October Waits for No One

Walking my greyhounds last night, a gust of wind hit and it had the delicious smell of wood smoke. Prior to that, I was staring at the ground going over my to-do list. But the wind made me stop and look up. That’s when I noticed pumpkins stacked on front porch steps and barrels filled with mums. I noticed that the leaves on our Japanese maple had turned crimson. “Oh my god,” I thought, “It’s October.” And October is halfway over.

I usually revel in Octoberfests and haunted hayrides. I even give in to that sentimentality-based marketing scheme/religion pushed upon us by Starbucks; the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I see what you did there, Starbucks.

But then I had a baby. In the mad dash of my new routine, I had forgotten to take in this last gorgeous month before the nip in the air begins to bite, when Halloween parties promise a good time and when the Shenandoah Valley is afire with  color.

I’m not letting October go without a fight. Neither should you. Get out there!