Bright Sun Rising

Dawn in late September should promise a lovely autumn day. At 0530 hours I can see my breath. Now that indicates a very cool temperature. My breathe hasn't condensed in morning air for many months. The thermometer registers forty degrees F, and at that temperature I cannot paint the exterior of my house. Instead I wash my Hunny (Hundai). And scoop up black walnuts in the driveway blown off during yesterday's rainy wind, or was it windy rain? Nuts dropped by the bushel.
All summer I watched the heights of that lovely tree, Juglans nigra, and hoped there would be very few nuts to gather. But was I wrong! As I mentioned last week squirrels chew off a few each day – easy to pick up and keep the driveway tidy. Why I do not dry the nuts and have myself a grand time cracking and eating them during the dark winter months is no mystery. It is a painstaking job, requiring a hammer and a heavy hand to crack the shells. The rewards are crushed tidbits. I allocate far more interesting activities for those days, like cataloging postage stamps, sorting my penny collection, and occasional dusting.
As the sun continues to move toward the equator compound leaves will turn to yellow and suddenly fall, and I will rake stems and leaves once more. I can hardly wait. By then it will be too cold for meticulous outdoor puttering and I will be ensconced indoors for the winter.
However it is another lovely bright autumn day!
Naomi Sherer