The First Cool Morning

That was this morning - I walked out on the back deck, felt the breeze (blowing east from Hurricane Humberto, thank you, Humberto) and said, "Ahh! I survived another horrid summer!"
Yesterday Henny Penny took her four babies out into the big world of the chicken pen for the first time. (Oh, sorry about the Instagram link! But if you click over, I think you can watch it fine.)

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Jenny Penny takes the babies out

A post shared by Mary Kathryn Christiansen (@marykathryn.christiansen) on Sep 18, 2019 at 2:00pm PDT

Adam has been working many hours for the U.S. Census, which means I have many hours at home alone in a quiet house, just Beau and I. I love peaceful, productive morning hours at my desk.

 I've learned, after all these years, how to make the perfect little French press of coffee for myself. A candle. Diffuser oil. A little lotta editing.
Before the editing, I paint. My brain's not awake yet, and painting is a good first activity.
A little water, a little paint.

 Writing and editing are much harder than painting. Adam says they're much harder than walking/driving around door-to-door gathering census information too. But we both love writing. When I can't fall asleep at night, I lie in bed thinking through the plot of whatever story I'm at plot-thinking stage in. It helps me fall asleep.

Sunset on Saturday. We are heading into a pretty time of year.