The calendar pages turned to October this weekend and I realized that we are beginning to see the first signs of autumn around the monastery and around the rest of our world, too. Here are some that seem to come out right away:
* After the hummingbirds have flown through our area on their way to Mexico, our shepherd's hook converts from a holder for hummingbird nectar to one for suet bars and it moves from the inner courtyard to the east lawn right under my window (easier to keep filled and bird watch). Ditto for apples for the deer population, thanks to the helpful sorters among our kitchen staff who save the uneatable ones for us to set out for the deer. They are not really needed now so much, but come January and February....
* The cosmos flowers are still in bloom and we had a beautiful arrangement in chapel this weekend for the environment. So nice to see their wispy, delicate appearance this late in the season;
* The air-conditioning hasn't been automatically coming on for a few days, but neither is the heat. We're caught in that in between time. Thank goodness for sweaters and windows that open and close as needed;
* We have baskets and baskets of freshly picked Concord grapes out every day--delicious;
* Sisters are getting in their last bike rides, golf rounds, vacation days and ice cream cones at Sara's. We won't see them again until April;
* The many feast days that fill the liturgical year in October, November and December have started--Guardian angels, Theresa, Francis, All Saints, Souls, Nicholas, Guadalupe and many, many more--they bring days of rich prayers and beautiful song.
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