September 22 marks the first day of fall! Gone or soon to be are flip-flops, swimsuits, picnics, 100 degree days, container flowers, crops, irrigation, and lawn-mowing. I’m overjoyed that lawn-mowing will end soon! Now entering are pumpkins, October fests, crisp mornings and evenings, sweatshirts, football, hunting, and pretty leaves.

And, we’re on the clock! It’s 37 days until daylight savings ends and that means long nights, everything outside is brown, and lots of gray skies until spring! So get out and enjoy these beautiful fall days while you can.

I also hope the skunks will disappear. I’ve been hosting three that were born in a den under a hedge by my bathroom and bedroom. They come in at night with a smell like wet diapers and leave in the morning. Two of them have been caught in a live trap but it has taken weeks to do so because they are smart enough to realize that the trap=disappearing. Has anyone else noticed that the animals are indicating an early winter? The mice in the house, the skunks right outside, the coyotes yipping at night, and the hooting of the Great Horned Owl before the weather turns cold seem like an indicator to me. I’m not taking any chances. I bought 100 pounds of ice melt today for the thrift store and Family Center use. If you do the same, you can thank me when the first six-inch snow storm indicates not a snow shovel or bag of ice melt to be found in Buhl!

Getting prepared for fall involves raking leaves, bringing in outdoor furniture, sealing drafts, harvesting the remainder of the vegetables, gleaning potato fields, and buying pumpkins. All of this involves labor, something that the elderly, frail, chronically ill, or people with other physical impairments can’t do. How about if all of us who are healthy and strong spend a few hours helping those who aren’t? Even dropping off some pumpkins and spuds means a lot to someone who is housebound. And show them some pictures of fall leaves or elk or deer (before shooting them!) so that people who can’t get out outside feel like they are. There is no greater happiness than making someone else happy!

Speaking of happiness, despite the low-water year, bountiful crops have been harvested in our community for which we need to thank God even as we pray for fall rains and for winter snow to replenish our reservoirs.

Priscilla Martens