The nor’easter has moved away. We will get more rain today keeping the flood warning active, but the wind is gone. The day is still and warm. It is 68°. My yard and deck are covered in debris, small branches and so many leaves I went looking for naked oak trees.

I remember my father always wore a sort of cranberry colored jacket when he did his Saturday yard work. This time of year he’d mow for the last time and use a bamboo rake to clear the yard. He always mowed in the same pattern and raked almost in a circle around him. The rake made a scratching noise while the mower clicked. He’d rake the leaves and sticks down the small grassy hill in the front of our house to the gutter. He’d pile everything and set it on fire. He’d lean on the rake beside the fire to watch it. That is the image in my memory drawers. I’ve probably mentioned too many times that the smell of burning leaves is one of my favorite smells. I’d stand close to the smoke, and it would permeate my clothes. Even a few days later I could smell that smoke.

When I was a kid, we always bought pumpkins to carve. I loved pulling out the guts. I’d grab handfuls and hold them up and threaten to throw them. My mother watched. That was enough to keep it a threat. I think my pumpkin looked the same every year when I was finished. I remember trying to carve teeth and failing miserably. My knife skills were still raw and undeveloped. My pumpkin had the usual pumpkin grin, eyes and nose. We’d put in a candle in each pumpkin and put the pumpkins on the front step. We’d light the candles every night. I remember going outside to look at the pumpkins. The candles flicked. My pumpkin was beautiful, even with a toothless grin.

I used to eat candy corn. I liked the kind with a sort of gold color in the middle and a brown color at the end. That the corn was so sweet was the best part. I’d grab a handful and throw a few pieces into my mouth. The idea of eating them now makes my teeth rot with just the thoughts of it. I do buy bags of candy corn now but use them for decoration then toss them.

This week I have my usual uke practice and lesson. I also have two concerts. It is grocery shopping week, and I have a list.

This entry was posted on September 28, 2026 at 1:47 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.