Tongues of gold

If you look at my header, a sliver of gold laps toward the heavens between the evergreen on the mountains in the background. They are the same type of tree as in the foreground... the Aspen. The Aspen is tasked with filling in the woods of Colorado after they have been ravaged with bark beetle (and thus cut down) or fire. They are known for their rapid growth and long lives and of course their beautiful yellow and golden leaves in the fall which is even more pronounced when it is framed by the brilliant green of the Colorado Blue Spruce.

Their silver trunks are stuff of legend for it is only with the stake of an aspen that it was believed you could kill a vampire or a werewolf. A bigger stake could be used to drive into the grave of a condemned person to keep them from rising from the dead.   

It was purported to be a tree that could ward off evil spirits which is why it was often planted near dwellings. The small heart shape leaves shiver melodically in the wind and it's no wonder that in Eastern Slavic Apocryphal literature that a legend sprung up that it was in an Aspen that Judas Iscariot hung himself and the leaves have trembled with fear ever since.*

Golden and beautiful against the azure blur skies, the Aspen is the perfect tree for the Halloween season!

*Legend: Wikipedia link

The Road Goes Ever On

Our day in the mountains gifted me with a camera full of gold and green and memories to cherish. The sun was golden warm and the path was quiet. We headed out listening to the call of hawk and the song of sparrow. The laughter of a little boy filtered down the road behind us and we turned to see a father and son pell melling it down the path, the tot almost head-over-heeling as he came near us. The father slowed the boy down, warning him not to interfere with picture taking, but of course we weren't bothered. They galloped off and I watched them head off into the hills, the song of Frodo and Bilbo taking hold in my head. 

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted inn,

My evening-rest and sleep to meet.
~J.R.R. Tolkien

Monday, Monday

Every other day, every other day

Every other day of the week is fine, yeah

But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes

A-you can find me crying all of the time

When I was girl I used to sit by the stereo with a hairbrush nestled close by my mouth bellowing out Karen Carpenter songs at the top of my lungs. The albums (remember those? the large black disks that you could actually watch turn and you could play backwards?) were my father's but we were allowed to play them as long as we were careful to keep fingertips off of the vinyl and never, never, never, let them drop onto the floor (oh, there was pain of DEATH if we let the albums drop onto the floor!!!).

These weren't the only songs I remember from childhood- it's just that she has the famous 'Rainy days and Mondays' song that most people remember when they think of Karen Carpenter. And I sound quite a lot like her (I was a music major in college and I was a singer for most of my adult life). But The Mamas and The Papa's 'Monday, Monday' is another classic from my childhood which I love so I thought I'd make that the theme today. Little depressing but Monday seems to get a bad rap that way. It's hard to find an upbeat Monday song (in fact is there one? I mean a GOOD one.) 

 Mondays aren't so bad for me. I am off every other Monday and on the other week I work a 5 hour day. That's because on Tuesday I will work a 10 or 11 hour day and we at the library will be working our asses (excuse my English!) off because the people in the neighborhood will be jonesing for computers and the holds they put on over the weekend. So I'll take Monday... somebody write me a bluesy Tuesday song!  

So theoretically I try to get some writing done on Monday. Theoretically. But there is also housework to be done, a son to pick up from school, errands to be run and blogposts to post. So we'll see if I get any writing done today. I hope to. 

 But this was Saturday in the Rocky Mountains on our way up Mount Evans (although we didn't go to the top. We'd had to park further down than we'd thought because of hunting season).

We were in the mountains to view the changing of the guard. It happens at the equinox... The god of darkness, Tanist, (in Celtic mythology) defeats the god of light, Lugh. It must be a fantastic battle because things change dramatically. In other words, Autumn comes and soon thereafter Samhain- which is when Tanist will take his throne as Dark King. (Makes me shiver just thinking about it!)

 Fall is a bittersweet time for me. I love the beauty of fall, the crisp scent of drying leaves... sap eking out of the bark. But the change of season is difficult for me (I have suffered from seasonal depression for many years) and I know what cometh... lurking around  the corner like Lugh's dark spirit!

 Nevertheless, how can anyone not appreciate this heart stopping beauty? 

What did you do over the weekend? Get any writing done? Or did you put it off because Mother Nature beckoned like I did? 

Day ONE of NABLOWRIMO annnnnd....

Happy Blogiversary to me! 

Happy Blogiversary to me! 

Happy Blogiversary to meeee! 

Happy Blogiversary to me! 

(Oh yeah it's a video of fireworks! Nothing but the best!!!)
So... it's my blogiversary and I have been racking my brains on what I should do to celebrate. You might tell me it's too late but... not so! I have the entire month to celebrate my blogiversary! Why is that? Because I began blogging on October 1, 2008 (Three years! OMG!!!) for National Blog Writer's Month (NABLOWRIMO!) and since it's an entire month of blogging I think I can easily say, I can celebrate my Blogiversary for the entire month! So, there. And since I am a mere 2 followers away from having 200 followers there is plenty to celebrate!!! SO WOOHOOO!!! Lots of exciting things happenin' round here. (now I just need to come up with prizes and... fun things! um, I'll keep thinking.

Shew! Where is my champagne! Oh, yeah, right here. Take a glass! It's a celebration)  And here we are kicking off NaBloWriMo and guess what? I am cheating and prepping this post on the night before because I am somewhere in the Rocky Mountains (you know pictures will follow!), enjoying Colorado blue skies, the red & golden tints of fall and fresh mountain air. (Ahhhh!!! Come on, breathe in! Can you smell the fresh pine???)

At any rate, I'll be checking in with you later but obviously I wanted to kick off the day right with an early post to this big event started.

A final shot of some of what you are missing because you are there and
I am here...

See you soon!