Thought for the Day (Nov 3)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: sophocleese
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 11:39 PM

Ah well, Lovely to see greens and reds and golds but today I had no trouble getting kids out of bed. "The world has turned white overnight. Any idea why?" The seven year old got out of his bunk so fast he nearly fell and my five year old just stood by the open back door yelling SNOW! SNOW! I love the bright, luminous grey white light at noon with the snow still falling outside. We're still getting the snow. I cleared the back deck at 4:30 and there's another three inches, 11 cm, piled up again. We were unprepared for this. I spent an hour digging up kid's toys from the snow and hauling them to the basement. 4 years ago we had a similar early snow and it stayed; it wasn't till a plow came by for the driveway that I found broken bits of plastic marking the resting places of several summer toys.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 07:53 PM

Ah, those evocative memories, enhanced by the sight out of my windows of the sycamore turning green and gold and scarlet. The Virginia creeper is turning ever deeper, and the firethorn berries shine through the falling leaves, like little bursts of flame; the drifts of leaves, falling silently as angel feathers and then crunching and scrunching underfoot, like so many thousands of crisp packets. Those same leaves, who only a few short months ago were fresh and new and bronzed, and are now wafting across the country to spread their beauty to all and sundry. Those same leaves that even now, are drifting into piles, deep enough to jump in, covering the lawn with great golden drifts and hiding the cat poo. The same beautiful works of nature that are clogging half the railway lines in the UK....... Yes, it's 'leaves on the line' time again!

LTS

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: KathWestra
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 01:48 PM

Peter, thank you for yet another lyrical "Thought..."

I'm not as far north as you -- haven't even had our first hard frost -- but a major cold front blew through here yesterday, blowing many of the leaves from the trees and sending my local flock of titmice, chickadees, Carolina wrens, sparrows of various sorts, bluejays, and resident pair of cardinals winging to my feeders. I measure the dropping temperature and the shorter days by the number of times I need to restock the seed. Yesterday was a two-fill day.

Today, my yard is a carpet of shimmering red, yellow, and gold maple leaves, intermingled with the bronze and brown tones of two different oaks. I relish these shortening autumn days -- days when the sky is a deep, clear blue unclouded by the pollution that plagues my big city during the summer months. I feel invigorated by the chillier air. My warmth-loving friends just shake their heads indulgently at my joy in this colder season. I remind them I'm a Michigan girl -- and that I can't wait for the first snow.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Bill Cameron
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 01:29 PM

Yo, I'm getting similar weather to Peter's but no snow yet. Deep grey fast moving clouds suggest its not far off. That woodpile outside needs to be split and stacked in the shed and one of these pretty soons I'll get to that. High winds and flickering lights suggest this post will be abbreviated so I better send it now

Bill

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Quirk Malarkey
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 01:14 PM

peter, how romantically evocative. such a fine turn of phrase! though i don't have the same inspiration, i find that the mid-70s and clear sky of o'ahu quite stimulateing in its' own way. granted that the semi-nude trees may start some wintery trains of thought but the semi-nude women on the island cause a few themselves. i'm off to watch the surfers and strum my dulcimer under the palms. good winter to you. thanks for the memories.--doodlezak

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 01:04 PM

Had a friend, whose New England born and bred friend moved to Hawaii after married life settled in. They were there for several years, when one day her husband came home nad found her standing at the sink, washing the same dish over and over, looking out at the beautiful tropical scenery, muttering to herself over and over, "Another beauitful damn day in Hawaii, another beautiful damn day in Hawaii." He quickly moved her back to New England and a return to the so important (to her, at least) seasons.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: lamarca
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 12:37 PM

I grew up (well, got older, at least) mostly in Wisconsin. I hated the leaden gray skies that seemed to descend in late October and didn't relinquish their hold on your soul until late April. Gordon Bok had a wonderful line in one of his songs about how a sad man's life "seemed twelve Novembers long..."

