ALL HALLOWS EVE KEGGER IN MY SOUL
It’s currently larch season here in the northeast corner of Vermont, but global warming has kept it mostly above 50 degrees which has helped the very fluorescent sumac stick around way longer than normal. They are usually the first to go, leaves turning black or shed by first frost. It’s making for a unique season which just adds an extra layer to my Halloween excitement.
The sunrises have been pink and purple and mist clings to the hills below. It’s quite dramatic and it’s how I imagine the Sleepy Hollow of Washington Irving’s imagination to be. I have been to the actual Sleepy Hollow many times and it is not dissimilar. My elderly dog, Jerome, is sleeping as hard as only old dogs can in the crook of my leg as I write this. It’s a leaden peace until my other dog, Coco gets up and loudly barfs some yellow foam up onto the floor. Good morning.
The sky is congealing into a single sheet of neon blue gray. These low ceiling clouds give the illusion that the world is a single room. My thoughts relax. I feels cozy. I am less worried about the large scope than what might be right in front of me. I have always found low ceiling comforting. Most people despise it and say it contributes to seasonal depression and I feel for them. This gray amplifies the colors remaining on the trees, especially the oranges and golds, and of course, the yellow of the flame-like larch trees. Sigh. There are still flowers as well and they may as well be backlit stained glass. I’m trying to absorb this feeling as I do the smell of creosote when I am in Arizona. It’s like nothing else and I wanted to share it with you.
I am waiting on some cardstock Halloween cut-outs I ordered. They look like they are from a 70’s grade school classroom. Maybe I’m nostalgic but I think I just like the old style better. There is only one complaint I have about living out here on the farm and that is I get no trick-or-treaters. I love seeing the little ones in their costumes and I may just go into town to give out candy this year. I will have to quickly improvise a costume. What will I be? I love this problem.
Peace on Earth and good will to all of us.
Go to town as a classic ghost- old sheet with holes for eyes and maybe holes in side for arms. Bring the big candy bars if you want to be legend.
Your writing, especially when you describe your surroundings, is so vibrant and reverant, I feel like I'm there, and I'm at church. I get so happy every time I see a new post from you. This time, I especially love this: "I’m trying to absorb this feeling as I do the smell of creosote when I am in Arizona." Oh, this makes me homesick (in a good way)! I love the desert, and I miss it so much. What I miss the absolute most is the creosote-infused petrichor after a good rain. And then there's the dog barf. I don't live with any dogs, but one of my kitty friends has a delicate tummy, and frequently barfs up her breakfast. She has taught me to feel fondly about barf. It is a labor of love for me to clean up after her. I can't even begin to explain how it touches my soul that you included that detail in your description.