20191001 001041 2-1/2 minutes.
Fall, Changing Seasons, Hibernation,

It was the most perfect day. Sunshine but cool. Incredibly blue cloudless sky. All the leaves, well almost all, a gorgeous bright green and still on the trees.

When walking through the woods with the dogs I stopped in a pool of sunshine and luxuriated in the warmth seeping into my bones. It felt wonderful.

It wasn’t official yet, but it felt like fall as we wish it would always be. A day for doing all those projects that have to be completed before the weather broke. A day for enjoying the diminishing number of gorgeous days left, before the cold, windy, wet days to come.

And yet I stayed indoors (with the doors open) – but seemingly glued to my chair, with no energy to attack the veggies waiting in bushel baskets looking accusingly at me, or any of the other myriad tasks to be done.

What was causing this incredible ennui? Was it medical, conflicting medications, getting old, bad diet, lack of exercise, or whatever else? I concentrated my expectations on interactions of medications. Or maybe thyroid could be the villain. Luckily I had an appointment with my doctor on Monday, so maybe we could discover its origin.

It was incredibly frustrating with all that was waiting to be done: finishing the preserving, inventorying and reorganizing the freezers, ditto the “root cellar,” finishing and organizing the “book corral,” and culling the big tent that served as my basement and attic. All had to be completed before the weather broke, as well as painting the outside furniture when it had dried out enough. Until then the humidity, and low atmospheric pressure had been the suspected culprits for my low energy level, but it was a perfect day so that idea flew out of the window.

Finally, around three o’clock, I began to find some energy. But by then most of the day was over with nothing accomplished. Not good! Usually I had much more energy than most people my age, so it was very unusual for me.

Now, many years later, all the foregoing applies. Maybe it’s the deeply implanted instinct to hibernate. Maybe the shortening days, with light becoming less intense with an hour less daily every month, triggers a fatigue in our bodies from eons ago. That’s a more acceptable explanation, for me, than that I’m either sick or getting old. I’ll vote for hibernation. I’ll buy it!