It’s ‘ber’ time

Sing along with me ... “it’s the most, wonderful time, of the year.” Well, it is to me anyway.

No, I’m not rushing the Christmas season. I’m not one of those people. It’s just that I love the “ber” months. You know — September, October, etc.

I enjoy the cooler weather, being able to open the windows in the house after months of attempting to keep the cooler, drier conditioned air in and the hot, humid summer air out.

I haven’t even minded the past week of rain and sleeping nights with the thunder and lightening outside my bedroom window. Eddie Rabbitt was spot on when he sang “I Love A Rainy Night.” Fortunately, our house hasn’t suffered any ill effects of the storms, unlike so many, including my home-owning kids ... not yet, anyway.

Anyone who camps knows it’s the best time of year to be out amongst nature, sitting by a crackling fire, wearing that favorite, over-sized sweater with a hot cup of java in hand. Granted, our coffee is brewed in a Bunn coffee maker, but should we ever be without electricity, the old blue enamel peculator is at the ready.

We’ve camped into late October and by then, most campgrounds are closing shop for winter. There aren’t usually many of us out there that late in the season but that suits me right down to the ground. It makes for a serene atmosphere, just enjoying the crisp air and falling leaves. It also allows us a little more room for our fur-girls. We can spread their tie-outs further apart so we aren’t constantly untangling their lines as they manage to weave themselves into quite a knot when we’re in closer quarters.

So anyway ...

All my senses seem to be heightened and on point once we hit the “bers.”

I’ll soon be making my way to the basement to dig out my totes of stored seasonal decor and some “autumn-ish” foliage to place around my house.

Of course, there’s the scented wax burners and candles and the homey, cozy aromas they throw, filling the entire house with a comforting ambiance.

I enjoy all the sounds the season brings as well — the buzzing of a distant chainsaw, the cawing of the crows as they fill the trees, the droning whirr of combines working their way through the fields, the crunching of leaves as my dogs play in the yard and college football on TV.

This year, the network Freeform is extending its popular “13 Days of Halloween” to “31 Days of Halloween.” That gives me an additional 18 days worth of opportunities to watch “Hocus Pocus,” not to mention a healthy dose of Johnny Depp in everything from “Sweeny Todd” to “Dark Shadows.” They’re also throwing in more than a half dozen showings of my kids’ favorite movie when they were young, “The Goonies.” And better yet, there’s always the old spooky movies offered by TCM.

So dig out the quilts, find your old, comfy sweater and thermal socks and get ready for the most wonderful time of the year.

Contact Dana King at 641-792-3121 ext. 6522 or dking@shawmail.com