Sewing Room Smells And Sounds Of Fall Are Here
 

The smells: Something about the smell of the air when I go outside, maybe because the air is below 100 degrees for a change, reminds me of Fall. That is, when I can smell anything at all, owing to the congestion in my nose that seasonal vegetation seems to cause. The smell of briquette starting fluid seems to drift further this time of year, sometimes from blocks, maybe miles, away. I wonder what they're going to cook? The smell of roasting green chili on my patio grill, and the smell when stowing it away in the freezer that should have been defrosted before loading it with chili and other new crops being harvested now. Later, that frozen food will all be taken back out and covered with a few quilts while waiting for the freezer to thaw. It’s one of those tasks that can easily be put off for later, and I do.

The sounds: The absence of young voices in the park across the street during the middle of the day, then the increased sound of those voices after school hours when they all congregate for the few hours of daylight remaining. The sound of the school band warming up on the practice field a couple of blocks north of the house, indicating that we have a good crop of beginners this year, and the random chirps of a smoke alarm needing its battery replaced, fill the air at this time of the year. One of the kittens playing with one of the dog’s tennis balls rustles the leaves in the back yard, my wife and I both blowing non-existent mucus from our noses in a desperate attempt to clear the congestion that will be with us for a while, can be heard in the deafening quite of the sewing room that now has no air conditioner running and the doors open and only the screen doors closed.

The Fall seasonal sounds and smells are very much a part of the sewing room once again. Not that there’s all that much more production being accomplished in the sewing room, but it seems to be more pleasant even when running out of bobbin thread at a most inopportune time, bending a needle sewing that crotch seam (I knew it was going to happen, but I forced it anyway), or the suddenly noticeable clank in my treadle that I thought was adjusted to perfection (I didn’t notice it when the AC was running). And since cursing seems to sooth me when things are not going well, I have to keep reminding myself that the doors are open now, and neighbors can hear the sounds of Fall as well....

What sounds and smells indicate the Fall Season at your sewing room?

CD in Oklahoma

CD, I love to read your poetry, and that is what it is to me. So don't stop. Some of these things are, the smoke from turning the oven cleaner on, because I can air it out of the house.ha. And I do need to clean a refrigerator out in the garage before winter. And my freezer inside is much worse than yours could be. I need to clean it out. Oh what a job. Wish I could say shazam and it would be done. Barny

Thanks for the compliment Barny, I just write it as I smell it and hear it......

CD in Oklahoma

"The sound of the school band...indicating we have a good crop of beginners this year" was a line that cracked me up.

Not in the sewing room but in the woods. The smell of dark rich humus and mushrooms. We've had a couple good rains finally. I'm hoping it's enough to trigger the chanterelles into growing and that I will be able to get out and find some this year.
Rodney

I hear and see the school buses driving in the early hours with sleepy heads on board. The air is starting to "smell" crisper and the dogs don't drag so much on our walks. I need to put a screen door on my sewing room so I can leave the door open as much as possible. Of course, I leave it open right now anyway due to the dogs wanting to come in a check on me now and then otherwise I have to keep getting up and down to let them in and it is distracting. Not the best scenerio. We are already seeing geese congregating in the sky headed north I assume although some don't bother leaving. We had a very cold winter last year so maybe they will be heading up north this year. Ah I do love fall!

CD, thanks for making me stop and think about this. Sometimes we just barrel through one season after another without taking notice or enjoying the pleasures of each one. Life is speeding by and as Mac Davis sang, "you got to stop and smell the Roses ......"

I love that crispness in the air, I can feel it on it's way some days. Other days we are still getting those dog days of Summer. The dogs are slower to come inside now when the weather is cooler. You can watch them tighten up, then spring forward into a playful run when I can them to come in.

Here, we are in the last push to get the Summer chores done and the house ready for Winter. It's time to caulk the gaps in the siding and replace some rotted wood in the window frame, so today the workmen are here with hammers and saws in full chorus.

We're suppose to get down to a low of 73. We're still in the 80s and 90s. Our neighbor cooks on the grill everyday; not pleasant. He uses so much starter fluid. That's all you smell. Dogs getting more noisy with kids getting on bus on our corner. Cracking windows as DH is painting. AC going and windows cracked. And headaches. Ready for the fall colors.

