Habits

I'm trying to get back in the habit of writing here more regularly, whether I really have anything to say or not. I've found sometimes if you just sit down and start writing, a topic just appears from beneath your fingers, it's just getting started that is hard.

I'm on vacation this week, so you would think I would have even more time and desire to sit and get a few thoughts out.. but no. I'm too TIRED! My back hurts! LOL A lot of mowing, hay moving, gardening, small jobs, and of course an adequate amount of riding. (Well, not really adequate, but more than on a working week.)

The muggies have hit our area of the Bluegrass. It was 83 and 79% humidity at 10am yesterday. Got up close to 90. This means you only get done about 1/2 of what you wanted to get done, because you are sweating so profusely. Having all this moisture in the air also means there are a lot of BUGS, UGH! This also leads one to believe that you should get out and do most of your outside work in the mornings before it gets too sauna-like out there. That makes the most sense, right?

Bearing in mind on vacation, I'm usually out of bed before 7am anyway. (Funny how on vacation, I can be ready to get up, with no alarm, shortly after sunrise, but on a work week I can barely DRAG myself out of bed only 30 min earlier, with the heinous alarm.) So you would think I could go ahead and get started with the outside work early, right?

Why no. My favorite thing to do in the mornings is to make a pot of nice coffee, and sit out on the deck with a good book, and listen to the birds sing, and enjoy my morning. Enjoying the coolness, and the mist in the air as the sun comes up over the ridge behind us. See the horses emerge from the heavy mist as they come in from the pasture for a drink of water. Listen to the mockingbird go through his repertoire, which includes a meowing cat (so good it fooled us one night into thinking we had a cat stuck in our tree), and a high pitched whinny. Watch the morning turn from pink to golden to yellow, as the heavy mist slowly burns off.

That all being said, I should still be able to get going out there by 8:30am or so... but no. Evidently, I am still in transition from my former night owl to an early bird.... it's very hard to make myself get outside and do any laborious efforts until at least 10am. When it's already miserable out. And.. it's vacation! I like to kid myself into thinking if this was my "real" life, I'd be out and about very early and late, and do my inside stuff in the heat of the day... but would I really? I'm thinking not. I'm thinking I would still be outside in the heat and humidity of the day, in soaking wet clothes, with soaking wet hair, swatting at bugs, doing all the things I need to do. Yes, it was miserable up in the hayloft at 2pm yesterday, but at least I was in the shade... (it was still miserable.)

I remember many mornings spent with my Grandmother, on her front porch, doing the same. Priceless memories listening to her describe all the sounds we were hearing, what kind of bird it was, what birdhouse that family lived in (she lived in the city, but had many large trees, with feeders and birdhouses everywhere.)She was an early riser, and as she said "went to bed with the chickens". As I age, I find my bio rhythm to be inching towards that. Being a confirmed night owl at heart though, I can't seem to actually get up and do any hard labor early, and I keep telling myself I just awaken so early now from all the aches and pains of lying in the bed all night.... but it sure is peaceful and tranquil out there in the mornings, and I also get the pleasure of honoring my Grandma's memory.