In my childhood, I longed to live Somewhere Warm. Now, however, I realize that I wouldn't ever want to live somewhere where there wasn't some snow, and where the ebb and flow of four seasons measure the days of the year. Autumn and Spring are my favorite times of the year, for the changes in the natural world around us are most visible then.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 12:06 PM

CP, how could I have been so thoughtless? (easy, really....).

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Mían
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 11:28 AM

saw a photo of fox in snowy wood about 5 minutes before reading Peter's narrative...i miss snowy winters.And autumn is my favorite time of year. love that crispness in the air, the unbelievably blue skies...

Click here http://daily.webshots.com/content/dailyphoto/current/photo19991103-2.html

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 10:50 AM

Spaw, LMAO! Glad you rmembered the waders!

Peter, it is indeed a strange autumn. Here I am in Wyoming, lots of wind yesterday with high 60's. Sure it gets down into the 20's and 30's at night, but through the weekend, early November we're supposed to have 60's and 70's!! Go figure! Usually for Halloween, the kids have to go so bundled up nobody can tell what their costumes are. Weird and noone seems to be worried.

Your imagery, as ever, is incomparable. Thank you.

kat

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 09:27 AM

Trees still somewhat clothed? Squirrels mucking about? Snow and cold and that chilled through feeling?

All of this you experience and nary a thought for the poor damn Waylon Heron. Did you get him the lined duster, cowboy style waders, or even some little earmuffs for under his cowboy hat? Winter approaches and the poor little fella' is left to fend for himself. Sure, you got your jollies dressing him up and now you turn your back on him as so much crane crap, an unpleasant memory of other times.

What kind of man are you? Do something! And do it now. Mario has finally fulfilled his duty to name Cleigh's little sis and now you must face up to your responsibility. I hope I will not have to speak to you again on this matter.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: JedMarum
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 09:21 AM

I felt a cool snap in the Dallas air last night for the first time this year. Even though Dallas is rarely serious about winter, I knew that summer was finally gone.

I miss the New England world, where seasons change and summer is pure joy. Where Spring teases sooo long in fits and starts ... hot and cold, wet and warm, buggy and buggy. Where glorious Fall majestically takes over the Summer sky and gradually turns the earth's cover to a patchwork of color. Where deep winter buries the world in white and ice ... snow crunch beneath your feet ... ice fishing on the frozen pond, when you can find the time. And winter, interminabe winter goes on well past the days you think it should; every year!

Ah, but I miss these days, and your words Peter T. remind me of home!

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: MMario
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 09:14 AM

"The squirrels are fustering about like Y2K experts" -
Peter, I love your turns of phrase...It certainly has been a strange autumn. Yesterday I looked at our goldfish pond, with 5 water lilies still blooming. Last year at this time it was iced over...none of our animals have anywhere NEAR the winter coats they had last year. Half-prepared for winter is right.

Subject: Thought for the Day (Nov 3)
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Nov 99 - 08:57 AM

nov 3 - High winds last night, and this morning it began to snow, for the first time this fall, so your Mudcat Reporter went out into the woods to see how things were coping. The ground is still warm, so the snow is not staying, but the light gray of the sky and the charcoal grey of the bare trees sets off the yellow and brown leaves that still remarkably hang on branches everywhere. The woods seem to be a little unprepared, the trees halfway between clothed and bare, like someone interrupted while undressing. The squirrels are fustering about like Y2K experts, crows are complaining about the descending flakes in the same tones as the people at the bus stop, and just before I grapple up the river bank, I see a fox dart for a warm cover somewhere. If the denizens of the forest are unprepared for snow, your Reporter is even more so: the wind is wet and cold, I have no gloves, and am still like an idiot in my early fall jacket. After half an hour, I am about as cold all through as I ever get, certainly colder than I get in February, but it is that kind of cold that you know you will enjoy remembering when you get warm; still, that is then, and this is now. God it is cold. Now, if I just can get my fingers to work, and find a cup of tea, I might make the morning deadline. (p.t.)