we had some strong wind last night
and woke up to this
in the neighbor's yard...

it makes me sad
that the tree came down...
it was one of the ones that was
right outside our living room window,
by the window where we eat...

after taking pictures of the tree,
i decided to give my poor neglected garden
some much needed attention
and prepare it for the winter
so i spent a couple of hours
ripping out all the plants from this summer
and then raking out the multitude of leaves
and turning the soil....
it was still windy
but mild enough to wear just a hoodie
and the smells of earth and wet leaves
mixed with the strong scent of burning
hickory on the wind...
it was a moment that allowed you to
"be present" with great ease...
to revel in that moment
of being alive.