October 3rd, 2009
Fall In Bloom
A backyard fire pit, snappy sparks, red lit, flying. Moonlight whispering through trees, grass, skin, eyes, oh the eyes we love, sending silent messages bigger than a Texas sky. Leaves turned cinnamon and amber, quivering and curling on limbs like tiny, arthritic hands. More eyes, laser sharp, peering through woods, raccoons or possums or skunks, perhaps, noses rising in tribute to lowly hot-dogs, sizzling and blistering on sticks. And a Cherokee fiddle. Might be all that’s missing, but no, night composes its own music.
Fall nights like these are a dozen a dime, but won’t last forever. Here in Texas we’ve only recently stepped out from hot summer shells. Four long months of broiling and we’re cooked. Ready for frosting, the frost on the pumpkin, fall frost. Time to snap out blankets, throw them on the ground, lie on backs, and wonder with dreamy eyes at the heavens, spitting out stars, swirling planets, strobe-like, suspended. I count each twinkle, never knowing how many, many, many stars, knowing never. Nights like these are a dozen a dime, but won’t last forever.
This time of year brings me back to long ago hay rides, fuzzy sweaters, snuggling, cutting through a black Mark Twain National Forest, dirt from roads settling in our hair, our smiles, carrying us right through the hard flinty winter when reflection sets in corners like mute guests.
Camp-outs too, dancing under a moon stuffed with promise, breeze in hair. And strolling beside a tinseled river with the girls, making up crap that scares them silly. And then pulled from the tent later, dead asleep, they say, “Come on, mom, come and tell stories. Our friends haven’t heard them. Oh please! We want to hear them again.”
So I do. Spin tale after tale, sleepy-eyed yet happy that ears listen.
I remember barn dances, doing the two-step, feet moving like hot grease on the griddle of floor. Pumpkin carving too, cinnamon sprinkled under the lids, spicing up night. The kids and friends jammed into our house, costumed to high heaven, watching Charlie Brown, a blanket of candy on the floor, and still trick-or-treaters banging down the door. Wanting more. And, yes, this yet goes on.
Fall in bloom.
What are your fall favorites?
October 4th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
This is so beautiful Dorraine. “Leaves turned cinnamon and amber, quivering and curling on limbs like tiny, arthritic hands.” Lovely, lovely description.
As a teenager, one of my favorite things about fall was the hay rides our church youth group took. We’d pile up on the hay, squeezing tight together, there were so many of us, wrap up in blankets, and bump down the road to visit shut-ins. We’d sing to them and give them baskets of apples. I will never forget the look of happy content on their faces.
This piece brought about so many fun memories for me. Summer used to be my favorite season, but the older I get the more I like fall instead, (hormones creating hot flashes make summer unbearable).
Thank you for sparking these cherished memories.
October 4th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Thank you, Deanna. And, yes, those pesky hormones and their cold weather preference. I can relate. I’m thinking Alaska might be suitable for me.
I love the fact that you used hay rides to give back and make others happy. What a sweet thing to do. I’ll bet you added so much light to those people on the other end of your apples. What fond memories those must be.:)
October 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Beautiful post…fall here used to mark the beginning of deer season not that I’m crazy about that but at one time it brought an empty house and I became filled with peace, quite and then Monday would come and bring with it the smelly bags and muddy attitudes.
And now…fall marks the beginning of a new year of honeymooning, crisp evenings rolled into each other and mornings of bright skies and eyes.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Thanks, Paige. Loved your words too-the crisp evenings rolled into each other and mornings of bright skies and eyes. Beautiful.
Deer season. I remember that from my Missouri days. My dad and brother would hunt. I never liked the whole sha-bang, but it was nice for my mom to have a break. We lived out in the country there for three years when the girls were little, and I’d always dress them in orange during deer season, when I let them in the woods. I was always a little leery about them playing outside that time of year.
Don’t have to worry about that here, thankfully. Of course they are too big to play in the woods now. It’s movies and shopping now.
October 6th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
What a beautiful picture and post Dorraine. We here in South Texas are still battling 99 degree heat in the late afternoons! I would love to see the autumn. Thanks for sharing yours.
Elizabeth
October 7th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Many thanks, E. Yes, I too am in south Texas, but we did have a few cool days a couple of weeks ago. Did you get any of that? This is a dreamy post, remembering my mid-western falls, but ours is coming soon. Hang on!
October 7th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I knew you were in Texas Dorraine, but didn’t realize you were in south Texas. Yeah, we got one day when we didn’t have the air con on. I opened the windows and it was glorious! Too bad it didn’t last. My son is in Austin and he was saying they’ve had temps in the 70s this last week or so. He was tickled that it reminded him of the summer weather in Scotland. we are to get a cold front next weekend, Yahoo!!!!
Talking of Scotland my sister said the weather there is like winter already. Gales and heavy persistent rain. October is usually like your photo up there, cool and colorful. Maybe there’s something to this global warming after all.
Elizabeth