the countdown begins

 

“The perfect weather of Indian Summer lengthened and lingered, warm sunny days were followed by brisk nights with Halloween a presentiment in the air.”

― Wallace Stegner, Remembering Laughter

***

 

Percy comes to play yesterday and brings with him the magic of Halloween. He is not interested in candy, but talks non-stop about the outdoor decorations in their neighborhood and around town. The lego knights and dragons decorate their castle and Heather-Hazel (the witch), follows us everywhere. The skeletons in the tree glow with the colors of fall, and the countdown to Halloween begins.

***

the lake

“A lake is a landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”

― Henry David Thoreau, Walden

at the south end of the lake . . .

***

dinner time

“Be prepared. A dog is adorable and noble.
A dog is a true and loving friend. A dog
is also a hedonist.”
- Mary Oliver

where is my dinner? . .

***

carving pumpkins

"The pumpkin is a uniquely American plant, widely regarded as one of the most magical plants in all the world."

— Seth Adam Smith (Rip Van Winkle and the Pumpkin Lantern)

I carved one of these white pumpkins into a skull and was quite pleased with myself. The rest were done by my very talented kids, grandson. and husband! What fun we had.

***

bitter nightshade

Bitter nightshade, found winding its way through an old apple tree.

***

“Even now, with the natural world in so much trouble—even now, with the patterns of my daily life changing in ways I don’t always welcome or understand—radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places, in the smallest nooks and deepest cracks of the hidden world. I mean to keep looking every single day until I find them.”

― Margaret Renkl, The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year