Cool November . . . way cool!

Feeling unpleonastic this afternoon . . . the remedy . . . a few minutes on the blog.

Outside bagging the rest of our leaves earlier this afternoon, I darned near froze. Its not that its that cold, just that the toggle switch in my head is stuck in summer position, early fall at best . . . and its not. Having said that, its not winter, nor is it summer, and if fall means apples, lots of colour, and Harvest, its not that either. They're dimming fast in the rear view mirror. Once the winter coat comes out, there's no turning back, so I stubbornly resist. This awkward transition happens each year, and I suspect its an inherent part of mandom. We are complicated . . . not. We train easier than Labs.

For the seven warmer months, the wood heater in the family room collects dust and books and whatever needs a place to be for a while, but now its commissioned to service for another winter, ne pas bookshelf 'til April. I love wood for its combined offering of inner and outer heat. It warms the soul. Centralizing around a wood stove flips the mind back to a simpler time, like when the kids were younger and we'd eat supper by oil lamp, just for fun. By its very nature, a wood stove radiates a false sense of security . . . or maybe its not false . . . come and get me winter . . . see that wood stove? . . . you can stay outside and freeze for all I care!

Its a bit overcast now, dusk at 4:30, dark at 5:30. I built a fire in the furnace and stoked the small heater in the family room. Probably could have gotten away without the furnace fire, but it makes the basement nicer, and I'm reluctant to crank the baseboard electric. (See above comments re the stubbornness/mandom link). I spend the latter part of the afternoon in the man cave. Always enjoy picking music to match my mood. I've got everything stored in my iTunes library, so all I need is my Apple TV remote, my chair, some time, and I'm "with the music". A lazy arse I've become. I don't have to get up for anything. No vinyl to flip and no tapes or cd's to insert.

This afternoon, its Rick Fines. I love his work. A masterful bluesman and a true gentleman. He's been to Harvest in Freddy probably more than anyone, and returned in September for a couple of memorable sets, plus a week of Blues in the Schools. He was a Harvest regular back in the early days. A real pro for sure. His craftsmanship comes through in all of his tracks, but the intricacy in Riley Wants His Life Back is nothing short of pure art.

A bit coolish . . . maybe time to throw in another stick.