Moonless Night

About halfway between midnight and dawn, as I watched the night, I saw a meteor streak south across the sky, neatly bisecting an unperturbed Orion. I watched for a while, hoping there would be more meteors, but there were none. I would be a good night to watch them., at least if they remained in the eastern half of the sky. To the west, there are clouds. They can't be seen, as the night is moonless, but the sky there has a mottled look, and some of the stars grow pale, and then vanish, then return. I think the clouds are of the small, thin type that resemble sheep. Perhaps, if they remain when daylight begins to reveal the world, I'll get to see if I'm right. But, the night is otherwise perfect for stargazing, being moonless and pleasantly cool.

The days of early autumn are full of changes. Yesterday was warm and cloudless. Today, we might be on the edge of some northern storm again, as we were a few days ago, with a busy sky full of drifting clouds. Tomorrow, there might yet be rain, or more wind to make the trees dance. This is one of the things I like most about this time of year. After the monotony of summer, with its days on end of vacant sky and relentless heat, autumnal variability pleases me. Now, there are strange bird calls, both day and night. I have heard ducks and geese, which I have not heard since they returned last spring. And, I have heard other birds, with unfamiliar songs. Autumn is both familiar and full of surprises. I'm very glad it's here.

October Color

Fall color is beginning to appear. The leaves of the vine maple, which were a bright red in springtime, and then became a translucent green, are now turning dusky orange. The oaks are sporting a few leaves of pale brown or dark yellow, and those of the peach tree now look like rusty spear heads. The fruitless mulberry has large, heavy leaves of dark green, but those which are almost ready to fall shade through a light chartreuse to lemon yellow, and dozens of them now lie on the green lawn, slowly drying in the warm afternoon sunshine. Across the street, the dogwoods have produced their fall crop of bright red berries, but these are still mostly hidden among the leaves which are rapidly turning a deep purple. In a few weeks, they, too, will turn red.

Squirrels are clambering about in the oaks and in the walnut tree, barking at one another as they bicker over the possession of nuts and acorns. Sometimes, the crows grab the nuts while the squirrels argue. They fly above the street and drop the nuts onto the pavement to crack the shells, then come down to peck out the contents. After they leave, the blue jays search the spot for crumbs.

In the evening, I watch the pale white crescent of the new moon shining through a patch of diaphanous pink cloud, as the pines are silhouetted against the deepening blue of the western sky. The very slightest chill enters the air, the buzzing of the bees stops, and the crickets begin to chirp. The new color fades from the trees, until dawn will restore it, even richer than today.