A series of essays....
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| THE VIBRANT COLORS OF OCTOBER |
....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
September’s intense layers of green set the dramatic backdrop for the month of October.
October begins as a blank canvas. Finally, the tenth month of the year allows us to play with some of the richest, deepest, and most robust colors on a grand scale; earth tones, my Mother’s favorite palette.
Early on, multiple shades of summertime greens are seemingly airbrushed overnight as the tops of the highest branches are tipped in mellow yellow against a sky of pale blue. Cotton ball clouds float along the blue skyscape like majestic swans on a sun-rippled pond.
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| APPLES READY FOR MARKET |
Bright apple reds and greens cling to the orchard trees in great abundance waiting to fill the farmer’s baskets and bins to be hauled to local market places. Children and adults alike dream of their tasty sweetness as in taffy apples with sprinkles on top, rustic pies filled with rich fruit and cinnamon goodness, and a crisp, salubrious treat savored between meals.
Overnight, clumps of cherry-red leaves dot the mighty maple trees like giant Christmas ornaments hung by the gods. In the following days, each crimson bauble begins to seep through the lofty trees giving us a feeling of spilled red wine penetrating the green, summertime branches.
Late blooming flowers and rows of swaying grasses bow to one another as they dance under the influence of Vivaldi’s ‘The Autumn’ and their once sparkling attire now fades into nut-brown and sepia tones like photos tucked away in Mother’s dresser drawer. “Memories, my love,” she would whisper in my ear.
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| SHERBET TONES OF THE CHRYSANTHEMUM |
If we are passionate about chrysanthemums, cultivated for their brightly colored, showy flower heads, we must be enchanted by these vivacious mounds of sherbet tones dotting the urban landscape. Mums are reminders of man’s ability to prolong a season while planting seeds of hope for a ravishing display of future springtime bounties of color!
Some bushes literally ‘burn’ in crimson splendor as October ushers in her cooler temps and seasonal rains. And, as if overnight, trees have morphed into their final act of seasonal glory when the reds, golds, and yellows that have been dancing above us suddenly ruffle their united copper-colored leaves in the quickening breeze like the subdued plumage of a robin’s breast.
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| ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME? |
Squirrels and chipmunks scurry about in a last minute rush of hoarding their food in anticipation of winter’s inevitable arrival. Blue Jays and Cardinals seemingly sashay in flight from one golden branch to another and the big, black-necked Canadien Goose, with its signature white chinstrap mark, checks his itinerary as he and thousands of ‘honkers’ migrate south for the winter.
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| OCTOBER DELIGHTS |
October’s blank canvas is particularly notable this year with the coronavirus looming large among us. While summer activities begin to linger into precious memories, and jackets, long pants and boots are donned in lieu of bathing suits, shorts, and flip-flops, we still revel in being outdoors. Even when the daily wearing of facial masks become important substitutes for Halloween disguises at the end of the month, most of us have decided to cherish being around for a very long time to be able to delight in October’s colorful canvas for many years to come.
Blustery winds usher in October’s ‘snowy season.’ Crisp leaves tumble from the sky en masse simulating snow showers as they accumulate in thick layers on the ground, covering the weary grasses in a patchwork quilt of autumnal color.
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| THE REDS OF THE MAPLE TREE GENTLY SEEPING... |
My Mother’s auburn hair resembled the fiery red maple tree that lived in the backyard of our little, white rental home many years ago. My October memories consist of numerous hours of raking the fallen leaves into enormous piles only to scatter them around again by running like a tiny, howling banshee into the pile at full speed. Mom helped rake them up again for round two and three of this pleasant game.
The orange, greens, and yellows of the local pumpkin patch fill adults and children with equal delight as the ‘perfect’ size and shape of pumpkin is searched for with grave intensity. After all, its flawlessness will serve to usher in the jack-o-lantern of our own imagination for the Halloween celebration.
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| OCTOBER’S COLORFUL PUMPKIN PATCH |
As if all of the sounds, visual changes, and weather extremes that take place during October were not enough, my heart delights in the autumnal celebration of a life gone way too early; a gentle lady who loved deeply and gave more than she would ever receive in this lifetime. Mom, sixty-two years was not nearly enough time to have the world appreciate all that you had to contribute to making this a sweeter, more loving place to live in. I miss you with all of my being...
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| MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER, OLGA, AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN |
Today, you would have had 97 years filled with the gentleness of life behind you. Happy Birthday, Mom, with all of the trimmings and all of my love! My October canvas is filled with the colorful and joyous memories of your love, kindness and appreciation of all living things.
Everyone, please stay safe. Vote!
Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photos Copyright © 2020 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
