Laowai

Fall

the black oaks fling
their bronze fruit
into all the pockets of the earth
pock pock

they knock against the thresholds
the roof the sidewalk
fill the eaves
the bottom line

of the old gold song
of the almost finished year
what is spring all that tender
green stuff

compared to this
falling of tiny oak trees
out of the oak trees
then the clouds

gathering thick along the west
then advancing
then closing over
breaking open

the silence
then the rain
dashing its silver seeds
against the house

  ~ Mary Oliver

We're having a rainy few days just like Mary Oliver describes. I love her poems. Fall is really here now.

I've been enjoying gangs of robins who come and fight over my bird bath. 

Speaking of birds – Bea is going to be a black crow for Halloween. 

I'm still getting veggies from my garden. The swiss chard was a small harvest but it is so pretty. I should just put it in a vase and look at it.

I think I need fewer tomato plants next year. I'm going to make some tomato sauce out of the ugly ones.

Mostly lately I've been a bit knitting obsessed. I started a knitting class several weeks ago and I am just so excited about it. I finished my first project – a green scarf.

My teacher is such a treasure – she says she can't remember a time when she didn't know how to knit. And she's not just an experienced knitter, she's an experienced teacher. This is one of her many amazing project – a big beautiful counterpane.

I told her I have enough scarves and I'm really interested in making a sweater. I asked her how do I get from beginner to sweater maker. And I was thrilled when she encouraged me to just jump right in. So I went to this huge yarn store and drooled all over the yarn. The woman at the store was so helpful, pointing out all the options that would be good for my pattern. I picked out some blue wool yarn with little bit of a speckled texture. I just want to sit and listen to the rain and knit.