Sayonara, Indian Summer

Cold! A sharp north wind has appeared, making the daytime temperatures feel lower than they probably are, and giving the nights a bite. It's beautiful, though. Out walking this morning, early, the sun just cresting the roof line of the houses, a persimmon tree, bare branches hung with fruit, each vivid orange globe seemingly lit from within. Whether it's the time of day or the time of year, that inner-light effect turns every autumn into a visual stunner. And the cold clear nights makes the stars hard and bright; every night, just before I go to bed, I step out on my deck and say goodnight to my old friend, Orion, the first constellation other than the Big Dipper that I learned to recognize. Always nice to welcome him back to the neighborhood.