October

Gusts hurry clouds
Large as icebergs across unlimited blue
Unclothed limbs thrash beneath shadows
Afraid the sky will burst

The gray squirrel
The one that limps  fusses at the cat
Seems thin like the light slipping
Over the edge

I fill the feeders
To overflowing  rake the path
Blanketed with summer’s remnants
Moldering through expectant afternoons

JZR
10/3/91

Though temperatures will be rising today to eighty  plus, and the humidity will soon make the air heavier, fall is here. At bedtime, I open a window in my room, leave the blanket in place and sleep more soundly than I do in summer. It is hibernation time.

Although I’m a morning person, it is difficult to get out of bed when it is so dark outside.  At this time of year I want a rise with the sun and go to sleep when it falls off in the west.  But that doesn’t leave enough time during the daylight hours to get enough done.  In another month the time will change and I’ll find it easier to get out of bed earlier. But night will encroach sooner than before and the evening chores in the garden will be done in strong afternoon light or wait until the days start lengthening again.

Though I haven’t finished the first draft of my book, it’s time for a change of scene.  Next week, I’m off on an adventure. I’m off to London, where a bridge has been falling down for centuries and a new born prince resides not too far away.  I’m very excited but at the same time having difficulty getting myself ready to go.  Packing has always been a chore for me.  I either pack too much or too little and then complain that my bags are either too heavy or I don’t have enough clothing to keep me from looking like an old, wrinkled wanderer.

After I leave the the house, the dogs and cat behind, I’ll become my traveling self, eager for something new and ready for change.  I’ll see some sights I haven’t checked out before, visit with old friends, see a few plays and listen to beautiful music at St. Martin’s in the Field.  I’ll check out Harrod’s and other stores that catch my interest and wander through the many outdoor markets looking for some small object that doesn’t cost much but  would be perfect for one of my works of art.

At this time of year, we usually go to the beach, just five hours away, where the tourists are mostly gone for the season. There I take in the sound of the ocean, walk barefoot in the sand, and simply rest.  But this year I decided on something different. I haven’t been to the other side of the pond in a number of years and decided it was time to return. And England is one my favorite places.  The years pass too quickly and though there are other places still on my bucket list, returning to special places is particularly comforting.  And having Frequent Flyer Miles to get me there certainly helps.

I may or may not show up here during the next couple of  weeks, depending on what I’m doing and how I’m feeling. Sometimes a body just needs a break from old routines. Other times life is so exciting I just may have to break my silence and fill you in on what’s happening.  In any case, I’ll be back in three weeks. Enjoy this wonderful season and the changes that lie before all of us.