Tangerine: A Book of Hours

So, do you scoop all of the stringy orange pumpkin guts out, or leave some in for that hairy gothic look? The glow of a candle looks warm and witchy either way. One might be neater, but I have to say: there are a few threads dangling in my jack-o-lantern, tonight.

Green and yellow are vying for dominance in the trees (with the occasional splashes of red and vivid orange) and the air is sharp with a chill. Scatters of golden leaves speckle still emerald grass. At the moment, the sky is powder blue...but the light is sliding smoothly down to dusk.

It's almost Halloween night.

The goodies (and candles for the pumpkins) are ready. My writing is done for the day. I'm going to relax and hand out treats...then maybe watch some spooky movies on tv (or dvd, as the case may be).

I love Halloween. If I ever have a big old house, I intend to have elaborate costume parties in it. Heavy on candlelight, jack-o-lanterns, and other seasonal decorations...

At the moment, I'm snacking on some Fritos, filched from the treat box. It's dark and very Halloweeny out, now...

I remember using a pillowcase told hold my treats when I was a kid. Going around the neighborhood trick-or-treating until the candy got too heavy (or we got too worn out) and then coming home, dumping it all out on our livingroom floor, and sorting the haul with my brothers.

We never liked the Clark Bars. Funny, 'cause I do like them now...

Anyway, here's to a fun and safe Halloween, and to a very pretty October. November is just a few hours away...so hello to her, too.

Posted by The Allurium at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday, twenty-five days into October and the leaves are just starting to shift golden. It's cold (and definitely feels like Autumn) but with a little razzmatazz things could still seem late Summery...

On the other hand, I remember a Halloween, not long ago, when a large ice storm turned the whole night into black and white glass -- so I'm not complaining about a tardy show of Fall color.

As for today (and, sometimes, I feel like a hyper-parenthetical weather man) it is a wavery kind of day. A bit of sun, a dash of wan gloom.

So I'm having a late afternoon cup of radiantly-warm coffee and catching up with some email.

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to going to a Halloween party at Bob and Amy's house. That should be fun -- and it'll be great to see everyone together. It's been a while. (A note to myself: remember to bring your camera.)

At the moment, I'm in the middle of a bunch of things. I'm not sure if Kelli and I are going to catch a movie tonight or just kick back and relax. At some point I have to get out and get something to take to the party (and maybe get a hair cut).

Pretty exciting, eh?

One thing, though, I'm no longer feeling so tense. Make that two things: it's also very nearly the weekend. A blah day isn't that bad in that light.

Ack...I just ran out of coffee!

Posted by The Allurium at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got the refrain from an old Pixies song jittering through my head -- and while I'm not really that tired I am definitely...tense.

Today was a day the color of rain water. The ground is cold and moist. The air filled, off and on, with thin drizzle. A gray and dreary Wednesday, for sure. I spent most of it fretfully fiddling with Tangerine.

(How do you like the mini-makeover, by-the-way?)

The back and sides of my neck have been...tight...all day long. It's still kind of creaky, even now. For some reason, I have been feeling stressed since early this afternoon.

The funny thing is: I don't exactly know why.

Once upon a time, I remember laying on my back on a beach towel, spread out over the heated sand. I had my shades on (and a good SPF 30 sunscreen; it's the warmth for me, not the tan). The sun still glowed through my closed eyelids and the sounds of the ocean and a Summer beach were all around me. The radiant heat and stillness had drawn sweat that trickled over my skin.

I felt like the day was slowly turning into molten gold (with the thump and whisper of the waves as accompaniment) and that I could just melt away into an almost perfect state of relaxation.

I think I'll log off, unwind, and hold that moment in my mind for a while...

Posted by The Allurium at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coffee warmth flows out through the walls of a black and white mug. Decorated with lighthouses. Music as rich as those chocolate-colored depths swirls around the room. Drink it down, past my lips. And my lips.

Are dry.

