October 8th 2009
2009 is passing into a blur toward the beginning of True Autumn here in the Piedmont. The leaves have barely begun to change except for up in the Blue Ridge. The nights and mornings are getting colder. I'm still picking tomatoes and the Snapdragons out back are still blooming. It will soon be winter. We haven't had any snow to speak of for three years. We're lucky in that respect. But winter is winter whether you're in San Francisco or Virginia. The end of lush green-ness. The beginning of the dead season and having to wear socks again. I'm afraid to look and see if the moths got to my favorite collection of Korean tailor-made wool suits and topcoats. That's the downside of living at my geographical location and the smell of moth-balls is pretty hard to take. Two nights ago I saw a Christmas commercial on television (October 6th) and all the financial pundits are predicting the worst Christmas shopping season ever. Good. Maybe they'll finally realize that Malls have worn out their capitalistic purposes with the American public, and never really appealed to any American male worth his salt. Save the planet. Stay away from shopping malls - and tell your wives and kids to stay away, too. When you think about it, there's nothing there you really need.
