The feel of autumn hovers over the city this morning. The
light is so low outside it seems like evening. It is cold even with my thick robe on and I want to make hot
chocolate and sit by a roaring fire or go back to bed. Fall is more than knocking on my door
it has burst into my abode and I want to take the chill out of the air. It seems that summer has passed every
so quickly and I wish for more sunny days with a warm sun. My maple tree has turned shades of
yellow, orange and pink in anticipation of the time all the trees fall into
slumber to tough out the approaching winter.
My favorite time of fall is when the sun is out, with a
roaring blue sky and leaves clutter the sidewalks so that I have to trudge
through them, tossing them up into the air and smelling the coming time of
breaking down of plant material.
It is Nature’s clock reminding us that we need to slow down, savor the
few days of Indian summer until we are hold up in our borrows to brace against
bitter cold winds and pelting rain.
It is time for football, band music, women wearing mums on
their lapels do women do this any more?
At the U of Oregon the crowds walking to a Ducks game women wore bright
yellow mums adding color to dark brown wool coats and mufflers. I loved going to the games and sitting
in the Knot Hole section I think it cost all of a dollar. The natural grass field was a trial for
the players, especially if there had been a good rain, and parts of the field
became mud puddles. It was great fun
to see the players slide through slosh, obliterating not only their jerseys but
also the line markers. Only the
quarterback was pristine in his uniform, his guards, tackles and receivers were
all covered on mud. And on a good
rainy day the football was like a greased pig and no one could hold on to it.
Now the games are essentially played on artificial turf. I would watch
the Green Bay Packers play on real turf and even snow and the other teams seem to play a kind
of pantywaist kind of game, staying clean and pristine on essentially a rug.I long for the old days. Like the changing seasons I have to
expect change in everything else.