It’s a time of year to acknowledge...

This morning’s southerly breeze is clearing lots of leaves from some trees. Others remain full of chlorophyl, staying green and holding fast. If the weather forecast holds, temperatures will drop to more seasonal levels during the upcoming week. It’s getting to be the time of year when mice, and spiders and crickets move into warmer places, like our houses.

a range of pre-abscission colors

Photo by J. Harrington

Somehow, a cricket snuck into the living room and early this morning was chirruping away, sounding very much like a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. It stopped when I turned on a light. We’ve captured and released outside, away from the house, several “barn” spiders during the last week or ten days. A few mice have been caught in the traps in the garage. Next week it will be time to put fresh mouse repellant in the tractor dashboard.

Midst other signs of approaching mid-October, tomorrow is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. President Biden is the first American president to issue a proclamation recognizing it. Minnesota did so last year. For those interested in pre-colonial indigenous nation territories, there’s an online resource that’s quite helpful, especially as a first step in crafting a territory acknowledgement.

We are very fortunate that Minnesota’s recently appointed poet laureate, Gwen Westerman, has written a poem that can help us properly celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Dakota Homecoming

By Gwen Nell Westerman

We are so honored that

              you are here, they said.

We know that this is

             your homeland, they said.

The admission price

             is five dollars, they said.

Here is your button

             for the event, they said.

It means so much to us that

             you are here, they said.

We want to write

             an apology letter, they said.

Tell us what to say.

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