Dawn Reno Langley's Blog, page 11
October 5, 2009
Autumn in North Carolina
Autumn came in strong this weekend, bringing with it a little breeze, a powerfully hard blue sky, and that warmth we all know as Indian Summer, but behind all of that was a hint that this would be the last of it. Soon, we'll be seeing the glimmer of frost on the grass and the leftover leaves on the trees, and if we have just the right combination, by December, there will be a little bit of snow on the ground. North Carolinians revel in that touch of snow, just enough to be dangerous for cars and for those who have never driven in the foot-high snow drifts that we New Englanders know as "normal winter."
I love autumn for many reasons, and I hate it for just as many. It means longer nights, cozier times in front of the fireplace, where a good book (or a laptop with a novel started on it) can keep you company. My grey tiger cat senses the change in weather too and climbs onto my lap when I sit down to write, cuddling against my chest with the breathless relaxation of an old friend. And she is old. I wonder sometimes whether there will be too many more autumns that she'll be around to share.
The shadows shed by the giant oaks and maples on my campus reach further these days. They zebra the sunlight and harbor great puddles of acorns that our bevies of squirrels jealously steal and race up the trees. If you walk too closely at the wrong time, you are pelleted with a rainstorm of the acorns while the squirrels chirrup their anger at being disturbed.
My roses are popping their last blossoms at home in my gardens, and I feel (as I do every autumn) that the gardens are messy. They cry out to me for weeding and mulch. I promise myself I'll get to it next week.
I love autumn for many reasons, and I hate it for just as many. It means longer nights, cozier times in front of the fireplace, where a good book (or a laptop with a novel started on it) can keep you company. My grey tiger cat senses the change in weather too and climbs onto my lap when I sit down to write, cuddling against my chest with the breathless relaxation of an old friend. And she is old. I wonder sometimes whether there will be too many more autumns that she'll be around to share.
The shadows shed by the giant oaks and maples on my campus reach further these days. They zebra the sunlight and harbor great puddles of acorns that our bevies of squirrels jealously steal and race up the trees. If you walk too closely at the wrong time, you are pelleted with a rainstorm of the acorns while the squirrels chirrup their anger at being disturbed.
My roses are popping their last blossoms at home in my gardens, and I feel (as I do every autumn) that the gardens are messy. They cry out to me for weeding and mulch. I promise myself I'll get to it next week.
September 21, 2009
My first blog
I just finished my first giveaway for books and am excited about sending out Contemporary Native American Artists to five lucky winners! Through the years, I've met so many wonderful artists when writing books about African-
American and Native-American art/collectibles that I'm always excited about sharing news about them with readers and collectors. I do hope everyone who gets a copy of this giveaway book enjoys it as much as I did writing about these talented people.
American and Native-American art/collectibles that I'm always excited about sharing news about them with readers and collectors. I do hope everyone who gets a copy of this giveaway book enjoys it as much as I did writing about these talented people.
