The changing of the seasons reminds me of life with ALS

Fall has arrived, and the days are cooler here on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. The maples are showing hints of red, and we haven’t seen a ruby-throated hummingbird for a few weeks. I suspect they’ve all headed south for the winter.

Last spring, we put decoy swans on the pond to ward off Canadian geese. The geese would fly circles around the pond and honk in disgust, but they wouldn’t land and make a mess in our yard. A couple weeks ago, our fake swans also fooled a real swan. The trumpeter swan circled above, honking encouragement for our swans to take flight and join her. She eventually landed on the pond to persuade them, but then after closer inspection, she paddled to the far side and took off with a few more honks of indignation. Our swans will not be traveling south this winter.

We haven’t had our first frost yet. I am waiting, not exactly in anticipation, though, as I’m holding on to the remnants of summer, like my now pale zinnias that still attract an occasional lethargic bumblebee. After we get a frost, I’ll cut off the heads and save the seeds for next summer.

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All of these changes point to the coming winter, which has a different kind of beauty, but winters are also long and dark here on the Keweenaw. I’ll have to move several hundred inches of snow before next May. That’s a daunting task I don’t look forward to.

But we aren’t there yet!

I try to remind myself that there are glorious days of fall to enjoy yet. Crisp nights will bring out the autumn colors, and we’ll have warm days to view a patchwork of colored leaves. The grapes just ripened, too, and I’ve been eating a handful on my daily walk.

Some of my favorite things are over, but there is still beauty.

As summer turns to fall, a bumblebee visits our zinnias on the patio. (Photo by Kristin Neva)

It’s a familiar feeling while living with my husband Todd’s ALS. Our traveling days together are over, and we can no longer go on hikes. He rarely leaves our home because riding in our van and being out in public are so uncomfortable for him.

But we’ve had a lot of company over in the last month, and we’ve enjoyed visiting and playing games. We’ve found joy at home watching hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies drink nectar from my zinnias on the patio, and we’ve delighted in deer running across our field. Blue skies with puffy, white clouds always lift our spirits.

Now, as we head into fall, new seasons of our favorite shows have dropped. We look forward to returning to the fictional worlds we have grown to love, such as the team of MI5 rejects in a new season of “Slow Horses.” We’ll watch that and a few other shows together as the seasons change.

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