Saturday, October 10, 2026, 32.3* F, 88% RH, 30.32 BP, 0551
I walked onto the deck without looking for a dangling spider. I turned back toward the door; a chill came over me. I wait for the light to see what’s around me. I wait for the light so I can write what I see. I wait for dripping coffee to fill my cup. A snowflake flashes on my weather station. Candles throb on windowsills. Sun, an orange dot on the horizon.
A fleece is no defense on cold mornings, not for walking. Stream, still as a painting. Traffic in a hurry. Bird voices barely heard: Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Crow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Blue Jay.
Yesterday, small birds, like leaves lifted by a breeze, flying from the ground, finding the place they left, on branches.
Always watching. Not always seeing.
Photo: LJ Austin
