Adapting to the Cold

Colder weather means dressing more warmly, or in Bow's case, wrapping up.

Bow refuses to wear clothes, but he does appreciate the value of a good blanket.

Colder weather also means more home-cooked midday meals.

I don't have a lot of time to spend on cooking, so it's usually something I can whip up fast. Yesterday it was this low prep time pork dish.

http://thefeastbeforeus.blogspot.com/2015/10/low-prep-time-family-meals.html

Today, it's oatmeal.

Every time we get whole milk, with the cream included, the oatmeal is especially good.

Outside, some of the fruit trees have not yet decided whether it is autumn or spring.

Nile the cat climbs the tree in order to make a closer inspection. He also complains a lot while hawks circle, looking for their own dinner.

The purple milkweed pods are letting their seeds go loose.

And the Weigela bush, which had such beautiful blossoms to attract the bees this spring, is now sporting red fruit, as big as cherries.

I am almost tempted to try them, but they are not meant for humans.Or chimps. Yet I am sure somebody finds them tasty, or they would not have taken the bother of growing to be so attractive. The customer knows best.

Should we do things only because they pay? Do the trees and the flowers reckon with a return? Is every blossom an investment in a future that may or may not pay off?  What if the ultimate currency of life is calories, and staying warm on the inside is what it is all about?