Living in Central Texas means, usually, pretty mild winters, which seems like our prize after enduring the blisteringly hot summers. There will be a freeze or two, or more, and maybe even a little bit of snow. Very little. I have one wool coat, which I may wear once or twice during the winter. Or maybe it will spend the entire winter season, untouched, in the hall closet. I don’t own one other woolen article of clothing.

I guess folks get used to their own area’s weather, and do the appropriate winterizing of cars and homes and yards, or, in our place, not doing anything much different.

I did pull up some tender plants that froze a couple of weeks ago, but most things are still green and alive. My primary fall-and-on-to-winter outdoor activity is raking. I like to rake. I’ve mentioned before that the yard crew that comes each week in the spring and summer (and a little bit into the fall), find it odd that I prefer to rake up the fallen leaves instead of having them mow the leaves into tiny, mulchable pieces. I think it’s good for me to do, and it’s part of the sort of fall weather we have.

I went to Fort Worth mid-week to see Peter in his church’s Christmas pageant. The weather’s been a little nippy, but, when I got back to Waco Thursday afternoon, the weather was perfect for raking. I’d already raked up a whole bunch of leaves, and sent them off in the every-other-week yard waste recycle truck. As soon as last week’s truck left, I refilled those bins with leaves for this coming week. There’s a nice pile of leaves that will hold me though the winter all the way to fall, as I add peels and cores and lettuce that’s spent too much time in the fridge into the compost bins. There are still some leaf bags and piles that will go into the green bins for several more weeks. But, there were still some unraked places in the front yard.

When I pulled into the garage Thursday, I went right inside, put on my long overalls and a shirt and sweatshirt, and went out to rake the rest of the leaves. There’s still a small pile of them, waiting to get recycled, but I think I’m pretty much done for this year. I’m counting on the cold north wind to take care of the remaining few, because, it may not freeze hard this winter, but there will be wind.

There’s always stuff do to in the yard, and on sunny days, I go out and pull some weeds and clean up and make sure plants that seem dry get some water. And make sure those acorns aren’t trying to sprout.

Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work.

Be patient like that.

James 5:7 (The Message Translation)

There are all kinds of ways that I need to be patient. I’m trying to work on them. And!! We have some pecans. We haven’t had any good pecans in a few years. I’ve picked up a few almost every time I’ve been out working in the yard, or just walking around. There aren’t lots and lots, and maybe not even enough for a whole pie, but I think there are enough for a few pecan tarts for Christmas!