The days are getting a little bit cooler and a little bit shorter, but anybody from the South knows this as its true name, False Fall. There's always a reprieve from the blazing heat that makes you think autumn has arrived, then you get an extra week or two of summer.

For now, though, I'm enjoying early morning walks with my elderly doggo. The cooler weather has been a blessing for him. Thor has aged dramatically since we lost our sweet Bella just last year. He has some arthritis now and he gets tired very easily. He's already exceeded the expected life span for his breed by nearly two years. The prospect of losing him is devastating. If you've ever loved a dog, you know that it's never "just a dog."

This summer's harvest was pretty hit-and-miss. I have some autumn veggies on the go and I'm hoping for the best. A friend went to the orchard to pick up cider recently and the farmer told her that he had harvested very few apples compared to previous years. Even on the East Coast, drought has taken a toll.

After narrowly avoiding a rail workers' strike last week, one thing seems clear: we are just barely able to kick the economic can down the road any further. Between inflation, supply chain shortages, and now poor harvests, it's hard to imagine what this winter might look like.

Yet, I find a bit of peace in the fact that I have preps stacked high, a small garden for producing more, and knowledge. We preppers have done the right thing, and the sacrifices of "fun" we may have made while buying supplies is going to pay huge dividends.

For now, as we go into fall, let's focus on gratitude, not fear.