Beauty of Fall

Some of the trees have turned, but I fear the leaves won't be there after today. We have high winds today and we are suppose to have the possibility of storms this afternoon and evening. I have decided next spring I am planting a golden and red maple of my own. These trees are behind our house in the neighbors yard. The old house behind us was the original farm home on this property. There is a big red barn that was used for milking etc as you turn into our neighborhood and a big pond across the street from us. As I was digging my garden out back last year I found all kinds of interesting things like at one time they had a chicken coop out there because I found bits and pieces of it. My view of the neighbors house isn't so great but the trees are fine!

Our weather has been weird. This time last year we had a 2 inch snow. This year we are sitting at 74 right now with high humidity waiting on the big fall storm we get that sets us on our way to winter. It blows through and strips the leaves and downs trees, but what follows is cool air. I love the smell of fall. It's comforting, but sad and fills me with anticipation of the winter to come and the spring that follows.

Because we have entered into our rainy days, I have picked up my reading again. It's been raining off and on for the last 2 weeks, feeding the trees and getting them ready for their winter sleep. I have given myself a new project for this winter in my reading. Last winter I read the entire Bible, and New Testament, so for this winter I have ordered a translated copy of the Koran. I want to learn what the differences are between the Christians, Jews and Muslims. I was watching Ann Coulter the other day put her foot in her non politically correct mouth and I really understood what she was trying to say about perfecting the Jews. The Bible represents the Jews and the angry vengeful God--but able to forgive after certain restrictions and punishments are adhered to by the Jews. I see why they feel this is all there is if you base your life only on the Bible. The New Testament was a "perfecting" of the Jews, the Christians. The loving, forgiving God as long as forgiveness was asked for. A God and religiion for all people--gentiles. The Bible speaks of the religion was for Gods people--the Jews. Now I want to read the Koran and see the parallels with the Bible and the New Testament. Oh well, just a project of trying to understand why the hell everyone wants to cram their beliefs down each others throat. I realize our stakes in the middle east have nothing to do with religion, but I want to understand the Jews and the Muslims and where this bullshit started. I have also been doing research on the computer of World History. I took World History in college unfortunately the only thing I remember about the Muslims were the Christian crusades. I want to dig deeper into the Muslim culture to understand or get an insight on the different tribes etc.

I got interested in all this when I read "The Kite Runner", which is an excellent book. It is fiction but it contains a lot of current history of Afganistan I didn't really know about. After I read that book I read the authors other book of "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (Khaled Hosseini). It also contained a lot of information on the people of Afganistan and all the warring tribes. These are two books I would greatly recommend. Currently, I am reading "Middlesex" which is a story of a Greek immigrant family, fleeing Greece when the Turks invaded slaughtering the people of the country, and their genetic failures. It was a Pulitzer Prize winner. It is steeped in American history and the life of the immigrant--very interesting. Last winter I also read a book on Georgia O'Keeffe by Roxana Robinson which I found informative and interesting. Well, if you get a chance I suggest you pick these books up and give them a read. Also I found a signed first edition of "Water for Elephants" at the goodwill store (where I get most of my books). This is a great story of the circus and its people and growing old, a story I greatly recommend.

The stairs are working great for the dogs that are spending most of their times outdoors now when it is not raining at least. They lay on the deck, down the stairs and on the patio below. They seem quite content now outside. Freckles spends the day watching for the rabbits in the yard outside the fence and crazy squirrel. All my tomatoes are gone thanks to crazy squirrel.

Well take care until next time. Time for me to get back to reading.