A fall day

It's been one of those wonderful soft gray fall days here today at Chippewa Pines, warm and hazy with just a hint of rain. This evening I went for a walk on my usual route through the woods, which I hadn't done since Nancy and Gerry arrived just over a week ago. Since then the woods has turned to gold. Well, not just gold, but orange and brown and bright red and yellow and burgandy. The forest floor is covered with newly fallen leaves, every one decorated with jewel-like raindrops. Still and quiet except for the grasshoppers' pleasant and ever-present hum.

My walk ended at the river just below the house, where I sat on the steps and stared for a good half hour. My god, it is so beautiful here. Brown river like a mirror and endless reflections of oak, ash, and sumac. My favorite tree in the world, a huge, muscular red oak that's got to be 150 years old, canopies the steps to the river, and a good part of the yard. This tree must be nearly as wide as it is tall, with graceful branches at right angles to the trunk, stretching out a good 30 feet over the water and further than that inland. There's an old swing still hanging from one of the inland branches, chain so rusty now I'd be hesitant to sit on it. And the remnants of a chain on the river-ward branch, formerly with a rope attached for swinging out over the river and letting go.

I started today with a trip to the farmer's market, picking up some late season tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, banana peppers, and romaine, all grown somewhere here in the fertile Saginaw valley. Then to the grocery store and home to spend the afternoon cooking. A bit tired now, hope I can stay awake for the presidential debate tonight. Not sure I will be able to sit in the same room with my dad for it....

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