The time of first ice

We are feeling the shift here, the tilt away from sun and summer.  Each day is about eight minutes shorter than the last, and we've already been caught by surprise by a few early sunsets.  Noah and Malaya ended a bike ride last week in the almost-dark; it somehow snuck up on us all. 

And it's noticeable, the effect of those shortening days.  Not just a few drifting leaves now, but a fall of them.  A few nights ago we got the first rain in well over a month, which turned to slushy snow in the early half-dark morning. I am most grateful for the clarity that came back to the air after that, as the wildfire smoke finally blew out of the valley and the fires settled down with snow in the higher hills. At the edges of forests on Blue Mountain and Mount Sentinel, a fringe of white is still visible in the shade.  The hills that for weeks we could hardly see are again clear and defined--and now the smoke has lifted, I notice the larches are starting to turn yellow. 

It's not just changing colors and air clarity, though.  This morning when I woke up I found a solid layer of ice topping the water left in our plastic dishwashing tubs.  The soup pot left in the tub after last night's cooking was frozen in place.  It's a thin rim of ice, so far, but the cold is definitely creeping in. Indoors, Mabel and Hershey are clinging more solidly to the bed with each cooler night, burrowing under the covers and refusing getting harder to budge.   

Our toolshed is still pretty cozy, but getting cooler,and the outdoor kitchen and shower are becoming a bit more, um, refreshing.  We've taken to heating some water in the electric kettle to add to the dishwater,and even sometimes using the propane stove to heat a large water pot for showering (pretty luxurious). The semi-outdoor life is evident more in cold fingers than in sunny cheeks now, a contrast to when we moved here in late August. 

It's a time for burrowing in a bit.  We think we will be moving into the cottage house within the next few weeks, which will be especially welcome after after a few more icy mornings.  Till then, we'll take a cue from Mabel, soaking up some warm outdoor sun during the day(even in chilly air), and nesting under an ever deeper layer of blankets at night.

View of the paper birch through this morning's layer of ice.