Fall is in the air

One thing I miss being in this new apartment is I am unable to sleep with my bedroom window open. Over the last 3 years I have gotten in the habit, despite the outside temperature, to at least have it open a crack. Due to the traffic noise/walkway outside my window, it's just not happenin'. I really miss it.

Last night I had a dream (been having some doozies lately for some reason, like one about Sarah Palin in her pjs baking a chocolate cake... not sure what THAT was all about). I dreamed I was back Home. It was a gray fall day, maybe early morning. I remember the feeling of absolute peace that I was experiencing. Despite the drizzle that is near costant in the PacNW in the colder months, I really miss it. I woke up with this intense feeling of missing Home, eager for fall, for rain, for cooler weather.

I crawled my tired ass out of bed (with no great amount of ease either I might add), dreading the fact that I had responsibilites this weekend that I really wanted to shirk but couldn't. It was pretty freakin' early for a Saturday--6:45ish--and I just wanted to roll back over and fall asleep. But I got up, pulled on whatever happened to be laying on the floor that seemed to be cleanish, and stumbled to the front room to leash the dogs up for their morning walk.

I stepped outside and was met by this smell. It's the smell that doens't happen too often, but next to the fresh sea air it's one of my faves: the first rain of the season. It wasn't raining hard, by any means, just enough to damped the earth outside my door and give that first rain smell. It was a very happy thing, and almost unsettling considering my dream about the rainy PacNW. I'm sure it probably had rained a bit harder before I woke up, and I just incorportated the sound into my dream. But it was happy anyway.

I'm glad fall is here; it signals the progression of the year, and I'm that much closer to being someplace where I want to be.

Considering my downer mood lately, I'm taking this as a little sign of joy.