The plants and flowers are at their fullest, beautiful colors - just before the frost kills them. Lawn furniture very soon needs to be put in storage. The crispness of the evenings promises the fall smells of the leaves covering the ground. But, my very, very favorite is the wonderful smells from the grape vineyards. Every year it catches me by surprise - never tire of that smell.

Good grief you all are poetic.
The fall of life.... The sound of the car in the neighbors driveway at 10:00 at night with the loud muffler and the music so loud my windows rattle that Dad can't hear.
The sound of Dad saying what ever he thought I just said with a twisted interpretation.
The sound of Dad reading a piece of junk mail trying to decide whether or not he won a million dollars if he just sends them him bank account information and social security number.
The sound of Mom's walker as she struggles to get up off the couch after snoring a while. The sound of her her attempting to drink water with a spoon and throwing it down in frustration.
The sound of pill bottles opening and shutting.
The sound of Dad letting flies in the house when he opens the patio door, leaves it open, grabs bird feeders and drags them through the house leaving seeds all over the floors. The sound of the toilet flushing in the middle of the night and holding my breath that I don't hear a thump.
The sound of the blender as I make breakfast... yikes.

Just a quick hint on defrosting the freezer that I have used that makes the job more enjoyable if that is possible....

After removing the contents of the freezer, I take pitchers of warm water and pour it along the sides to help melt the frost. I use a cake/pancake turner to help slide the frost off the sides. When all the frost and water is in the bottom I set a bucket in the bottom and take a freezer container with flat sides and scoop the frosty water into bucket. Lastly I wipe down the sides with a thirsty towel. I can speed up the defrosting process greatly using this method.

Best wishes on the defrosting!!

you mean the sounds of foul?

(Those too.)

CD in Oklahoma

What a great read. Thanks to you all contributing. Enjoyed.

I think for me the outside smells are of caulking and paint as we prep the window and door frames for winter. It seems we do this about every 2 years. The smell of splitting wood and of woodstoves being started up. This was all last week up to the long weekend. The smell of "garage" as we change oil and tires for their winter counterparts and prep the 2 wheelers and summer yard equipment for their winter sleep. (hopefully not for a month more though!) I'm still trying to decide whether to start up the hot tub in the garage this year, so no chlorine smell yet. Hmm,.. I should get DH to look over the snowblower before it's needed this year instead of trying to start it for the first time after slogging through 2 ft of snow!

That reminds me. I think we need a new snow shovel. We used about 1/3 of one last year....

The sounds are chain saws and leaf blowers as people are clearing the leaves and finishing up the outside "honey do" list. Lawnmowers and weed whackers running for the last time before the snow. Weird, the lawn smell isn't traveling like it does in the summer. The garage sounds: air compressors and tools being dropped on the ground. Maybe a little cursing when I skin my knuckles trying to get to the oil change spots on my bike and wonder who the strong-girl was who put that oil filter on my bike in the spring. Oh yeah, it was me. The grunts and several groans as I try to get off the cold garage floor after the oil change. Most notably, the neighborhood is quieter with the kids in school, except the 3 times a day when the school bus stops in front of the house.

Inside it's chili or stew on the stove or in the crockpot. Bread baking, or even the smell of a sourdough proofing. No wonder it's tough to keep the weight off in the winter with all the comfort food! Especially since I start some of it in my studio while I work all day and am starved from smelling it! And there's a smell from the quilts that are permanently wrapped around me from September to March. Something clean and comforting and perhaps a little like furry quilt inspector.

Inside the most noticeable sounds are Lucey and I dancing again finally and my other sewing machines getting more exercise as I listen to an audiobook or some music to help me stay on task. The sound of my fingers on the keyboard - typing when I leave my task and pop up on the QB to see what's shakin'. ;)

Last year, we didn't burn much but we've had one fire this year already and are thinking of it tonight too. Chili for dinner - dh just stepped out for a can or so of tomato something or other.

Oh! How could I forget one other smell?!?! A cup of hot Market Spice tea beside me. It's my best friend in the fall and winter. Sometimes I substitute it for a cup of Earl Grey with coconut milk and pure Mexican vanilla too.

I smell the first rain of this year. It stinks badly. On top of the usual it has not rained for months dirt and dust that is getting wetted there is the smoke from the bad wildfire to our east. The winds blow west to east but the smoke hit the top of the valley and was held there. I saw the smoke pillar on Thursday. It was flat at the top worse than a mushroom cloud.