Summer Toasts

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The Labor Day champagne at the beach tradition is one of the best days of the year. There’s something so much fun about gathering with our beach friends and toasting to another great summer season. We should probably celebrate the start of summer instead of waiting until the very last day to celebrate it, but who am I to alter tradition?!

It was a perfect beach day, the sun was shining, the water was warm, or at least as warm as the ocean can possibly be in Rhode Island, and we were surrounded by friends and family all day. I admit, though, once evening set in, my brain started focusing more on the week ahead than the fun at hand, which meant I limited my champagne toasts.

Tim, on the other hand, enjoys this day more than anyone. He gets to catch up with childhood friends, relive old stories, and truly be in his element. So I didn’t mind being the responsible one while he toasted, laughed, and carried on as if there wasn’t a care in the world.

At one point, one of my friends asked what goals we had for the upcoming year, almost as if it were New Year’s Eve. But it did make me think… should I be setting goals for the fall? What do I want to accomplish? Maybe fall is actually a good time for a little reset, a chance to look at what’s ahead and decide what I want to tackle.

For now, my focus is on finishing our bedroom project, and I’m happy to report that the new split king adjustable bed has officially been ordered… YAY! Tim is afraid he’s going to fall into the crack in the middle, but I’m sure he’ll be just fine, and might even end up loving the bed more than he imagines.

I’ve also warned him that I’ll be cleaning room by room, starting upstairs and working my way down. Since he has completely taken over the basement family room as if it’s his own private space, he’s been warned… I’m coming for it. 

We stayed at the beach long after dark and finally headed home, making a quick stop at McDonald’s to satisfy my man’s hunger for fast food. After showers, we settled in for the night when suddenly I heard a chicken in distress.

On went the lights, and Tim was out the door in a flash, only to discover that several chickens were outside the coop!

We’re still not sure how they managed to escape, but flashlight in hand, Tim searched the yard and found a few hens perched in the tree branches while others were hiding in the shrubs. Apparently, these girls had decided that nighttime was the perfect opportunity for an adventure, or my guess is they escaped then couldn't find their way back inside! 

Of course, chickens aren’t exactly known for their intelligence, and apparently they aren’t smart enough to realize when they’re putting themselves in danger. They’ll happily wander into the woods, climb into trees, hide in bushes, and generally make questionable life choices without giving a single thought to the fact that something might actually eat them. Their survival strategy seems to be questionable at best. 

Tim gathered them all up, four in total and safely returned them to their coop. Thank goodness he has the day off, because now he can concentrate on figuring out exactly how they escaped in the first place. Apparently, my fall goals may need to include getting the house in order, finishing the bedroom, reclaiming the basement, and keeping four very foolish chickens alive.

And maybe that’s not such a bad way to head into fall. Summer may be ending, but there’s still plenty to look forward to, new projects, a new bed, a little organizing, and, apparently, whatever adventures our chickens decide to create for us. After all, life would be pretty boring if everything went exactly according to plan.

So here’s to Labor Day, one last champagne toast to summer, and welcoming whatever comes next...adventure awaits. 

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”
— Roald Dahl