Autumn 2014

Life these days is so much about caring for other people.  But at the same time, I'm managing to continue to tackle projects.  Yes, there are still projects on my list.  This weekend I managed to clear out all the boxes of Christmas decorations from under the stairs, and throw away or give away everything except the few I still use.  The nice thing is that now everything will fit on easiily-accessible shelves in the garage instead of under the dark, scary stairs where spiders and who-knows-what-else lurks. 

And I took a few pictures of the autumn around my yard yesterday and today.  Leaves are halfway finished falling.  I'm not raking just yet.  Wait a week or so until most are down.  And then I'll probably phone Alberto anyway.  Today, I'm taking a much-needed day off for some downtime with my little Frankie.

Blood Moon, October 8, 2014

Full moon, Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon, all the same moon today.  I was up early and enjoyed watching all the phases as it progressed.  The red color was thrilling to see.  I tried taking photos, but had forgotten to find the tripod and my efforts looked more like timelapse with a string of moons captured during the long open lens.  Blurry, too, since I skipped the autofocus for manual and did not have contacts in the eyes to really tell when I had a good focus.  So all in all, it was fun getting up to see the event, and I came away with a shot decent enough that I could crop and "shop" to make a decent illustration here.

October

Reposting this from a few years ago.  Love the change of seasons.  It's a beautiful autumn here so far, if rainy and wet.  Leaves a changing a falling, just as they are supposed to.

October

From my open window

This mild October morning

A breeze

With musky, ripe scent
Swirls through my space and me.

The giant elm across the way

Soughs, bends, straightens

Slowly,

With age-stiffened limbs

Not unlike my own.

Silhouetted against a still-dark sky,

Its leafy fullness

Shows no hint of changes

Soon to come.

Neighbor houses closed up tight

In their man-made coolness

Do not share this pleasure

I enjoy—a treat

For all the senses.

I sit by open window

My house fragrant

With the new season.

I breathe of it deeply

And feel a kinship.

I, too, am autumn.

My day ahead is busy,

Duties tug,

Pulling me away

But the breeze persuades me

To stay a bit longer.

To feel this coolness

And taste a delicious ripeness

And receive the subtle messages

Of change.

Copyright 2011 Becky Stauffer