This is The End

I've hauled in a ton of wood and built up the fire.  It's dark and cloudy outside, already spitting rain Everything around my home glows in a riot of color.  The aspens are gold and green mixed, the rose bushes dull red leaves against shining scarlet berries show against the sage and lamb's quarters still growing almost as fresh as in summer days. 

The sun breaks through again and again shining through my windows showing the smoke from the pine sap I throw on top of my old wood burner.  It scents my entire house with help from pine scented candles burning in preparation for the dark quickly coming down the valley.  My geraniums are full of blooms, the dainty lilac flowers on my rosemary plant are at their best right now as are the nastursiums and heliocarnas.  My portalaca is gorgeous with it's pink, orange, and yellow blooms.  It's hard to believe that tonight we are expecting up to a foot of snow.  Often we have another few weeks of good weather after the first big snow.  I'm hoping that's what happens this year.  

Somehow I feel this fall isn't just the end of the growing season, it is the end of something more.  The good times may be over in America.  I feel the whole country, possibly the entire earth waiting as if holding it's combined breath.   We have tipped over the edge, economically, environmentally, locally and globally.  We have lost our sense of destiny.  Some hopefully have lost their sense of entitlement.  There are not large areas of calm to be found when traveling the astral seas the end of this fall.  Harvests have been destroyed and disrupted.  Transport has been lacking or expensive.  Prices are rising and tension overwhelms the best intentions towards positive thought.

But still, there is the Mother's beauty given generously and freely.  This is the most beautiful year I remember.  Is it really more beautiful or am I trying to hold on to each moment of security and "easy" living I can?  I just know it soothes my soul now when I need it most.