October 29, 2002 ~ The Perfect Leaf

Tuesday.

"Wow, look!" he exclaimed, gingerly lifting the maple leaf from the trail, holding it out to me. I'd never seen maple leaves change quite like that before. Of course, nearly every time I look at an individual Autumn maple leaf I think that it is incredibly unique from all of the others. But this one! Bright yellow along each and every little vein, rich maroon in between. This leaf was a masterpiece. The veins glowed yellow against the deep maroon. We walked along the trail like two little children, exclaiming over every beautiful leaf. He would hand them to me, until I had a bursting bouquet of them, gorgeous in the slanting evening light filtering through the stained-glass canopy of impossible colors.

Morgan doesn't often have free time that overlaps with my hikes, but today he did. We chose Jones Mountain for our setting.

The mountains are on fire right now. The leaves, apparently catching up for their late start, are changing rapidly. Jones is, of course, no exception. So wonderful to walk hand in hand in that splendor, to share treasures of leaves, to laugh together.

I showed Morgan the fence, the antler tree, the TV tower, and we stopped a little ways down the other side of the summit so that he could read the historical marker. I led him beyond the marker to the best view from the mountain—where you can see for miles off toward Asheville. We watched a train pass, and we tried to identify major features that look so different from the ground.

After lingering there for several minutes, both watching silently, we started back down the mountain, returning to Pokey at dusk, breathless and chilled.

Footnotes:

weather: Cold snap. They are calling for snow on the weekend, but it is probably too early to tell.

bookmarked: The Chocolate War and lots of political commentary (studying up for the upcoming election). I know exactly who I'm voting for in senate, house, judge, and sheriff, but I'm not so sure about the rest. And why the heck is there no good guide anywhere to local measures that will be voted for my district? Or for North Carolina at all?? I can't even find out what they are let along any pros and cons for them. Arg. I miss Oregon and their extremely well organized votes and voter's guides.

writing focus: Emails.

observation: The way the clouds creep up the mountains and then spill over into the valleys.

news notes: I was really saddened by the news of Senator Wellstone's death. He was one of the most liberal (and most sincere, and active) senators there were. And he really stood behind what he said. I hope the person chosen to run in his place is a worthy replacement.

cooking: Nice warm delicious chili.

random: Thank you for all of the suggestions on the ring problem, everyone. I've decided that I'm going to try the nail polish tactic first, and, if that doesn't work, perhaps more drastic measures.

online journals:

"So, there I was, plodding determinedly along the Brendon road in the general direction of Parsonage Farm and the town cemetery, dipping my head so the glare of oncoming traffic didn't blind me when one of those huge, ginormous trucks came up behind me and stopped right by my side. Alarming. Like jumbo jets, these trucks seem somehow to operate on a scale that's too large for normal human beings, dark, blocky, and with lights on each corner and along the lines of the beast to define its shape against the dark sky. When the driver jumped down from his cab, came round the front of the monster and approached me, I was, I confess it, somewhat discomfited. Well, you hear such stories, don't you?"

~ John in this entry of Journal of a Writing Man.

"There I am, sitting on the floor of my living room watching this, surrounded by my 'keep' pile, my 'throw away' pile, and my 'garage sale' pile, and tears start streaming down my face."

~ Liosha in this entry of her diary.

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