The morning is rainy and cold. I’m glad for the rain. This has not been one of my better days. First was the dentist. Luckily, that went quickly, and I only whined a couple of times. My next stop was to have blood drawn. I hate lines, and there was a line. The bank was my next stop. I seemed to have misplaced my checkbook and ATM card. Lost is probably the more accurate word. I checked my car. I checked the driveway. I called the 24 hour line. I got a new ATM card. Only one stop is left, but I’m taking a coffee break after which I’ll get my Covid and flu shots. The day can only go up from there.

When I was a kid, I never saw the doctor much, only out of necessity. His office was a front room in his house. The house was enormous, an old white house beside the entrance road to my school yard. I remember he had a skeleton right by his desk. He was a big man, big as in heavy, not muscular. His white coat was too small. He wore suspenders. I remember he did not have a gentle touch. One time I split my chin so my mother and I walked to his office. He cleaned the cut by roughly rubbing a cotton square across it. I remember the pain. He said it was infected so he couldn’t sew it. I wanted to cheer. He closed it as well as he could and put a bandage over it. I was glad to leave. I skipped home.

I love New England and its four seasons. Fall is the most spectacular. The trees are a riot of colors. The mornings are crisp, the days warm. The nights are cool, perfect for sleeping. On my ride yesterday, I noticed the bogs are red with cranberries. Harvesting usually begins in October. I check when bogs will be harvested as I like to watch as the berries are gathered. It is such a tradition on Cape Cod. The apples are ripe for picking. It is time for apple cider donuts. This morning I noticed so many houses already decorated with mums and pumpkins. I also noticed some ghosts hanging from trees, gravestones in front yards and a scarecrow or two. It is time to start embracing Halloween.