Button Up! Autumn is Coming

To be quite frank, it seems like we were just getting into the beat of summer, yet here we are heading to the first day of fall. As much as I'd like to deny it, our days of summer chasing are coming to an end and we'll finally have to face not just the crisp colourful days of autumn, but the crystal cold of winter.

Frost warnings are starting to pop up, so we have to winterize the house, closing it off to critters and sneaky drafts. All this at a time, when we're used to looking forward to the warmer days of South American summer...we knew it was coming.

When we were sitting out on the sun porch, watching Moncton "rush hour" traffic the other night, we noticed that the maple tree across the street had some red leaves and as we walked though Mapleton Park on Sunday, we noticed the gentle fall of leaves and the change of colours creeping in. 

We had what is likely our last ice-cream of the season. Most of the dairy bars (ice cream stands) are shuttered, like the Labour Day weekend was the last hurrah. The sun hasn't completely deserted us, we had a lovely walk through Centennial Park, even though a couple of squirrels yelled at us for going through their territory. It's hard to take a little outraged red squirrel seriously, no matter their vehemence.

Heathcliffe, our resident squirrel in PEI
(He got humanely transported to another location)

That being said, it's that time when the critters are looking for a cozy escape from the oncoming winter and, as our house lacks a cat, it's pretty enticing. We've been taking our time, going over the foundation, filling holes, sealing off potential entry points, wrapping the porches with fine mesh and trying to get ahead of the invasion. There are few sounds more distressing than the scritching of critters in the floors or walls.

Memento from the last great mouse battle

Update: Battle Rodent continues, but we've won a major victory! We've found their access to the house it has been baited and sealed. We feel encouraged after so many failures. Despite the feel of autumn in the air, there are a few days of summer being forecast in the upcoming week. Time to buy some long sleeved shirts and start looking for snow boots, just the same.