This summer was long, hot, and, dry. The color spectrum seemed to stagnate and present to this reporter a small array of crackly browns, meek greens of thirsty foliage, and the mirthless blue of a cloudless sky.
My wife and I met friends for dinner in Ukiah’s downtown recently and I was struck by the vividness before me.
The scarlet to bronze to purple to russet-red to maroon to orange to yellow to bright red. My mind balked at the kaleidoscope of colors compared to the months of predicability I had grown accustomed to.
A father and son walked together in the distance, the sun’s glow emanated through the autumn foliage and cast a warm light on the stone of the Mendocino County Court House.
I knew that change was afoot.
And for a moment, a savage offering of Emily Dickinson’s poem The name—of it—is “Autumn” (656) which she never gave a title to. In true human fashion, the untitled must be titled by someone later who cannot fathom a poem without a title. The poem highlights the beauty autumn brings juxtaposed to the temporary death that awaits during the long, cold winter:
The name—of it—is “Autumn”—
The hue—of it—is Blood—
An Artery—upon the Hill—
A Vein—along the Road—
Great Globules—in the Alleys—
And Oh, the Shower of Stain—
When Winds—upset the Basin—
And spill the Scarlet Rain—
It sprinkles Bonnets—far below—
It gathers ruddy Pools—
Then—eddies like a Rose—away—
Upon Vermilion Wheels—
MendoMoments, is dedicated to showcasing the land, animals, and people that make up Mendocino County. All Mendocino County residents and visitors are invited to participate. Send photographs to matthewplafever@gmail.com including a description of what your photograph depicts, where it was taken, and any other important details.
Earlier Chapters
- ‘Let Time Be On Our Side’: Mendocino County Sheriff Matt Kendall Talks Tactics Used to Apprehend the Redbearded Burglar During his Nine Months on the Lam
- MendoMoments: A Roosevelt Elk at Sinkyone Wilderness
- MendoMoments: A Caspar Shack with the Patina of Time
- MendoMoments: The Nearness of Autumn Comes Into Focus on the Mendocino Bluffs
- MendoMoments: The Long and Winding Philo-Greenwood Road
- MendoMoments: Surfer Rides a Wave Under the Blood Red Sun of Smoky Skies
- MendoMoments: A Gray Whale Emerges from the Pacific
- MendoMoments: A Wake of Vultures Feast on a Carcass
- MendoMoments: A Glass Beach Squirrel Gets Ornery When It Does Not Get a Snack
- MendoMoments: A Barn Owl in the Backyard
- MendoMoments: Lost in the Maze of Brooktrails
- MendoMoments: Noyo Harbor’s Baby Ospreys Emerge
- MendoMoments: Memorial Day at Russian River Cemetery
- MendoMoments: Soaking Feet in a Cool Creek
- MendoMoments: The Super Flower Blood Moon Descends Behind Duncan Peak
- MendoMoments: A Little Library in the Hamlet of Hearst
- MendoMoments: Thunderheads Gather Above the Mayacama Mountains
- MendoMoments: Lake Mendocino Through the Lens of a Newcomer
