The Colors & Sense of Autumn

I've had several images and phrases stuck in my head lately that I know is a piece of poetry (or two) waiting to break it's way through to the surface of my consciousness.  Weeks now, they have been roiling around, gathering bits and pieces of images and memories, waiting patiently for me to figure out the order, the cadence, the meaning of what they all are.  So far I have enough about leaves to make a really good bed of mulch.

There's the imagery of trees standing like sentinels along the sides of country roads.  The maples and sumacs spilling their crimson leaves in blood like pools around their roots.  And my favorite is the imagery of the last of the summer sun held aloft in the limbs of the ginkgo tree on the corner.

And unrelated (maybe, maybe not) is the billboard along the road advertising a show at the IMA entitled Sacred Spain.  The first time I saw it I thought it said Sacred Pain.  Robbie thought the same thing.  Nothing like a huge billboard with a crucified Christ to grab your attention first thing in the morning.  Hopefully I'll get to see the exhibit while it is here.  The IMA has been doing some wonderful shows since we moved back.  And I think it may also have to do something with the little remodel they finished a few years ago.

Some poetry has been fully formed upon awakening some mornings.  Others have come to life with just a few words or phrases that have struck my interest.  (You thought I was going to say "struck my fancy" didn't you.)

This one, this one though is going to be a lot of work.  Then again, the Muse could strike at any moment and the piece will be fully formed when I wake up in the morning.

It's Carving Time!

For anyone who might have missed it, last Saturday was Halloween.  This made Riley's third Halloween.  Her second of actually getting to go Trick or Treating.  It was a tough sell for her to say Trick or Treat, but she did say "thank you" all on her own just about every time.  Her first Halloween she was a Bumble Bee and we "reverse Trick or Treated" our residence hall floor to give away candy with Riley "handing" it out.

Last year involved a costume change midway through the evening.  No, not because of an "accident" but because we had two costumes for her.  The first one was hand-made by our friend Kelly and made her look like candy corn.  The second costume was one Robbie found and couldn't resist... in honor of Haven's Blog Babies, Riley was a Sock Monkey - my nickname on Haven's blog.

This year, Riley was a little stinker.  Only figuratively of course.  A friend of ours passed on a costume that his daughter wore last year.  We dressed Riley up as a skunk this year.  I don't think she was too happy with it.  Robbie wanted to see how it fit when we got it home - it has a body suit and a hat - but she wanted nothing to do with it.  Sounding like a little Anna Nicole she quickly announced "don' li'e it" and tried tearing it off her body as fast if not faster than daddy could put it on her.  The big night arrived, she still wasn't too happy wearing it. I think with the extra padding it was a little warm, but she was a trooper and kept everything on while out Trick or Treating.  And once we were back home, the Velcro was ripped apart and she was down to her tights, black turtleneck and sneakers.  I think she was more worried about being seen fashionable than getting the candy.  That was short lived once she discovered what was in those little packages.  Pupils dilated, energy levels cranked up and another child is lost to sugary goodies.

Earlier in the day, I had started the pumpkin carving.  We had purchased three pumpkins this year - one for each of us.  I thought it would be fun to download a few templates off the internet and try some more intricate carvings than the traditional Jack-O-Lantern.  One is of a Witch on her broomstick and a second of a skull.  Only two pumpkins were carved: the Witch and a traditional Jack-O-Lantern which Robbie carved.  The skull was never done.  The Witch didn't turn out too bad for a first attempt.  The third carving was on my left index finger while carving the Witch.  I think I've learned how to do that type of carving without mangling appendages for next year:  Cut out smaller pieces at a time and keep my fingers out of the way.  I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to go to the emergency room - who has the time?  Or money for that matter. Though I probably would have gone if the bleeding hadn't stopped. Eventually.

Good thing I had plenty of gauze left over from the emergency appendectomy a few years ago.  Here's a photo of my finger after three days of healing.  It's so much better than I expected it to be.  And the cut is not at all painful since the initial searing pain from cutting myself with a dull, serrated, filleting knife.  Just keep me away from the roast turkeys this Thanksgiving.

Where wild things are...

Apparently the wild things are all around us.  Just last weekend, three deer ambled there way across our neighbors front yard.  We wonder if they are the same three that trotted across ours earlier that week.

Yes, we live in Indianapolis.  Yes we live less than 1/2 mile from I-465.  And yes, we live less than a mile from one of the busiest intersections here on the north side of Indianapolis.  Seems that's not enough traffic to deter the wildlife from roaming around here.

We've gotten accustomed to the birds, squirrels and chipmunks, and it's kind of amusing to watch Hudson bolt out the patio door in pursuit of the bushy tailed little rodents.  The chipmunks are annoying in the summer months when the windows are open and they bark to each other.  Bark isn't quite the sound I would call it. 

More of a high pitch - and loud - squeak.  They are incredibly fast too.  I don't think Hudson will catch any of them.  At least I hope he doesn't.  Westies were bred for the purpose of vermin eradication, but the thought of Hudson dragging dead animal carcasses up to our back door isn't appealing.  Neither is the thought of him loosing a battle with a squirrel.  That is a bat house the squirrel is perched on in the picture.  It's attached to a large maple tree in our backyard.  Robbie's not crazy about the Batman logo on it (neither am I), but it's up too high for us to easily do anything about it.  We inherited it when we took possession of our house.  I don't think it's ever had any of the intended occupants, just an errant spider or two as squatters as evident by the webs hanging from the entrance at the bottom of the house.

But now it seems as if we have to also share our neighborhood with deer and according to the neighbors, the occasional coyote. I know that there are 'possum around here as I see their carcasses along the streets here all the time.  I've not seen any raccoon, but they tend to be nocturnal also.  We also don't set our garbage cans outside until trash pickup day as those seem to advertise BUFFET in raccoon speak.  What's next?  Cougar?  Grey Wolves?  Black Bear? What other species indigenous to Indiana could make a comeback?  Lord help us if the Bison ever do.  I'm sure they'd love the little stream that winds it way through our neighborhood. Not to mention all the tall decorative grasses neighbors have planted in their tidy landscape beds.