Sixfoot6.com - Putting Stuff Away.

I filled out an early absentee ballot in Plymouth town hall on Friday, since I'll be in NYC on Election Day. I chatted with my friend's dad, our town clerk. What a good thing, that community hometown feeling. Buying coffee, running to the bank.

At the bottom of the ballot, an impressive unexpected question #4: Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil violation, subject to a maximum fine of $100 and not be subject to any criminal penalties?

i believe that traditionally fall has three distinct phases. the first begins in mid-September: it's the initial cooling of summer warmth, a breeze and all that seasonal anticipation (often wrapped up in memories of a new school year, a change of job, that first knowing that cold is coming). scorpions would call this phase "The Winds of Change".

second: the October switch into autumn proper, the leaves change color and the nights cool; there are colors everywhere. phase 2 is the autumn we fantasize about. cool enough for flannel and sweatshirts, no need yet for heavy coats.

the cusp between 2 and 3 is everything i long for.

sometime between the end of daylight savings and halloween that final fall finally kicks in, trees swaying leafless, nights getting cold. it was warm today, (some seasonal phase jumping, thank you, global warming) but with the 4:30 sunset now in full effect, i know it's time to go away again.

i move west in 10 days, probably for good.