Faith, Folklore, and Friends

The Natchez Trace Parkway is our favorite place to drive.  It is always beautiful, but especially in the fall. Hub and I traveled the Trace to Summertown, Tennessee, late yesterday afternoon,  If you look hard, you can see a hint of the riot of color that will be there in two weeks or so. Happy Fall, Y'all.

Thirty days hath September , April, June, and November; February has twenty-eight alone, All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting leap-year, that's the time When February's days are twenty-nine. Google sites Mother Goose as the author of this poem/jingle. I think it probably predates Mother Goose, but that's just me. We learned it early on in elementary school, and I learned it well, apparently. I quoted it to myself this morning while I was planning some things to do before September ends. Do any of you do this? A big Thank You to the teacher that insisted we memorize this.

November's sky is chill and drear, November's leaf is red and sear.                  -   Sir Walter Scott

Nothing says October like pumpkins.   They can brighten up the gloomiest rainy day.   They decorate our porches, our tables, and our yards, bright against the dead leaves on the ground.     After we have enjoyed the pumpkin's outside for a while, the inside gives us pumpkin bread, pumpkin biscuits, and pumpkin muffins. We freeze the cooked pulp in two-cup bags for these things all winter.  The pulp of one average pumpkin goes a long, long way. And who can keep from smiling when we see all these globes of radiant color?   Oh how we love pumpkin season. You did know this gourd-ish squash has its own season, right? Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin.... We anxiously anticipate it every year. ~Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer , October 2010  

A gentle rain began just after dark last night and continued all night.  We turned the air off and raised the windows, and the sound of the rain was like a lullaby. This morning, it is cool and leaves are falling. Tomorrow, we will be at the fall equinox on our journey around the sun this year.  It has been a fine trip, so far. I've heard it said that in the South, fall is our reward for making it through the summer.  While the ending of summer always makes me sad,  I'm looking forward to the luscious fall days ahead.

Tonight, we will have a harvest moon, the full moon before the autumnal equinox, which comes next Sunday.  The Farmer's Almanac says it got it name because farmers used the moonlight to finish harvesting their crops. Most of the people I know don't have any crops to harvest, but hopefully, you can go outside to see it.  Maybe you could take a walk with someone you love and sing this song. Shine On, Harvest Moon              Lyrics by Jeff Richmond, Nora Bayes, Jack Norworth The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see For the moon refused to shine Couple sitting underneath the willow tree For love, they pined Little Maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness So she says "I think i'll go." Boy began to sigh, looked up to the sky Told the moon his little tale of woe So shine on Shine on harvest moon Up in the sky I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July Snow time ain't no time to st...