October is my favorite month, despite all three of the worst events of my life having jammed themselves into those 31 days. (In three different years, thankfully.)
October's beauty is the prelude to November's bleakness, which is one reason I like it. Life in a nutshell, as Hildegarde said. There is nothing that exudes dreariness like a midwestern landscape in early November, and you know that it's coming when the tress blaze gold and red in October.
October is sharp and jagged, which is another reason I like it. None of the gentle ease of spring, when rain gives way to daffodils and daffodils welcome kinglets and, finally, the warblers tumble all over one another in their haste to make it to Canada. By October the birds are mostly gone, it pours one day and streams sunshine the next, and the trees do this THING that they do. Go figure. I brought home a maple leaf yesterday that I had picked from up from the slick sidewalk. It sheens an extraordinary scarlet that fades into a deep orange at the edges, but its veins are lime green. How can such a thing be?
October roads in the Berkshires shrink under wave upon wave of hued ancient mountains. October soccer balls sail across turquoise skies bordered by transient deciduous color. October darkness brings memories of a night when this world and the next seemed almost to touch.
13 comments:
Yeap. Precisely why when living in the Midwest, we chose to marry in October. Beautiful time of year, but its so horrible thinkging about what is to come. Pamela
October is indeed beautiful. Sweaters in the morning give way to short sleeves by mid-day, morning dew reflecting sunshine glistening through colorful trees, and the crisp smell of an early fall fire in the fireplace. Thanks for helping me remember some of these sensory sensations.
Lovely, evocative description, Ocean. October is the month of my birth, and I have a special affinity for it. Here in SoCal, the summer hangs on for dear life in October. The occasional cooler day is shoved aside by the sun's last hurrahs as it shoots its final strong rays of the year. It was a beautiful fall-feeling day today - and then this week it will be up in the 90's again. Go figure.
Thank you for this lovely piece,
Vicky
http://www.livejournal.com/users/vxv789/
It's a little schizo in western Oregon. The leaves turn red and yellow and the grass fields get green again. Some rain and a little sun. The fields green up real nice.
Jackie
What a wonderful picture you draw! More so because I live in a state where Autumn is just a word. Prelude to winter, if you will, although winter is a state of mind for us. thank you for your word pictures. Blessings, Penny
Lovelier than the pictures, Robin. ALMOST a poem.... Lisa :-]
So peaceful & comfortable here.
I love your prose..
V
This is such a lovely way to put October. It's not one of my favorite months. Thank you for reminding me to be open to looking at it from different angles.
Best,
Judith
http://journals.aol.com/jtuwliens/MirrorMirrorontheWall
I like this entry a lot. I also love October. You're right, October is sharp and jagged. I love it too, because it ushers in winter, my wonderful winter.
I like October. My sister's birthday is in October. One of my fondest lovers was born in October long ago. I do detest that Opal though. I try to find the beauty in it and never can quite pin it down. Sometimes I want to say it is beautiful in an ugly sort of way but still I cannot bring myself to like it. Rubies simply steal the show.
Great entry!
"turquoise skies bordered by transient deciduous color"
Deciduous trees are a miracle. In the winter, when we are desperate for every photon of light the sun can provide, the leaves fall and make way for the light. In the summer, when we crave respite from the sun, they provide shelter and shade.
October is my birthday month and yes, it's a jagged one.
See, you can't write a pastoral entry wihout invoking New England. We so rule October.
I do so love the way you express yourself. There is little of the fall "crispness" here in Florida. Of course im still swimming in the ocean every day, so that makes up for it a bit ;) I have never experienced a true newengland fall, and someday will have to take my camera and do so, but till then, I will live the season vicariously through your words. Thanks!
Gypsy
http://jessicawaters.com/GypsysJourney/
Post a Comment