October

October arrives in the middle of my annual sad time. It starts about September 20th and continues until today, October 16. Yes on The anniversary of Bob's birthday my sadness begins to lift. Tomorrow Skyler will be six. I remember being in the birthing room and as the clock ticked past midnight and thought, He didn't make Bob's birthday. The deaths: Mom 9/20, Dad 9/24, Tony 9/25 and Bob 10/9. I'm not saying I curl up in bed during this time but I am aware of an undercurrent of sadness. And I can be extra cranky. Life goes on, and I'm glad.

My favorite month is October. Besides Skyler's birthday, The fall color in the mountains was so magnificant that year. A week later is Paulette's birthday; It was such a beautiful fall day when she was born in Mississippi.
The autumn trees are about to go into "full bloom", the rains have come, the temps are down and I have traded my sandals for shoes. Today the red trees on Highway 13 added a little cheer to the rainy landscape and the Ginko trees are turning lime green before they become giant golden bubbles or triangles.

Birds decorated the partly cloudy sky this morning and the western sky glowed orange and pink and gray from the rising sun. The waterways around Sacramento provide rest stops for the migrating birds and there are different ones every day. When I open a window in the morning the geese fly over with loud honks.

Sweaters and jackets litter the chairs in my living room and office. I don't know why I don't hang them back in the closet.

The first weekend of October Paulette and I went to the Ashland, OR Shakespeare festival. We watched Romeo and Juliet outdoors and it was a way cool play and the temperature was way, way cool. The next afternoon we saw On The Razzle, inside. I thought we were going to be inside on Saturday night but Paulette went to the theater box office and sent me a text message, Bundle up. She had traded As You Like it for The Tempest. Good trade and it was way, way, way cool at the end of the Tempest.

Last weekend we met David and his family in Placerville and went to Apple Hill. All of the orchards, wineries and the Jack Russell brewing company have open house from the end of September until November sometime. They bought pumpkins, apples, Indian corn and squash. I bought everyone a pint at Jack Russell. Paulette bought Apple Carmel Sundaes at High Hill Farms. Yes they are as good as they sound. Skyler and Shae rode the ponies that walk in a circle. A California substtitute for Bubba.

I had yesterday off and finally took my car in to have the driver's side window motor fixed. It cost a lot. I didn't work because it was Columbus Day. Yes I know that holiday was last Monday for most of the country but the Dixon School district decided on the 15th.