363: A walk in the rain

While out and about on my walk today, I started thinking about why I enjoy this time of year so much.  It is an unpredictable time of year.  We’ve had rain with the occasional sunny interludes throughout the day.  I’ve been outside several times today, and never know what kind of weather I might walk into.  At least it isn’t snow yet.

I do like the capriciousness of the weather in the late, late summer and early autumn.  One day it will be warm and sunny.  The next morning we wake up to fog or frost.  My favorite days are the cool, crisp days when the air seems to be a bit like Rice Krispies with their snap, crackle, and pop.

Mums

I like the flowers and colors of late summer/early autumn.  Yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. I like them all.

I even like the fading colors.

The layers are wonderful too.  Autumn seems to have many layers to it, especially in the meadows.  We’ll see more of that in the woods when the leaves on the trees start donning more of their fall colors.

And the light!  The light is fantastic this time of year.  There is a warmth to it that I’m grateful for after the harsh light of summer.

I don’t even mind the cloudy, rainy days.  Since September and October are usually dry, it’s good to have some rain once in a while.

After giving it a lot of serious thought, I’ve made my decision about what’s next, what I’ll be doing when I finish this commitment.

I am going to continue on with my commitment to step outside every day.  Now that I’ve become more tuned in to the beauty I’m surrounded by, I want to maintain, nourish, and nurture that awareness, that relationship with the land on which I live.  I would miss my daily visits with the great outdoors if I were to quit now.  I have decided to make it a lifetime commitment, one I won’t be required to blog about on a daily basis.  Huzzah for that!

I will attempt to continue on with PostADay since I’ve gotten this far into the year.  I’m not making any commitments where this one is concerned as there may come a day when I want to take a break.

The other things I plan to do are related to improving my health.  I will be committing to a daily yoga practice.  On the mat, every day, for a year.  This will be good for me on all levels. I have noticed that everything else falls into place for me when I’m practicing yoga on a daily basis.  Being more conscious and aware of my body, I treat it better.

I thought about beginning the day after this commitment ends, but we have a lot going on this weekend so it will be best if I start on Monday, September 26th.  Anyone care to join me?  It’s always fun to have company on these journeys.

Rain falling on leaves and grass, an abstract.

The second part of my commitment will be a change in diet.  I have decided to become a pescatarian for the next year.  I would have taken fish off the plate too, but it’s easier to keep that option open, especially when visiting family (most of whom eat mostly meat with the rare veggie every now and then), or friends, or when eating out.  At some restaurants, the vegetarian option on a menu is either non-existent or not all that great, but there are good fish dishes.  I’d like to eventually transition to something close to a vegan lifestyle.  I get close, but cheese is always so very tempting.

So there you have it.  My next two challenges.  The challenges are, in some ways, connected.  Both will, I hope, help me achieve my goal of getting my health numbers where I want them to be.  The commitment I’ll find most challenging will likely be the daily yoga practice.  As I found out during this year of the Great Outdoor Commitment, pushing myself to meet my commitment is very often rewarding, something I will have to keep in mind on those mornings when I’d rather skip the yoga and go back to sleep.

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