Autumn…. it’s a whimsical season.
In the fall, we linger over small things…pausing to watch an ant scurrying along with a crumb for his winter supply… An inch-worm working his way along a blade of grass.
We look to the heavens, seeing the haunting glow of a harvest moon. We behold the wonders of our universe rising before us…The galloping of Pegasus across the dark heavens…The swirling dust of galaxies lingering in the autumn sky.
Daydreams and fanciful notions waft through our minds—spiraling ’round and ’round like the leaves drifting down a country lane.
Colorful memories. Relics of summertime…Dirt between our toes, and the tickle of sunshine across the nose.
The sparkle of a dewy spring morn… The antics of squirrels and robins. A family of quail erupting from the brush, then settling nearby with fretful calls: “Where are we?” They cry, “Where are we?”
Remember the rising heat of a summer day….? The hot sun skimming like a stone across the surface of the pond, then settling into the shimmering warmth beyond a distant hill.
We dig in the garden for the last of the potatoes, unearthing old dreams hidden in the fertile soil of our imaginations. Perilous adventures. Riverside ramblings. Rural wanderings.
With each leaf that falls, we garner the memories. Like squirrels storing nuts, we hoard these treasures—stockpiling them for the long winter ahead.
Fondly, we peruse our memories as we shuck corn or draw water from the old well….as we gather up garden tools and store them in the shed. (Didn’t someone once find an Indian while digging in their cupboard…?)
Imagination. Discovery. Adventure. This time of year, it can be found just about anywhere.
Fall…the season of whimsy and fantasy.
It’s time to escape the here-and-now. Cool weather has brought a shiver to our bones and an ache to our joints, and we long to flee to worlds unknown. We pack a mental suitcase—-our thoughts zipping along without the price of airfare. Traveling to distant places will cost us nothing. We’re borne on the breeze of imagination.
A chilly wind blows in from the west… and like Dorothy, we escape to the Land of Oz. Armchair adventures. Summertime escapades. Magical moments that we relive as the woodstove crackles its way toward the end of October. Then November….
Onward. Onward! To the Land of Oz….
Actually, I’m already in the Land of Awes, my friend—-and you’ve apparently joined me. At this very moment, we’re sitting on a warm porch-deck, daydreaming in the sunshine. Apple tree branches sway in the breeze. Shiny pears and plums wink at us from behind their foliage. Blackberries nod in the afternoon sun.
Are we really here, Dorothy, or are we still in Kansas?
We check our surroundings, again, to be certain. Hummingbirds dive-bomb the feeder. Butterflies flit through the garden. A Pacific wind stirs the nearby Redwoods, causing them to groan and sigh. A wind-chime tinkles in the California breeze.
Yes—we’re truly here…and isn’t it lovely? We have many adventures to share…so many memories to discuss as autumn gives way to winter.
Lovely memories… Beachcombing along the coast…The chirp of sea otters. The flapping of Harbor Seals, flippering one another playfully. The curious advances of an old gray Pelican.
Intriguing adventures….Meandering through Lassen Volcanic Park, past scalding streams…Bubbling mudpots…Spouting steam holes. Throaty rumbles come from deep inside the earth.
Our Volcanic Park adventure almost ended in tragedy when we nearly plunged down the—-
But wait! We can’t discuss that, now. The tale is too long….but it’s all there in the great stash of memories, just waiting to be taken out and mulled over as the calendar pages flip by—slipping us deeper and deeper into the shadows of winter.
How long can we rehash such things?
Oh—-till springtime, of course!…when we’re released into a brand new season of wonder and rebirth.
And now…I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if Vic has lost all her good sense during these whimsical days of autumn? Is she truly in California, again?
Perhaps the rumors are true. Maybe the country gal does have a new beau in California…? (A rather well-known country gentleman, a West Coast “hero” who has been on NPR and in documentaries and books….?)
Oh my! Can it possibly be true?
There are so many rumors, my friend….so many memories and adventures to share.
But I see that we’ve run out of space. The rumors will just have to wait—-at least ’til we reach the frosty depths of winter. Then we can have a few armchair adventures, together.
…Until next time, my country neighbor…’Til next time.
Adventuring With Vic 