11 October 2010 Look! Up in the tree!

It is nearly half-past October and the trees are beginning to change colors. Among the premature browns brought on by too little rainfall are spots and smears of orange, yellow, and red. I notice the changes today that were not present last week. This morning’s hike with Mike was an excellent opportunity to look past the trees that surround us and out to the forest. It was a unique morning walk, as no one went tearing past us in a car or truck.

Some mornings the road down valley is frankly dangerous. Many of the people who use the road drive poorly, ignoring all safety concerns and regulations, but firmly believe that they are well-trained professional-level drivers. They take curves on the inside lane and rarely, if ever, decelerate or brake prior to entering a curve. Several of the curves are blind, with trees and scrub blocking vision in the approaching lane. It is only a matter of time until some would-be racer hits another.

To walk along that road requires continual attention to the rear as well as to the front. Oncoming drivers will not move away from the edge of the road. Drivers coming from behind too often do move closer to pedestrians. It seems that the younger drivers are worse than the older ones. The very worst, most likely to deliberately try to push both pedestrians and oncoming cars off the road, is a small red car which carries one of the gorgon sisters and her girlfriend. They are so dangerous that local residents have reported them to on-duty sheriff’s deputies. I doubt that the fine was sufficient to change their behavior.

The lack of traffic this morning made it a very nice day to walk with a bit more freedom to look at the hillsides around us. This is a beautiful place to live. We’ve got four distinct seasons, good color changes, and reasonable weather most of the year. 2010 has brought both record high and low temperature conditions that were unexpected. 2011 could be even more surprising.

Dinner tonight will be eggplant dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbs before grilling it. I’ll treat some boneless country style ribs with olive oil and tandoori spices before grilling them as well. Greek Yogurt with mint will round out the meal.



In the trees today are squirrels, crows, woodpeckers, turkeys, and other unseen but heard creatures. We think the last of the humming birds have tanked up at the feeders Gloria keeps for them, and begun their long migration south. Beneath the trees today, lots of acorns and lots of other detritus. Safety glasses are in order when looking upward!