Reasons to plan ahead

When I left home this morning, I saw a large blue heron perched high in the top of a old snag just across the creek from where I live. Most bird-lovers know that a snag is an old leafless tree, more than likely dead, that probably should be taken down, but gives all kinds of reasons for birds to love it.
I've also noticed that the hummingbird feeder is half full. Usually within a day after I put it up, it's empty. So, I guess the hummingbirds have flown to their wintering
grounds.
And I've already seen the V-shape formation of geese flying over head in anticipation of keeping warm in another
region.
My birdfeeder just outside the bedroom window was empty yesterday. After I filled it with nutritious yummies, I saw the cardinals quickly found the sunflower seeds. And the little doves got in a taste or two also.
In the letter from my daughter this week, she said they are getting ready to "hunker down." They live way above the Mason-Dixon Line, up there where hunker down means making sure you have plenty of firewood, filling your freezers full, and putting the snow shovels just outside your front door.
As I think about my reasons to hunker down and get ready for colder weather, I know I need to not only fill my freezer with soup, pull out my sweaters and jeans and warms socks, but put plenty of reading material on my
bookshelves.
When it gets cold here in Moultrie, I like to stay inside and cuddle up with a good book and a hot cup of tea. I can always put off house-cleaning in order to read a mystery or two. So, that means I need to start stocking up.
Maybe you should too. Be sure you have a library card so you can check out lots of books. You can even check out DVDs and videos. And if you're so inclined, you can listen to an audio book while you're doing things around the house. I've often put a CD book in the player and listened while making those big pots of soup, and packages of cornbread and muffins for my freezer.
I guess it's also time for me to start thinking about getting my car ready for winter. And decide where I'm going to put my one-and-only fern so it won't freeze.
My goodness, it's only the middle of October and here I am thinking of all these reasons to plan ahead. But it's time, you know.