Friday, September 14, 2012

Transitioning Time


     Fall is a time for transition.  With the fall equinox comes shorter days.  I welcome this time of year and I’ll tell you why.

One of the pumpkins we grew this year.
     The garden starts turning brown and the last of the harvest is canned or frozen.  No more watering, weeding or picking.  Yea!  Pumpkins are turning orange and getting ready for their Halloween debut, on one of my very favorite holidays.  Yea!  With hoe and shovel the garden is turned over and left to rest till spring.  No more garden maintenance. Yea!
   
     I see fewer birds in the garden since most are heading south for the winter.  A few stick around because my hubby feeds them.  We do get to enjoy some wild life, and actually we see more varieties in the winter, quail, doves and other birds.  The deer come up to the fence looking to nab some sunflower seeds too.  We often find their tracks in the mud or snow.

     As a writer, I enjoy the fall and winter months. This is my time for getting back to the business of writing.  I can see out my office window and enjoy the change of color in the trees, the rain and eventually the snow.  Cold, short days keep me at the computer and in my chair.  What’s better than a cup of hot tea, a bulky, warm sweater and a juicy work in progress?

I also find I read a lot more in the winter.  When it is cold outside and the rain is pouring, I flip on the gas fireplace; grab an afghan, hot chocolate or tea, and a good book.  And just relax for an afternoon or evening.

Fall and winter are refreshing times for me both as a writer and a reader.  Added bonus, the holidays are right around the corner.  Yea!

    Do you read more in the summer or winter, or does it make a difference?

8 comments:

Sarah Raplee said...

Diana, I do read and write more in the winter. Hadn't thought about it until I read your post.

I guess I "nest" in the winter. :)

Diana McCollum said...

LOL, Sarah. Nest is a good way to put it. A cozy nest with hot tea and a good book!

Karen Duvall said...

I like to write with football games playing in the background. I'm not sure why, but I find it very cathartic. :) When I worked in an office I used to take my vacation time in the fall to write, so it's kind of been a tradition for me to kick it up a notch in the fall.

Diana McCollum said...

Karen, that is very interesting that you can write while a football game is on. It does make sense though, since you would not be distracted listening to a plot unfold on t.v.

Paty Jager said...

I do read more in the winter time and it kick starts me back into a writing routine once all the summer work is done. Fun post!

Diana McCollum said...

Thanks, Paty. You have an incredible amount of summer work with your ranch and hay operations. I really admire that you can do all that and still churn out wonderful books at the rate you do.

Judith Ashley said...

Hi Diana,

I have a great writing routine that I easily maintain once school starts. Summers with watering and later starts in the morning make it much more difficult.

I have times I'm a 'binge' reader, sitting down and reading three or four books in a row before I come up for air and get back to business. Otherwise I have a book I'm reading on the table next to the couch so I can read a chapter or two in between chores (especially ones I don't want to do).

Is that pumpkin picture in your garden?

Diana McCollum said...

Hi, Judith, Yes that pumpkin is in my garden. It is pitifully small, about the size of a melon. In California the growing conditions were so much better than here in the high desert. We routinely grew pumpkins so big we couldn't pick them up.