The Hazard Chronicles

The year was 1819. The days had just started to get shorter, and the air was starting to develop a cool crispness to it. On this particular evening late in September, the English poet John Keats decided to take himself for a walk near the town of Winchester. As he strolled down the countryside, he must have been thinking about a lot of things. He certainly noticed the fields ready for harvest, and probably pondered the delicate balance between the resplendent beauty of the season with the melancholy sense of finality that often accompanies it. He watched the animals preparing for the onset of winter, and perhaps considered the metaphors that could be drawn between the seasons with a life well-lived. He might have had other thoughts too- after all, who really knows what goes on in the mind of such a brilliant man? Either way, when he got back home, he sat down with a pen and began to write. 

Two years later the man was gone, but his work remained. The poem he wrote after his walk marked the end of his career. It is also considered by most critics to be one of the most perfect poems in the English language. "To Autumn" is a work filled with imagery and symbols- the work of a master wordsmith that few will be able to emulate. 

The subject of the poem though- Autumn- I think has inspired poetic thoughts from all who have taken the time to contemplate this magnificent splendor of the season. What is it about this time of year? Why do I find myself turning inward, evaluating myself on deeper levels than at other times? How is it possible to feel so overwhelmed by the excitement and joy of a season, while at the same time already mourning its loss? The season is so incredibly rich and complex and meaningful, and as I reiterate each year it comes around- I absolutely love it.

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This week has seen a lot of activity from our family. 

Thursday nights I play at a local racquetball league, where I mostly hold my own during the games but rarely end up winning. It's fun though, and I enjoy the company of the people I play with. On Friday evening Rachel and I went to a party/gathering of friends and enjoyed good food and conversation at their beautiful home while watching the sun set behind the river. Saturday afternoon I ran in a local 5k and ended up taking 4th place overall- not bad, even though I failed to hit my goal time by about 30 seconds. After the race I met up with Rachel and we went furniture shopping. Finding nothing, we decided to finish the night at one of our favorite restaurants, where we enjoyed the food while getting into a friendly debate about national politics. On Sunday we went to church where I have started helping with the music, and then went home and had a wonderful afternoon with a family walk and dessert night.

Also, this week we fulfilled our annual tradition of apple picking and baking! We did this for the first time the year we moved to Cleveland, and since then it has become a defining moment of Fall along with Halloween and Thanksgiving. As our family grows older it becomes funner as well, as the kids get into the action a lot more and have a fun time planning out what recipes we will make.

Can I also just say that I love going up to the orchard? It is like a giant harvest party, with music and games and autumn smells like caramel corn and apple cider and carnival rides and animals and everything a person could ever want from Autumn time all in one place. So much fun. Here are some pictures:

 

This is a "sandbox" of dried peas. It was sort of weird. As you can see, the kids are burying Rachel.

Our first creation: Apple Pie (Jack helped too, but didn't want to be in the picture). Today I am making Apple Fritters with everyone in about an hour when they get home from school.

I had to put this picture up as well. What you see here is a very happy man with his new Taylor Guitar. It is gorgeous and sounds amazing! For those who don't know, Taylor is like the Mercedes Benz of the guitar world. I have waited a long time to justify this one!