Nature’s Indulgence

“There are days which occur in this climate, at almost any season of the year, wherein the world reaches its perfection, when the air, the heavenly bodies, and the earth make a harmony, as if Nature would indulge its offspring.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

CNN reports that snow is falling on the Cascade mountains this morning. Meanwhile, back at the ranch: in my back yard, it’s 73F and sunny, with the vestiges of the morning fog lurking beneath bushes and low trees.

I’m busy making signs for the Veggie Garden where I volunteer. Our fall plant sale was postponed from 10/27 because of the fire, and will now occur on 11/10. This is actually better from a vegetable gardener’s perspective because my tiny seedlings of lettuce, cabbage and Swiss chard will be planted this week. They won’t be much to look at, but they’ll offer the promise of things to come, rather than the worn out, mildew-tainted zucchini leaves and burnt tomatillo plants that I mostly removed last week.

The small home-made signs in this picture were from my backyard about this time last year. The Veggie Garden signs are larger and in color and laminated to last for the entire cool season.

The mums are at their most beautiful, ready to be picked for an arrangement at the festival next weekend. The day is beautiful and inviting, and the air is crisp and faintly fragrant with the rusty smell of withering summer crops and spent flowers. It’s hard to think I’ll be moving indoors soon to work on my inside hobby: the endless Art Nouveau doll house.

But on this beautiful sunny Sunday, that’s easier to imagine than snow in the mountains.