A Walk in the Woods

I took a walk out into the woods today. Lou and I used to do this often, but since he passed away, I hadn't gone out there anymore. I walked past his grave and stopped and said Hi. I miss my old friend. He used to go bouncing out across the hills and I wouldn't see him for about an hour. But he always came back and then he would stay close to me. He always had to have that big run first. After being tied up so much, I understood. The forest is beginning to turn. The month of October is when we start to see the leaves change colors and begin to drop. I love this time of year, it is my favorite. I like spring, but I love fall best. After a long hot summer there is nothing more enjoyable than the cool evenings and a hit of crispness in the air. Wood smoke drifts across the valley beyond the hills, many people still burn wood stoves and fireplaces around here. Our is more for looks than actual heat, and it doesn't even have a chimney. It is gas logs, artificial. I would have much preferred a real fireplace, but after all, I didn't really plan to live here.

I have been feeding the deer all summer, and I was gone for over a month, so they came in close to the house and finished off all of my hosta's, caladaiums, and Indian Hawthorns. I guess the deer were telling me not to neglect them next time. Luckily they don't like the Rhododendron's. I guess tomorrow I will run to town and pick up some more deer corn. The babies have lost their spots now, when I left they were still spotted.

I have been physically sick the last couple of days. It is usually something that I have eaten that I shouldn't have. They put wheat into so many things, and I often get more than my body can take in just a spoonful of something that contains trace amounts of gluten. When my eyes start to itch and burn, and the skin sloughs off the inside of my eyelids then I know I have had way more than my limit of gluten. And when I feel like I do today, with the insulin dumping making my blood pressure dip really low, I know that I better be really careful for the next few days. I am on my way to bed and it is only 8:30, but I am feeling really sick today.