A Drive in the Country While the Time Changes

Late fall in New England is a shaking off of skin. What was ruddy is a skeleton. The vestiges of what was once green and sunny whip away in the wind. On short country straightaways, lines of trees reach out with gnarled limbs to pull us into the raw.

At the end of October, porches don't creak with the weight of lingering feet. The heat is all from within, where fires or televisions crackle in a bluish light. Dead leaves spin in a vortex of crisp dustiness against the cavities of gabled homes. Tiny goblins hang from trees. If you listen closely, you can hear the ringing of so many phones in support of local politicians on both sides of a hotly contested race.

We drive calmly, as always. The dog presses her nose against a window that is viscous from sightseeing. The baby sleeps in her carseat. I turn onto another road designated "scenic." There are flanneled farm stand attendants hawking gourds. I can tell they are closing up. With a nudge to the heat knob on a many buttoned console, I check the baby again in the rear view. Everything is fine. We head home.

Comments

  1. AlisynOctober 30, 2006 at 3:18 PM

    Beautiful.

    My absolute favorite time of hear, hands down.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlisynOctober 30, 2006 at 3:19 PM

    Um, YEAR.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mary-LUEOctober 30, 2006 at 3:25 PM

    Very nice. And I mean that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mrs. ChickyOctober 30, 2006 at 5:45 PM

    "gnarled limbs to pull us into the raw"

    I understand this only too well. Especially after yesterday's winds.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 30, 2006 at 5:56 PM

    I want to live in New England during this time of year so bad.

    I felt like I was there from your post. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  6. T.October 30, 2006 at 6:38 PM

    You have such a beautiful way with words. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. BinkytownOctober 30, 2006 at 7:17 PM

    I can see it. I love those tiny goblins. I'm totally doing that next year. I'm making light but this was very powerful. You create the most vivid images.

    ReplyDelete
  8. jenOctober 30, 2006 at 10:23 PM

    what loveliness...i felt as if i was sitting right beside you, toasty and warm and full.

    ReplyDelete
  9. LaurenOctober 31, 2006 at 5:11 AM

    Per request of your husband: To keep warm without using the heat, buy a $40 electric heating fan at Wal*mart like this one. And then when you are sitting by the computer, let the heater blow on you to warm you up, and it will warm up the rest of the room pretty quickly as well, using only the electricity it takes to run a computer.

    Also, you may want to try hot baths and winter snowsuits as it looks as if the hubby is standing firmly to his "no heat" policy.

    Love you guys.

    ReplyDelete
  10. toyfotoOctober 31, 2006 at 7:14 AM

    One more beautiful couldn't hurt right? Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

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