Is it fall YET?

 

No. No. No.  At the end of the Pennsylvania summer I am ready for fall.  We got a little teaser last week dipping into the 70s for our highs, but this week I saw 90 in our forecast and it brought me down low.  Just for a few minutes.  I do a lot of stuff outside so I will appreciate the warmth for as long as it stays.  Once the snow comes and way colder temperatures, my bikes will be hibernating and that is a hard pill for me to swallow.

After stealing the bike that we thought would fit my son, I found him an appropriate sized mountain bike on the Facebook marketplace.  A few days later I took him to the park I go to and had him go out with me.  He was humbled, as I am about every time, and was eager until we went through this single trail in a field.  He stopped and asked if there were snakes.  I said "well yeah, we are in the woods". That turned into tears and fears and me having to coax him out of the woods.  If I were superwoman I could have carried both our bikes out but thus I am not so we had to have a heart to heart.  We didn't see a snake and he got out. The next week I went back and saw a little one on the road near my car.  Of course I took a video and pictures to show my son.

Today I crave silence.  Solitude.  Order.  I have kids so none of that is actually possible.  I'll have to find it within.

My son has been following a dairy free diet since school ended last year.  He isn't allergic but we are trying it for some other issues he has.  I do think it's helped!  He gets frustrated sometimes and at those I feel bad for him.  It's hard to explain to a 7 year old how unimportant having a cupcake at a party is in the grand scheme of things.  If there's one great observations I've retained from raising kids it is that they live in the moment.  Now!

Coffee shops and bike riding...these are a few of my favorite things.

Someday I would LOVE to hike the entire Appalachian Trail.  I can get tired hiking 5 miles, however, so maybe future me is better than present me to accomplish this.  It is on my bucket list for sure.

I do a lot of woods photography.  Sometimes when I'm humbled going up a hill I stop and take a picture while I'm catching my breath.  Makes me feel not so bad about feeling my age : )

The point of this post.  None.