I stood along the banks of the St. Lawrence River this morning with my cousin, both of us waiting to witness yet another sunrise (so I could photograph the moment of course). While we waited, we shared out loud, that, which too many who live around here take for granted - living beside this beautiful river. I never tire of being able to watch it change with the light as each day passes, change with the weather as the seasons pass, watch ships from all over the world pass us by, watch kids and birds fish, kayak on it, exploring the shorelines, listen for the call of loons or the incredible noise that thousands of migrating geese resting for the night on the water or shores can make. I walk along it several times a day with Nellie (my dog), I have to drive along it to get anywhere from my house and I can smell the moisture as I walk out the door. It moderates the climate for up to 2 kilometers from it's edges. It draws the weather systems from the center of the continent - which can be good and bad. I miss it when I travel away from it. It is alive and full of life and affects all of us in so many ways. I am so thankful that I live here, can see it, hear it and feel it. I have lived near it or beside it for more than 45 years since moving to this part of Ontario as a child.

Just after sunrise, the clouds rolled in again and the wind picked up -a blustery sort of day. The sun peeked out off and on, and the rain started steadily falling again towards evening. I felt the domestic urge early today -now that is unusual for me on a Sunday - and by 9 this morning I had 2 pots of homemade soup simmering - red lentil and a potato/leek, a lovely beef stew in the slow cooker, cleaned out 3 drawers in my pantry and made up a shopping list. I hate grocery shopping on a Sunday, but it was too wet outside from yesterdays all day rain to do any fall cleanup, so off I went. John, my hubb, has worked a midnight shift all weekend so he was sleeping all day -that is just no fun at all. I'll be so happy when, in a few weeks he starts his new job with the Engineering Dept. -straight 8 hour days!!! (instead of a 12 hour/7 days /week shift schedule that he has been on for the last few years.) I have spent way too many evenings and weekends alone -which is one of the reasons I got Nellie 2 years ago -for company. I puttered away the rest of the day -watering plants, downloading photos from my camera onto the computer, putting up some more Halloween decorations, knitting and walking around the yard making mental notes of all the things yet to be done before the cold weather sets in. Since we had such a cool VERY WET summer, I'm hoping for a long beautiful fall!!!! Tomorrow I'll have to dig out one of my many "witch" costumes - our staff ALWAYS dresses up for Halloween at school. I love being in costume all day - I get to do crazy things with my kids and blame it on the "witch"!!!