Rain, rain, go away

It's raining....again. Heavy rain, for hours at at time. Uffa! I feel sorry for the folks who have come here for a special vacation and have to deal with pouring rain most of the day. When there's a lull, I grab my umbrella and hit the streets for an hour or two to see what's going on in the city. But the steady rain has certainly put a halt to any traveling plans I might be doing. Instead, I'm working more hours as a way of passing the time. I'm doing an online project that allows flexibility in how many hours I work, so I can work more hours than my original commitment (5 hours/day) if I want, and the more I work, the more I earn. The project ends this week, so it's a reasonable solution while I'm stuck indoors. And the weather forecast does not look promising for the next few weeks. UFFA! Not sure when I'll be able to do laundry again, either.

I've been making good use of the termosifoni (radiators) to heat my clothes in the morning and my pajamas at night before putting them on. I also use them to warm my towels before using them. But laundry is another matter. Without the sun, or a stendino (drying rack), it's pretty impossible to dry clothes in this apartment. I will probably hold out until I leave, only washing the necessities that dry quickly when the heat is on.

All too soon, I will be leaving Italy, heading home for the winter months, then returning to Firenze in the spring for another long stay. My apartment here is drafty, and spending the winter in Florence would be costly (to heat the apartment) and very uncomfortable. With the weather as it is, it's helping to ease the pain of leaving...I'm looking forward to my warm house, my bathtub and sunny Kansas skies.

acero (sugar maple)

My son has been sending photos of the trees in my yard as they change colors. I have several sugar maples that are stunning in autumn and a tiny Japanese maple that he gave me as a gift last year. This is its first fall season, and I'm missing the transformation.

acero giapponese (Japanese maple)

But then there's the reality of leaving what now feels like my new home. Only two weeks left in Firenze. Sob! I'll be flying home Thanksgiving day. Jesse has planned a welcome home meal for me...a thoughtful gesture!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to have a few more adventures before I leave, to Modena and Cremona and then to San Miniato for the truffle festival. If only it would stop raining!