It has been raining for days. Red and yellow leaves that tumbled across the yard before, are now brown, soggy patches of sepia, like old pictures from my parents’ photo album. Fall has given way to the long, grey days of winter in the West. I have always looked forward to fall. In Wyoming fall…
We’ve had a spate of light showers for several days now, nothing significant, just enough to make it feel like fall. Leaves have begun to turn finally. Very few have fallen. The air is yellow with smoke from field burning. On a rise as we were coming into town last night, we could see a…
A new conversation It was almost too warm to sleep last night. The house would not cool off before the day began to heat. It has been that way since we got back from Seattle last week. It didn’t help that we both became ill shortly after returning. Lydia had leg cramps and nausea. I…
Back in the saddle again It was dark when I got up. I’d been awake for an hour or so. Sleep wouldn’t return. As I put the water on for coffee, I could hear crows making a ruckus in the pine across the street. No other birds this morning. The window above the sink was…
Bless Their Hearts (An expression that indicates endearment, but often includes the idea that a person is somehow out of line or inept, that they cannot help this imperfection and that we love them anyway.) It has been raining and windy the last few days, more April than May. The sun is out this afternoon,…
Common Ground I grew up a long way from here, my home. For 17 years, I lived on the edge of the prairie near the shadow of a mountain. It was an innocent life. I was naïve and unaware. That was okay. I had a few friends, but I could put names to faces of…
Slumgullion It is still dark out the window, though there is a hint of light. The apple tree limbs are subtle leafless streaks and beyond it the walk is a vague wash of grey. No birds. No rain. In our house, slumgullion is a mix of bacon bits, fried potatoes, and onions, cooked together in…
The only sounds are of the occasional car passing as a neighbor heads off to work and the clicking of a clock here in the house. The gray days of winter in Oregon have started to settle in, but not the constant rains, yet. It has slowly become light out the window, but light only.…
It has been a gray day. On and off drizzle. A slight breeze keeps it chilly outside. The garage is uninsulated. The rain is louder here. Our breath is vague clouds. Earlier, Darci, our daughter-in-law, came over to help with the sorting. She is fearless, climbing the bent, rickety ladder without hesitation. My only contribution…
Through the window the sky is a pale gray. There is a soft hum of rain on the roof. The window is open, and through the screen, I can hear the drops tapping on the rhododendron. Fall is here and so are the first rains. The sound is peaceful, calming. A welcome change from the…
barelyaboomer 