TheBanyanTree: Coming Fall

[NancyIee at aol.com]

Its a cooler breeze that ruffles the Spanish Moss shawls of the pine trees.  
The farm store has its scarecrow and pumpkin decorations up. I can hear the  
year's fox kits barking at night out in the wetlands.  The horses are  getting 
fuzzy again, putting on their winter coats.
 
We have no frost here, or obviously bright leaves, but there are still  signs 
that Summer is over, even if they are subtle.
 
It was raining as the sun came up today. A fine mist that clung to the  
pines' needles.  As the sun blazed over the horizon, every tiny droplet  shone 
brilliant gold so bright it hurt the eyes.  The big tom cat slid  across the yard, 
picked up the dew on his coat, and glistened as though  gilded.
 
I found a couple of tiny eggs in the hay of the barn.  I discovered  that out 
plentiful wild anoles, tiny lizards, lay their eggs in the shelter of  tall 
grass, or hay.  If I take the eggs and put them in a jar, with holes  in the 
lid, ala childhood, bye and bye, the eggs will hatch, and I will have  bitty 
lizards in my jar.  I have done so before, and watched the little  ones a day or 
so before turning them back into the yard.
 
Someone told me that if I put a few swordtail fish in my goldfish pond, the  
swordtail, being very prolific, will reproduce enough fry to feed the 
goldfish,  and my pond will become self-supporting.  Rather cruel for the baby  
swordtails, methinks.
 
I bought another Beta fish to put in the water of my peace plant. I had one  
there before, who lived out his days among the roots, needed no food other 
than  the tiny rootlets, and the plant thrived off the droppings of the beta.   
This Beta is a female. Not as flamboyant as the long-tailed male, but a tiny  
jewel just the same.
 
Fall is a time of harvest and quiet reflection.  However, my days rush  by as 
busy as ever. I have dogs to train, and my own animals to look after, and  
friends to see, and books to read, and acres of lawn and gardens to tend. I must 
 go through old things, and decide which to keep, which to let go.  Which to  
work on, which to realize there is no help. Which are mine, and which are now 
 some else's.  And, which I might start anew.
 
I love the Fall the best.  It reminds me.    Not of  anything in particular. 
It merely reminds me.
 
NancyLee



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com