Journal of a Sabbatical

September 18, 1998

getting on toward fall

Copyright © 1998, Janet I. Egan

The pictures I took yesterday weren't going to be ready until after 1:00 this afternoon, so I hung around having coffee with Tom and then later Julie joined us. She was complaining because Ned didn't show up for the rehearsal. She wanted to know if I'd seen him. I'm not Ned's keeper (though at times I think he needs one).

I actually had two grande lattes today - each one was half decaf so it's not like I'm speeding or anything. It did feel decadent however.

I had actually vaguely intended to go look for shorebirds again today after dropping off the newsletter at the printer down the street from the shelter. But I procrastinated on making the changes to the newsletter all day yesterday and all day today, so didn't have that as an excuse for going up there again. Like I need an excuse? I did finally make the newsletter changes earlier this evening, so I suppose I should at least try to get it reproduced tomorrow. My Personal Laserwriter 320 is just not up to the task of printing 60 copies double sided. Why do I feel like I somehow should have a high capacity printer just sitting around my bedroom for these situations. It's not like I get paid for this!

Ooh! Listen to me! What's up with this attitude? I must need a vacation.

lesser yellowlegs

I spent so long with Tom & Julie that it was well after 2:00 when I picked up the pictures. The streets were full of school kids on their way home. Gee, all those little middle school kids have finished a full day of school and I haven't done a productive thing all day. Well, I did read about 10 pages of Glass, Paper, Beans and I changed Wilbur's kitty litter so I have done something. Anyway, the pictures look pretty good.

sandpipers

Tom kept exclaiming that it is getting to be fall, and the temperature sure has dropped. Leaves are turning. Unfortunately, there's some virus attacking maple trees that makes the leaves shrivel up, turn brown, and drop off. I've seen a few of the affected trees and they look pathetic. At least not all the maples have this disease.

I don't know if it's the change of season that's making me grumpy or what. I went out to get a sub for dinner tonight (pepper & egg from J&M's) and there was traffic everywhere and crowds of people everywhere. It seemed like everybody but me was involved in some gathering of the hordes. There's a football game at the high school and wedding rehearsals at every church I passed (wait a minute, isn't June supposed to be wedding month? what are all these brides doing rehearsing for September weddings?) I really started to feel left out of the life of the community. Not that I'm any more left out than usual, just that I had a keener sense that I was missing something. There's a tremendous energy around here in the fall - everybody scurrying around to this that and the other cultural event or sports event or social event. It's like humans have the same urges that squirrels do to scurry around before winter but we've forgotten about the acorns so we just rush around at whatever task is at hand. Better go check to see if I have enough acorns to get through the winter.