Ah…ctober!

It is a really strange thing if you think about it. Fall is my thing, the time of year that I love the most. Specifically, October has always been my favorite month. Even down in color deprived Houston, there is something great about the month of October (usually). The sky is different, more vibrant, more whole. The slight cool in the air, or not so slight as the case may be, is a welcome relief. But mostly, things just feel more vibrant to me.

Here in Vermont this is true tenfold with the changing of the leaves. This entire week I have felt so incredibly at home in the world. It is difficult to even describe the depths to which I am speaking. All I can really do is talk around it. It’s a feeling of complete calm, a settledness. It’s a feeling of unfettered aliveness, with nothing getting in the way. It’s a vibration that is resonating perfectly, no discord whatsoever, with the world around me. And it occurs to me in the moment that what I am experiencing is life as it is meant to be experienced, as pure joy.

Another way of saying the above is that fall is when I feel most alive. So what is so strange about all of this? Well, fall is when the rest of life begins winding down for the winter. It actually represents a preparation for death, or so we have fashioned. For a deciduous tree, it is the time of pulling in. The vibrant colors that we love so much are the result. And we do love our fall colors. This weekend Vermont was overrun with leaf peepers, and Shannon and I were right there among them. I wonder what the trees think. Do they love all of the sudden attention or are they mumbling to themselves, “Look, I’m trying to go to sleep here!” I’m going to go with the former. I’m going to guess that their process of winding down is a pleasant relief for them as well after a summer full of frantic production. Maybe, just maybe, they actually feel the same way I do- at peace and humming along with a deep sense of oneness.

It seems everyone and everything feels that way up here right about now. Our week included meeting a group of friends for dinner on Thursday night in Middlebury. We brought together two couples that had never met each other, on a spontaneous whim, yet it became quickly apparent that we were all one big, happy family. In part this was because five out of the six of us were women hockey players (which our one token, non-hockey playing male delighted in). Hockey is a small world! In part it was because of Vermont, in which everyone seems to know everyone in one way or another. The evening was an entirely enjoyable communion with people that we love. In plain English… so much fun! This is how friendships are supposed to feel, camradarie at its finest. We count ourselves lucky for the wealth of friendships that we have accumulated along the way.

On Friday, Shannon came home early from work and we spontaneously decided to drive over the mountain via Brandon Gap to our favorite coffee shop (as mentioned last week), Sandy’s Books and Bakery. First of all, the colors along our drive over the mountains were nothing short of spectacular. I just can’t imagine this ever getting old or one iota less jaw dropping. As for Sandy’s, we hadn’t managed to get over there all summer, for which we have been feeling the void because we consider Sandy not just a friend but a trusted elder. Fortunately she was in the coffee shop when we got there (she is often found next door in her sister store, the Bookary). When she saw us she stepped around the counter to give us the biggest, warmest hugs ever. So much love between us. This is how human relationships are supposed to be. We hung out there and simply read the lazy afternoon away. On our way home the tree colors were in a whole new light… the light of a stunning sunset. It nearly stopped us in our tracks, but we kept going… each of us secretly wishing we were watching that sunset from the Brandon Gap Great Cliff along the Long Trail.

Yesterday we decided to go touring around again. Neither one of us had shook that feeling from the night before. So we packed our day hiking gear, head lamps included, and set out on our way. First stop was my cousin-in-law Ben’s new farmstead up in Lincoln to check out and talk through his latest building projects. We just popped in. He had no idea we were coming and didn’t need to. Then we continued over the mountain again, this time via Lincoln Gap, which was packed to the hilt with day hiking leaf peepers. We kept going as we were aiming for a less crowded hiking adventure a little later. On the other side of the mountain we took a pit stop at the Warren Store where we picked up a quick bite to eat. The place was packed. From there we headed up the road a bit to the Bundy Modern to check out their latest art exhibit and take in the fall colors in their extraordinary setting. This off the beaten path museum is well worth finding. The place is just crazy beautiful:

From there we headed back south toward our final destination. South meant a drive along the Scenic Route 100 Byway. The scene along 100 never disappoints no matter the season, and is part of why we love our little town of Rochester, home to our mountain retreat as well as Sandy’s, so much. On our way we took another pit stop at Hubbard’s Country Store in Hancock to pick up some food for our hike. There are so many cool general/country stores in Vermont, including the ones mentioned here. They had exactly what we were looking for even though we had no idea what we were looking for when we walked in: Vermont cheese, summer sausage, olives and get this… wine in a can! Don’t judge! It was yummy!

We arrived at the Long Trail parking lot around 5pm, enough time to hike up to the cliff and get settled for the show. Remember how I said that Lincoln Gap was packed to the hilt? There were only a few cars in the parking lot at Brandon Gap. Now don’t go telling too many people, because it is kind of nice to keep it that way! The hike up to the cliff is steep, providing a nice bit of exercise with a huge reward at the end. On our way up, one nice caring elderly gentleman made mention that it gets dark quickly, darker than you might expect. Normally such paternal instincts would annoy me, but I just thanked him and assured him that we had headlamps and he seemed relieved to hear that. When we got to the cliff we had it all. to. our. selves. It was nothing short of magical. We set up our spread and settled in.

Then we took a million and one pictures all while applauding nature with every twist and turn of the plot. O.K., well, the wine might have been talking, just a little. Photos never do the real thing justice, but here are some teasers nonetheless:

The whole time everything that I described above about vibrating with it all was in full force. Then, it occurred to me that the moon was almost full and should also be rising around the same time. Sure enough, right on cue, the moon peaked out as the sun waived goodbye. I can’t help but think that they talk to each other every chance they get. On this occasion, I imagine they were nodding at each other with the hugest smiles on their faces knowing full well the glorious scene that they were orchestrating, seemingly just for two lone hikers on a cliff way past when we should have been. This is our proper place in the world. This is what it is to be fully at home in the world.

We finished off our wine at the last possible second as the sun was disappearing in the distance. With headlamps on, we started our descent. But you know what? We never turned them on. It was dark, yes, but our eyes adjusted enough to be able to see the trail and watch our step. What could be more perfect than a night hike in the witching month?? It turned out not to be the least bit scary though. I had not anticipated this, but I was reminded of something that I haven’t experienced nearly enough of lately. I actually feel completely comfortable in the darkness. In fact, I love it. It reminded me of my days at Princeton when I would wander the campus late at night, often ending up running across and then laying in the middle of a field and looking up at the stars. It was magical to be in the forest, on a mountain, in the darkness, and to feel every bit as much at home as I did in the light. It reminded me that our fears are often unfounded. Yes, shit happens in life, but more than often than not it doesn’t. It’s worth wondering what gets missed when we spend so much time worrying about shit-aversion. Hell, even when it does happen, it gives us a great story!

As for stories, we have come to the end of this little non-haunted, yet enchanted, story in honor of my favorite month for all time. I love you, October. Thank you for bringing us all together. I am not done with you yet. We just decided to go touring again today. See you out there, fellow October lovers!