October

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all. 

The crows above the forest call;

To-morrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow,

Make the day seem to us less brief. 

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know;

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away;

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst. 

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

By Robert Frost

Seasons

Honest and true, I enjoy and embrace each season as it comes. I suppose some years I chafe more than others when a particular season seems to drag on too long.

January and February tend to bring out the grumps in local people... I hear them complaining more so now, than any other time... too much rain! too many clouds! when will it ever end?! Well, I say, if you can't handle Oregon winters, then move to Arizona already!

I like these months for the long sigh that they are. A breath of stillness. Time to prepare for the burst of growth that comes with Spring. Time to settle in and get a few things done that got pushed to the back-burner by the Holiday season.

This January was NOT a breath of stillness for me. Can I please have a do-over? Delayed Christmases, stomach flu, head colds, birthday celebrations scattered due to snow and power outages and puppies and... the loss of someone Dear to my heart.

I can't believe that February is already upon us. Just one more month before the Robins return and Crocuses push their sleepy heads from under the soil. I don't know if that will be enough time for me to catch my breathe.

Now don't go getting all confused by my flower photos... they are imported from a hothouse somewhere, a lovely token sent by a friend to cheer our home in the midst of sadness. They are the one bit of the vibrancy of Spring that I do enjoy in the midst of Winter.

They are also a good reminder to get my relaxing on, because the planting and digging season is coming soon.

I braved some cold, wet, weather yesterday. Not just on one of my many trips to the kennel with a bottle of formula, but...

because I glanced out my kitchen window and noticed this...

Now, it has been far from Spring-like around here lately, so I was a little surprised. But Forsythia is usually one of the first, so... okay.

Then, on the way back to the house, with my head down to avoid rain in my eyes, I spotted this...

and this...

and best of all, this...

Hellebore, glorious Hellebore, oh how I love thee!

Undaunted by cold, gloom, and so much WET that the grass sloshes when stepped upon, you stand there, defiant.

I am going to take a cue from you, pretty flower, and bring the Spring weather on with the force of my will, if at all possible.



Oh, and by the way... to ye of Irish descent... and to ye who celebrate for the sake of celebration... A Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

October

The days of late have been beautiful... all golden and warm.

But warm without the threat of HOT, which I appreciate greatly.

The leaves have begun to turn and a few have fallen,
but for the most part, the countryside feels like it is poised,
just on the edge of a decision.

Shall I?

Shall I?

Shall I turn NOW?

Part of me says "Yes! Bring the crisp, the cold, and even the wet!"

But most of me wants to hold onto these early Autumn days just a little while longer. I don't want the nights spent at the Firepit to end.

I don't want the roasting of marshmallows to be over for another year.

I would rather the stacks of beautiful firewood wait, if just for a few days longer, so that I can enjoy their graphic appeal before they are burnt up in the woodstove.