L'aura del Campo

Columbus Day

I turn from taking photos of sunsets and rainbows to write and edit of a memory of last October 12th.



Columbus Day

This sear of September,
summer lingering languishing
beyond the light of the solstice,
sharp scent of a sachet of lavender.

Life sashays towards autumn,
freezes over when winter
arrives in October, like Columbus'
lies; its gift kills off the lavender.

Native maple leaves limp brown;
apples rot on their trees;
the new colors of this season:
beige, brown and black.

Bare ground awaits silver-thin snow,
cold lavender spears of wind's crack.

© Kåre Enga 2010-09-02 [167.189]



2009... Missoula went from a very warm September to 8º on the 12th of October. Plants did not have time to harden off and no one saw the severity of the freeze in advance. It was bitter. Not only cold but there was fear of losing trees. Lavender Lori lost most of her lavender bushes in the Rattlesnake valley. It'll take years to replace. (Just spoke to her! She's at Bernice's.)

First snow came on the 7th and 9th; the actual temps: 10/9 36/19; 10/10 32/10; 10/11 30/11; 10/12 33/8. It didn't get cold again until November and didn't get below 8 until December 3rd.



Arick's Yumawalli... yep... off I go to the Caribbean.



Nice warm day. After the booming storm of yestereve, the air was clear. Beautiful day. In the 70s.

60,862