Day 282 Week 41 October 2026

Thinking of how passages of time textures our memories is like scrolling through a photo library. Winter is in shades of blue. Autumn is a splash of golden orange. As the scroll flows, you may notice there are more splashes than shades of blue.

History is like that, movements contouring the evidence of us. 

Boxing old books this morning, I open an ex-library rebound copy of the Irish poet, Thomas Moore’s (1779~1852) poetical works. The intriguing aspect is the library check out panel glued on an end paper. 

A wow moment it is that the first library loan return date is January 5, 1914, 112 years ago. The First World War began in 1914. 

I bought the book at a library sale circa 2002. 

The last return by date is April 1981. The book was in circulation for 67 years. It sat in the shelf for 21 years before being discarded. I think it would have been interesting if the library saved old titles until they reach 100, and then sold them as antiques. It isn’t every day a piece of a community’s history has a price tag.

Have a discovery fun weekend

Visit your local library

Have a backyard barbeque

Read about local history

Sing to a fallen leaf

Dance to the sound of your heart

Paint a pumpkin patch

Make hot chocolate mix

Tell a squash a funny story

Choosing a motif

Berries have been a favorite motif for as long as  I remember. First it was blueberries with pine branches. Then white bayberries. Bittersweet’s lovely orange color gave way to red berries mid 2000. 

Traditions can give us peace, that sense of safety in belonging. Creating new traditions is daring and adventurous. During the holiday season from October to pack it up and put it away, going different can be liberating. 

How to select a motif takes thinking and seeing.

🛎️ Magazines are a great resource. Start a magazine circle where each subscribes to a publication. Members pass the magazines around for one or two weeks. Gather once a month at a local library to share experiences.

🛎️ Brainstorm. Write down things you like, notes on style eras, materials you like to work with, ways to up-cycle. 

🛎️ Visit art galleries, malls, window shop, see what is out there that captures your attention. Be deliberate in what you chose. 

🛎️ Sketch out your ideas. Compare them with a list of favorite things from berries to branches to blue plates and cake. 

Have fun!

Hangs there all year because
I love berries, pinecones & acorns

Forgot what I was going to type

 Since I don’t remember what I was going to post about, then I’ll just ramble on.

At 6 PM EDT it is still daylight in the Northern Hemisphere. The clocks go back an hour on November 1st. The late afternoon, early evening light is rather flat without a sun. Think of the golden hour light this time of year against colorful foliage. Consider planning a photo excursion to take advantage of the light.

Today is one of those days when what happens in real life, out does any Instagram video. Grocery store. In a situation, looking around, there were folks just as puzzled as I was at the check out area goings on.

On the real side, the asparagus spears I bought are smaller than, I believe, any I’ve seen for sale. They are for lunch tomorrow. Tonight, I treat myself to sesame noodles. 

Reading the label, I discover they aren’t noodles. They are linguine pasta with seame seeds in a soy sauce dressing. I think the last sesame noodles I had were in sesame oil. That’s what sesame noodles are. 

It is not just me, is the belief I hold that there are plastic lids and twist off bottle caps are far too difficult to remove. There is one juice I sometimes buy, where I have to saw the plastic ring connections off with a steak knife in order to open it. Twisting is suppose to break those connections. It does not. (I do open most tough lids.)

The plastic containers, sometimes I have to dent the container to release the lid. Using a knife to pry off the lid is much too dangerous. 

Watching CBS, the new “NCIS New York” last night, I have to say that I am impressed with the cast. I’m an “NCIS” fan. On the original show, the return of Di Nozzo as the new director made me cheer aloud. The “NCIS Origins” has revved up the intrigue as well.

Ripton, Vermont

The value of favorites

For every season, I chose a photograph that is a favorite. I seek out taking such a picture in Nature. The perfection of composition and spirit lifting concentrates the experience into a size the heart can carry. 

Think of favorites being all the important things you can carry as you dash out the door into an image your soul knows.

This autumn the favorite photograph is of the berries happily bouncing outside my window where I parked. The struggle can be rough to get outdoors. Home means safety against unpleasant people. But, there I was out and about parked next to berries. 

They, as a heart felt Nature’s greeting, welcome and celebrate my being there. 

God does that, sends messages to remind us He cares.

Berries
Favorite autumn photo 2026

A Quiet Autumn Afternoon

Route 125

A window of energy opened for me to take a short trip to the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail. On the other side of peak foliage, there is enough to enjoy.

Ripton Vermont
6 October 2026
On the other side of peak foliage

Route 125 Ripton Vermont
Robert Frost Interpretative Trail 
from the picnic area

Wild Apples
Robert Frost Interpretative Trail

American Wild Asters

Berries 

A spot of color