Rumaging around, up in the attic, where it is dry and cool, now. A vague line of pale bluish light glimmering down from the ridge vent. The first light blub is loose and on the floor. It pops when screwed into the socket. A second fares better. Scatterings of saw dust from the roof work.

Up there, you can feel the outside.

And it feels like Autumn.

The sun pulls light through the sky: bright, weightless beams. Some of the trees around here are wavering on the edge of an Autumn color change. Yellows are rising. The air tastes, just a bit, like Halloween.

Squeeze is playing on the stereo, now. "Annie Get Your Gun." And here is a pile of wintery clothes for the laundry.

The water is cool and clear -- like the day. Smooth, going down.

I'm feeling peppy and mentally jazzed: thinking fast, singing along, and eating a banana.

Groovy!

Pre-heating baby, yeah.

And typing, while David Bowie's Heathen plays in the background.

I'm having a veggie pocket and a bowl of tomato soup for supper. Now, the light has gone horizontal (or nearly) but the air is still bright.

Time ticks and flows.

Smooth.

Sliding in the twilight. The skies are deep cobalt: the evening, young. I'm feeling fresh and mellow.

I remember floating on my back in the ocean, at dusk. The water was warm and calm, rising and falling gently. The clouds were painted in neon shades of orange, pink and aqua. I moved only enough to keep myself afloat -- and oriented so that I could see both the setting sun and the rising moon in the same sky. Around me, the water turned golden.

I feel, just a bit, like that now.

And now...now it is night. I am writing and rising to stretch my back. Sipping some cool water. I'm thinking of a snack (and maybe a little TV) while winding down to bed. This is a moment.

But, really, the seventh is the one in which you are reading this.

Posted by The Allurium at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Friday, cool as a breeze. The sky is a white cotton ball; rain is a ghost waiting to appear...but not yet. At the moment, there is no water falling.

And me? Well, I might go for some more coffee, with a little persuasion.

A week into October and it still feels like the faded edge of August. I like that. I enjoy Autumn, and Winter, too -- but I'm not ready for frigid air just yet...

I just poured myself a tall glass of water (the coffee is still waiting in the wings, like the rain). Outside, that breeze is getting fretful.

When I was a child, I remember going to a big greenhouse called, "Arcadia Gardens". They sold all kinds of plants and such, there. I can still vividly recall the scent and feel inside the greenhouse, itself. That loamy humid atmosphere, heavy and exotic at the same time.

The air around here feels like that today -- without the "exotic" undertone.

I just answered an email from Kelli. We are going to see Red Dragon tonight, down at the Waterfront, and I wanted to check what time would be good for her. I'm curious about the movie; it has a great cast (and I enjoyed Manhunter). It should be worth seeing.

My mouse is being insolent.

This computer has always been sluggish and prone to crashing. The mouse has likewise left much to be desired -- but now it has developed a cranky streak, moving the cursor haphazardly (or not at all). I'll have to fiddle with it later.

Ah, to be able to switch to an Apple G4 Titanium Powerbook...

Well, it's vivdly-bright now -- but that breeze has become a wind. There are probably some storms in store for this evening. Still, it is Friday, and the weekend is almost here.

Cool.

Posted by The Allurium at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tall, perfect blue skies, cool deep air and vivid daylight. The breeze has no hint of woodsmoke -- yet. No frost-crystal tinge. Green is everywhere, rustling. All the golden shades still rest beneath, unseen. The first day of October is a quick, bright kiss.

And I am savoring it.

How the year has blurred, tumbling toward the Winter months. Steady into Autumn, now -- though it still feels like Summer.

I'm writing to silence (though not really; the bell fountainhead brings the sound of water inside, through opened windows -- and the environment breathes with all its tiny noises).

At the moment, my writing for the day is tapering-off. I'm pondering what to have for supper and if if I'm going to watch The Fellowship of the Ring again, later. I'm getting the urge to stroll around outside for a bit, though. It's a beautiful evening and I'd like to feel it for a while before I do anything else.

So that's where I'm headed.

Hello, October.

Posted by The Allurium at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)