Week's end report on October's peak color

I hope you're doing something to enjoy this beautiful day. This weekend is full of peak color in the leaves, although I saw a report this morning that it's snowed in the BWCAW.

St. Croix River valley Autumn color

Photo by J. Harrington

I'm happy to report that last night's sandwiches turned out great. It's the first time I've made grilled apple / cheese sandwiches with bread that I baked. We each tried both sourdough and artisan bread (not in the same sandwich). The sourdough generally tasted better, but not overwhelmingly so. My smugness should wear off in the next day or so.

So that my Better Half could come along, the trip to Birchbark Books was deferred until this morning. While there I resisted lots of temptation but still came away with five new books. (The Better Hal bought a few things but they can't be written about without spoiling upcoming holiday surprises.) Here's my list:

• Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems - Joy Harjo
• The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse - Louise Erdrich
• Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Land of My Ancestors - Louise Erdrich
• Felicity - Mary Oliver
• Unsettling America - Wendell Berry

Joy Harjo's Conflict Resolution is the book I originally went to get. The Oliver has been published just within the last few days. The Berry essays and the Books and Islands have been on my "want to read" list for some time. Last Report on Miracles caught my eye while I was looking for the Harjo book. I'd feel maybe a little irresponsible but I'm still working on the theory that I can't die if my stack of unread books is tall enough. On the way back home we stopped at Peace Coffee for some liquid pick-me-up and then checked out a new truck I've got my eye on. The front seats are comfortable enough and we think the Daughter Person and Son-In-Law can comfortably fit in (on?) the rear seat but will have to have them confirm that themselves.

All in all it's been I pretty good week, with maybe an exception for the up-north snow. I hope you can say pretty much the same.

The Country Autumns

By Clark Coolidge 

But it could not be brought to see what it

could be brought. And the leaves are

away again, teamed. A parent at the

last and a parent in the middle. And

as stones I thought it right.

Two plates, and on the other side all the

forest pieces. The clock says stay.

The books lower the earth, and in gardens

flat stones spin. The volume was of waiting.

Today is today, until the preposition taken up.

Next to the tree sways.

The sky in pieces the leaves part the

leaves piece together. To and from a hand

given all directions. The bark comes from

below. Takes from the books of the moves under

the sky. Speaker holds up the talks held last.

Motors the dust and the yellow syllables.

A slant on which was never here or

only partly.

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