The First Frost of the Season

I woke up well-rested after a full night’s sleep. My bedroom window was still open, and I could feel the chill of the misty air as a light breeze carried it into my room. I flung the covers back and set my feet on the floor. My little dog scampered off the bed and down the fabric-covered stairs that led to the floor, and sproinged around my feet to hurry me along. 

The room was dark and cold. My husband had already left for work. I groped around on my bedside table, feeling for my glasses. I unfolded their stems and put them on my face. I grabbed my soft red bathrobe and put it on, then slid my bare feet into my Danskos.

“Okay, Miss, let’s go!” I said to my excited dog. We walked to the front door, and I opened it. She took off like a shot, screaming like a banshee as she ran into the woods to greet the day. She bounced happily along, stopping momentarily to relieve herself and sniff the grass and fallen leaves. I walked outside and stood on the driveway to watch. 

Ooooh, it was brisk out this morning, and foggy too. I started to walk down the driveway, scuffing my clogs on the pavement, and noticed it was slick. It was the first frost of the season! I looked towards my garden it was covered in sparkles. The sun was just starting to come up and it brought the frost-covered ground to life with dancing light. The herbs and flowers became a beautiful work of art seemingly overnight.

I noticed a shimmering cobweb hanging between the spent blueberry bushes. They still had red-colored leaves but no berries. A brown-and-gold spider lay stock-still in the middle of the web, awaiting her breakfast. Even she was beautiful this morning!

I inhaled the cool misty air slowly, and it tickled my lungs. When I exhaled, I could see my breath. That faux smoke plume was always a delightful mystery to me.

Wow! It is cold! I thought to myself. 

“C’mon, Missy! Do you want to eat?” I called to my dog. She came bounding towards me, and she looked like she was smiling. We walked back into our home, which seemed almost hot in comparison to the cool misty air outside.

We went into the kitchen, and I started to prepare her food – a quarter-cup of kibble with about the same amount of wet food mixed in. I topped her breakfast with a glucosamine tablet and a pill pocket that contained her Trilostane, a medication she needs for her Cushing’s disease. She gobbled everything from her dish like a pig. 

“My coffee’s going to taste good this morning,” I said aloud to no one in particular, rubbing my hands together to take off the morning’s chill. I stood in the kitchen and pressed the button on our De’Longhi coffee machine and waited for it to dispense the heavenly-scented beverage into my mug. I turned up the thermostat while I waited. What a beautiful start to my day!