Gardeners are well into autumn, planting new bulbs and plants to bloom next Spring, clearing out finished stalks and annuals – and weeds. Potted plants must come into winter shelter as well as garden plants that are not able to deal with Zone Four winter temperatures. Autumn is fix-the-lawn time. Move Amaryllis into dormancy for Christmas and hang the bird feeders.

No doubt most folks in cooler climes are dragging out warmer coats and sweaters,  maybe even some long-johns. Then it is time to reset the thermostat and put heavier blankets on the beds. Mariner’s wife tackled restoring a basement rife with children’s toys and storage of unknown objects. In another week or so, family visits for the holidays will begin – a raucous blending of generational differences but rewarding.

It is also time to check the tires and likely get a checkup for the vehicle(s). Is this the year to take down the huge but dying oak tree? Finally, one is pressed to repair lightbulbs, buy new batteries for everything, wash the windows and maybe wash the siding, too.

The kids have adjusted to life in public schools but not necessarily to early wake-up times. Daily trips to fun places like fairs, amusement parks and public campgrounds have dwindled to only a slight chance. Maybe take the family to a park lake to use a canoe before the park closes.

These experiences constitute the thin line of normal life that is left in these tumultuous – dangerously tumultuous – times. Within this thin line is the thin battery from which we must draw enough power to survive Jason’s Arc of the Hero. We are the Argonauts of the 21st century. Our next confrontation is a year from now when a national election is our sword.

Ancient Mariner