Halloween In Ashland

 The Amtrak Auto Train rumbled north towards its final destination. As we approached Ashland, Virginia, the conductor slowed down and sent warning whistles into the morning air. The scrub trees gave way to graceful old Victorian homes painted green, lavender and peach, all facing the train tracks. Watching these carefully maintained houses slide by in the morning light is always the highlight of the trip for me. The town's big old trees sharing their annual display of orange and yellow leaves was an added bonus, but the residents shared another special treat: Halloween decorations!

Bent But Not Broken

 Hurricane Ian roared through southwest Florida a couple of weeks ago. Tall slash pines shaded a nature trail that runs along a tributary of the Myakka River. The storm broke off or completely uprooted many of the trees. This one, like the last of the Ents in the Lord of the Rings, bends at the waist, woody arms sweeping over the debris. Will this tree survive? I don’t know. In some ways, it has seen too much that is terrifying and sad, just like the Ents, who waited and waited for the Ent wives to return.

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

 The shrub was the size of a small tree. It lorded over the corner. Hand-sized leaves reached out as I tried to navigate the sidewalk. Autumn was spreading its chosen palette of colors across the hydrangea: terra cotta, deep rose, burgundy and dulled-down reds. Cars rumbled by as I examined each leaf. Some still had green veins. Others had given themselves over to the reds. They were mapped with rivers and tributaries of browny-wine. A few holdouts deep inside the massive shrub were still summer-green. Their time would come.

Waiting For Kaffe Fassett

 This was just the front of the line. Friday evening, hundreds of quilters and knitters waited in the hallways leading to the auditorium where Kaffe Fassett would speak. They came early to purchase fabric in the Artistic Artifacts pop-up shop and contemplate the new Kaffe-embellished Berninas. Kaffe is a superstar. A painter who gradually explored knitting, needlepoint, mosaics and quilting, his fabrics, books and classes have revolutionized the world of quiltmaking. The quilts created from them are colorful, richly patterned and dramatic. Those of us who love them have been pushed to take chances, mixing prints of varying scales, adding colors that might  not be our favorites, learning how to use those colors and patterns to make the surface sing. The presentation was beautiful, funny and encouraging. It was more than worth the wait.

Autumn Sunset

 The other evening, we had a sunset unlike any I’ve experienced here. Our neighbors paused in the setting up of Halloween decorations and we all stood, gawking at the washes of orange that filled the sky. It changed from minute to minute. For a short time, the lowest clouds folded themselves into brilliant yellow and orange striations. I stood in the middle of the street for a better view. Cars came and went, the brilliant colors going unnoticed by drivers intent on their destinations. The orange grew more and more intense. Then suddenly the sky darkened, like a nearly died out fire with just a few glowing embers. It was an unexpected and remarkable event.