In the morning I had been listening to the Rochester radio station WXXI, and they were describing the day as wet and dreary.
At noon time I attended an advisory board meeting that included a very nice hot lunch. I drifted into a this-could-be-anywhere-in-the-USA frame of mind, the meeting familiar to pre-retirement work sessions, almost feeling back in the saddle. Buckle up, work mode. It was not unpleasant.
I was surprised when I walked out into the parking lot, the light was very bright, the sun surprisingly intense. As I drove along, I approached an intersection and could see, down through a corridor of trees, the outline of the Gulf at the end of the street. You can’t get further south on the mainland than right here, at this spot on the coast. As I turned for home, I passed a large stand of big leafy green banana trees, and I had to pinch myself to remember that it was October 20th, for god’s sake.
Folks from up North have been posting gorgeous pictures of the Fall colors. It’s all good, both North and South have their blessings. What’s especially nice is to feel familiar, at home, if only temporarily, in whatever place you are in, the place that in that moment, you can call here.