our october retreat

-brilliance in the blue of the sky, the leaves in the trees, the marigolds and pumpkins in the garden.

-coyotes singing along the ridge.

-flurries in the air.

-nasturtiums, picked before the first hard frost of the season, when their stems turned to a pungent mush.

-tarps and tarps full of fallen and raked leaves, dragged to the deep woods by the stone wall.

-a glass of cider, savored while sitting on the picnic table.

-the canoe, the rain barrel and the garden hoses, tucked away until next spring.

-closets cleaned and reorganized.

-muffins filled with local blueberries from the freezer.

-swapping out the screens for the storm door on the three season porch.

-howling wind at night, while snug under the pile of blankets and quilt, with Henry asleep in the mix.

-our old friend, oatmeal, sprinkled with pecans, dried cranberries and puddled with almond milk.

-the last of the carrots, forked out of the soil, and chard tucked into the produce drawer in the fridge.

-paper rolls of drawings and plans, spread out on the dining table, dreams in the making.

-candle light.

-mulching the peonies and the blueberry bushes, and wishing them a safe winter's rest.

-a drive up and over the Rochester Gap for lattes and comfortable and familiar conversation.

-always, a fire in the Home Comfort, to take away the chill.

-pulling over to the side of the road in the late afternoon, to cast a few on the White River. (The best way to be out of the office).

-blessings. so many blessings.