List of Things to Do

Unbelievable that it's September 17th already. Didn't the tulips just bloom in all their glory? And the tomatoes grace us with their first sweet taste of summer?  And July's heat bake us day in and day out for weeks? Now, with the temperature at 52 degrees, I have to start preparing for the reality of winter being just around the corner. Whenever I accomplish a major project, like the fencing in the back pasture, I feel so relieved to finally be able to check something off of my list of things to do.  That relief is usually short-lived, however, because there's always more to do, re: the usual fall activities of harvesting honey, covering rose bushes, cleaning out the garden, picking apples and getting that last mowing in for the year. Then there are the winter preparation projects that came to mind in January, re: the not-yet-remedied leaks of drafts and blowing snow:  add wood to the walls in the sheep's stall and hay area, fill in the gaps on the barn doors, close up the entrance to the hay loft, replace boards here and there that have fallen/blown off throughout the year. And new projects that still need to be done, re: finish getting the shed ready to be the horses new home ... and on and on.  I'm feeling a sense of urgency to get these things done - if fall flies by as fast as summer did, I'm already way behind on my List of Things to Do.