We just had our first big snow, about two inches. Beautiful. The rainbow appeared after a shower of sleet, followed by the snow. K’i, our youngest horse, always used to act like it was the first time she had ever seen snow, when the barn door was pulled open to reveal the white stuff. I loved the look of wonder on her face.

Stitch eats the snow as he runs to retrieve his ball. What a clown! He will be a year and a half old in December, and is still such a puppy! He gives us so much joy with his antics.

With cooler weather arriving, we’re finally able to do the gardening without being eaten alive. Preparing to winterize the trees and the tiny house—ladybugs have taken over! We dehydrated apple slices—LOTS of them, and will start on the pears soon. I’m going to plant garlic for the first time this year—can hardly wait to see what happens.

As we feel autumn in the cool air, it is bittersweet. The horses loved the shift, running, playing, and embodying the crispness and relief from the heat. I miss their seasonal energy, finding joy in the memories.

I love fall colors. Now, so many blooms—asters, goldenrod, some phlox fooled by the cooler nights, thistles’ furry heads of brilliant purple. How wonderful to watch the color pallette change across seasons. Time to plant bulbs at the tiny house.

Nature is so abundant. With all of the rain and heat, our apple trees are nearly bent to the ground. I’ve recruited neighbors and friends to come help themselves so we don’t lose branches like we did a few years back. When I was a child, my family always chose the hottest day of the year to do canning—looks like i’ll be carrying on that tradition!

I’M CELEBRATING a new Facebook page for Heart to Heart. I invite you to celebrate with me by posting a photo/story of your animal friend or a beautiful experience in nature on the Heart to Heart Facebook page.