Full circle

It appears after 14 months, life is simply ticking along. All the firsts (more or less) have taken place. Don't get me wrong, we've got plenty to keep ourselves busy... you should see our to-do list! However, there is definitely a natural ebb and flow to our days, our weeks and now our months. We've come full circle. When Kevin and I talk about projects that need to be done on the property or in the house, we associate a time of year to do it in because we know what to expect. Some months are more conducive to outside work other months definitely demand inside work, so we're careful to make the best of our time based on weather conditions.

It's very rainy in October, which means everything is wet and soggy and takes time to dry. It's not as wet in November, but it's a transition month so there's lots of cloudy days. December is sunny but oh so windy! So if any trees need to be felled, it's best to do it before then. January and February are gorgeous and still pretty breezy. The days can reach shorts and t-shirt temperatures, but the nights can dip into the 5°C/41°F range. March, I have to say is my favourite month, is just as hot as January and February, but the nights are not as chilly. And the night sky is full of fireflies. It's the most amazing sight. April and May are also very nice. It's supposed to be the beginning of the rainy season, but this past year was particularly dry, so we haven't really experienced a normal April or May, we've been told. These two months bring those harmless beetles at nighttime, but man, for two hours they pelt the window panes like machine gun bullets. June the rain comes on a pretty regular basis. July is our little summer and it does feel like late December/early January. Considering the slight weather shifts (nothing like harsh changes of our Canadian or English weather patterns), it's incredible how attune we become to the subtleties. August, this year, was definitely rainier than the summer months, but still considered pretty dry. There's a lot more overall cloud cover and although the temperatures don't very much from the summer months, there's more dampness in the air and I most certainly feel the chill in my bones. We seem to light a fire in the fireplace more often. September is a lot like August. We keep thinking it's more like October, but it really isn't. It rains maybe a little more than August, but a lot less than October. It's easy to get duped in thinking this is a great month to grow things in the garden, but although it doesn't constantly rain, it's damp. Our tomato and potato plants suffered from mould because of all moisture in the air. Even the plants under cover.

We're now in mid-October and we're the pattern continues. The good news is we can plan with more foresight. We have a much better idea of what to expect and how to remain as productive as possible. It's also good to plan downtime. We don't have to rush a project if we know we will have good weather for a whole month, etc.

During these very rainy October days, I've been inside pretty much every day, writing my book. I'm happy to report I'm finally done! Now the business of re-reading, editing and getting it to a point where I can send it to an editor for a second objective look. It's been a awesome project, but it's taken much longer than I had anticipated. I'll be very glad to see it published on Kobo in the next month or so (I guess it will depend how long it takes for my editor to get their portion done and how much rewriting is required). So, rainy months = good time for writing. Dry months = good time to be outside working in the gardens, hiking and tending to guests.