In Walks Bud/Exit Zahra

photo (c) Bill Hicks

Aside from politics, the acorns are hitting the tin roof like the start of a hail storm right now.  We live in an oak and hickory forest--I tell people, when I built my house I thought I was pitching a tent for a week or two, and basically found a nice space in the forest rather than clearing anything--I think I cut down one big hickory that seemed obviously threatening (it was hollow as it turned out).  Now all the trees are twenty feet higher, and Hurricane Fran took some of them down, fortunately none hitting the house itself.  But it was damn close.  So anyways--having no rain in the region for several weeks has caused some aspects of fall to press forward, including the leaves turning yellow and falling (particularly the poplars), and this acorn thing (possibly aided by squirrel foraging in the cool dawn).  I ought to get out the old 4-track and put up an mp3 for you.  I got a great rain-on-the-roof track like that one time.

Fall's the best in NC--a long drawn out meditation with many facets.  We can have a hurricane or two, a cold west wind, an Indian summer at Thanksgiving.  The trees, depending on their species, treat us to color from now until November, the oaks usually waiting till last, and the sweet beeches, ancient relics from a very different epoch, holding their light tan arrow-leaves all winter and heralding spring by dropping them in late March or early April.   Now we're in the bombard phase, and I've put off painting the tin until the leaves and acorns won't let me--it would be stupid, wouldn't it, to let the drying paint capture dozens of acorns.  Dang!  Where's the head-slap key.

I'll go out and take some pictures for you.  These, truth be known, came from a fall a couple of years back, a wetter fall.  I was walking up the driveway and this bouquet lept out at me from the side that drops off and down to the creek.  Never have seen these guys again, but I do keep an eye peeled.  Maybe some rain in October will bring them back for a repeat performance. 

photo (c) Bill HIcks

(c) Bill Hicks

(c) Bill Hicks

I don't think I'd try eating these, if'n I was you.  They're as pretty as Christine O'Donnell tho, ain't they.  Speaking of which, here's a rather fine post, revealing some of the deeper truths about this woman who wants to be a star so bad she's put the rest of her life entirely on hold to get 'r done.

http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2010/09/21/no-time-to-pet-the-pearl/

& Furthermore.

This link goes to one of the most beautiful elegies I've ever read.  It makes many points, has many facets.  Today I have to read it in the context of these people--including people as supposedly exalted at former Speaker Newt Gingrich--who seem quite pleased to be villifying nearly a billion of our fellows on the basis of their religion.  How sad.  Let's look a bit closer, shall we. 

http://selfstyledsiren.blogspot.com/2010/09/zahra.html