here is a conscious one, and I don’t plan on filtering or censoring these posts.

To those in my life who come here and don’t lurk… thank you. To those I know in “real life” who let me know that they visit my website… thank you! I really do appreciate your honesty.

Anyway, I’m going to try to post at least a few times a week now. Thanks for your patience.