she returns

a different kind of beauty

Still in the northeast, I have spent part of each day (when it isn't raining) walking paths near woods. It feels safe and I'm grateful that there is no strenuous hiking. I have encountered interesting natural phenomena. If you are a regular reader you already know that I am not a naturalist, nor a forest ranger, nor particularly entranced by forging new paths through forests and mountains. And god forbid I have to camp out! That said, I thoroughly enjoy not only city sidewalks, but paths and parks that offer abundant foliage, birds and bees, waterfalls, and places to sit to enjoy them with or without my notebook. At this time of year there is also an abundance of strong color which makes me think I need to find a yarn shop around here and buy some new autumn inspired sock yarn.

This giant monster ear thing mushroom fungus along my path measures about 18 inches from end to end. I have no idea of what it is called or whether it's benign or poisonous. It is thriving at the bottom of a long decaying tree stump on damp soil.

As were the orange mushrooms at the bottom of a log. Now I'm looking for sock yarn that  color. It is so vivid and beautiful. Maybe I'll have to dye some yarn when I get home. I'll use packs of orange Kool Aid and Betty Crocker neon orange food coloring....it's worked before and it's fun.

Oh yes, and there is this colorful creature weaving its tangled web on the glass door of the place I'm staying. It's beautiful and scary and I'll use another door to go in and out. I've been advised to kill it, but I can't seem to do it (instead, I'm looking for sock yarn in that color and pattern).

Meanwhile, on these rainy and overcast October days, I'm trying to work on the manuscripts, listen to music on my iPad and do some journaling and knitting as the days and nights get cooler and cosiness sets in. I finally finished a pair of socks that were dragging along for months and I'll post pictures in a couple of days. I walk, embrace solitude and the occasional good company of other writers. Things seem to be going well at home in Taos where I get reports that the sky is stunningly and cloudlessly cobalt blue day after day and snow has already powdered the highest peaks. I wonder if the aspens have already spread swaths of yellow and salmon on those same peaks. Perhaps it's already past. One more example of impermanence.