The last day of September 2020. At the beginning of the month, the leaves on the tree were green. Now they’ve turned yellow and orange and are blowing about. I have always thought that, like today, there’s a seasonal strong wind that sends them swirling in the wind and skittering along the ground.

This morning it was quite windy, and the sky was a yellowish gray. It began to rain as yoga class was finishing. We were in corpse pose for some time, then our instructor said very loudly “The Internet went off.” I glanced at my computer screen – the instructor was sitting upright. She usually rings her bell three times at the end of shivasin, this is a signal to us all that we need to get up.

Alyrm System

Today, the bell did not ring. It was an abrupt transition, going from being in a relaxed state to being in an attentive, watchful one.

Power outages are not something that concern us since our energy sources are the sun and a generator. We run the generator minimally. However, power outages seem to be of concern to others. I imagine that in the mornings, most of those with electricity are tanking up and getting ready to take to the road. Not us. We don’t do caffeine; rather, we drink decaffeinated tea. This is most likely why we are slow to get going in the mornings.

This morning was no exception. After eating, Pete again made homemade bagels, he went for a walk and I went upstairs and took care of administrativa.

I had lost my hearing aid yesterday when I was at the dentist’s office. I didn’t think I’d ever see it again – it’s such a small item. This is why I didn’t rush making a phone call to the dentist. When I did call, I discovered that my hearing aid had been found and given to a woman behind the desk. Of course, I was relieved to hear this. I’d most likely have to purchase a second hearing aid if I it hadn’t been found.

I also acted upon yesterday’s idea and wrote the head of the re-use committee an email detailing my thoughts as to how the re-use project should be prioritized. I’m now hoping to hear back from him – I would like to expand upon my ideas and present my proposal to the board.

And finally, I began working on a book review of Horses’ Brains, Human Brains by Janet Jones. I will, when it’s done, send it on to the Icelandic Horse Journal. This is the first thing that I’ve written in a long time. I’m still waiting on Pete’s giving me an assist with my recycling/Alaska State Fair book.

Most importantly, the rain let up in the afternoon, which was fortuitous because I was then able to get all the horses out. I first walked Tinni, then rode Hrimmi, Tyra, and Raudi. I rode Hrimmi and Raudi with just a bareback pad.

The best part of the rides was taking in the fall colors and seeing the cloud patterns in the overcast sky. A memorable way of spending the last few hours of the last day of September.

Next: 271. 10/1/20: The Bright Lights Book Project: Let the Good Times Roll